Growing Up Muncie
Featured in Muncie Power Quarterly, Issue 4, 2016
Starting her career with the company at the age of 19 years old, Warehouse Coordinator – Crew Leader Mandi Gurley has grown up at Muncie Power Products—learning about the company, life's lessons, and herself along the way.
Fast-forward 22 years, and Mandi remains passionate about her job at the warehouse distribution center in Muncie, Indiana, and loves working at Muncie Power just as much, if not more than she did on day one at the company.
"Muncie is a great company," said Mandi. "They want their employees to succeed, both personally and professionally."
While it is the people at Muncie Power that have played perhaps the largest role in her decision to make her career with the company, Mandi also notes the company’s stability and her supervisors who have always promoted an environment where family comes first.
“I love everyone that works here,” she said. “We’re a family and we look out for each other. We want everyone to do their best and we are there to help.”
Mandi is no exception as she lends a helping hand on a daily basis within her position as warehouse coordinator – crew leader.
“I feel like I’m station one of the shop,” Mandi said. “As soon as the sales team enters an order, it prints at my desk, and I get everything ready for the order before handing it over to the shop.”
In today’s technological age, orders, labels, inventory, purchase orders, and other tasks that were once assigned to her in doses are now simultaneous or as Mandi says, "compounded."
She is in fact the designer and editor of the numerous label formats used for identifying product and quantity within the shop, which are important for maintaining inventory and completing orders.
And every one of these tasks that Mandi handles within the shop is time-sensitive. With this time sensitivity however brings a feeling of accomplishment as a team—knowing that at the end of the day they’ve beat the clock and as Mandi mentioned, are able to say, “Yes! We did it! Again!”
It is this hustle and bustle and unpredictability that Mandi likes about her position, which continually changes from day-to-day and challenges her.
“When I come in in the morning I have no idea what’s going to come at me. I feel like my job out here is challenging every day,” explained Mandi. “I learn something new, get better at something or teach someone something every day.”
With a passion for her job, Mandi takes advantage of company opportunities to continue learning including taking a leadership training course this spring called Emergence. Through this opportunity Mandi has gained a better understanding of differing learning styles, which she now applies within her position.
Beyond professional growth, the course has also helped Mandi learn more about herself.
“I used to think that I’m just a person, another number in a city full of people but it just takes one person to make a change,” she said. “Everyone has a voice.”
Taking this to heart, Mandi promotes positive change to best serve Muncie Power and its customers.
