February’s Associate Spotlight Series highlights Rusty Coomer, Maintenance Lead in Bloomington, Indiana, who joined Printpack as a Plate Mounting Assistant in 1997 after his friends highly recommended the company. Over the next 25 years, Rusty held five different roles and contributed to the plant’s outstanding results.
Let’s learn more about his career journey in his own words.
Why did you choose to work at Printpack?
I had some experience in printing already, and the people I knew who worked here talked about what a fantastic company it was to work for. There’s nothing better than a good friend’s recommendation.
How has this experience added to your skills so far?
My current role as Maintenance Lead has challenged me to expand my teambuilding skills as a leader and my overall mechanical and electrical skills.
What do you like most about your role at Printpack?
I am presented with new challenges every day. A sense of satisfaction comes with overcoming these challenges and accomplishing goals that help our company.
Aside from your hard work, what other things at Printpack have you felt aided your career path?
I have been fortunate to have worked with talented coworkers, leads, supervisors, and managers throughout the years. Listening to and learning from their advice has been critical to my successful career.
Would you recommend Printpack to other professionals? Why?
Yes, just like my friends recommended Printpack to me, I would highly recommend Printpack to others. Printpack is a strong company with great core values. There are a lot of opportunities to succeed if you’re committed to sharing those same values.
What makes a successful associate at Printpack?
Associates who are engaged and take the initiative to learn put themselves and the company on a path to success.
What’s the best part of working at Printpack?
I work with a talented team of individuals who push each other to be their best every day. It truly is a team environment, and I wouldn’t be able to perform my job without their support.
Do you have words of wisdom to those looking for a new opportunity? What kind of advice would you give to candidates?
Look for opportunities to contribute. Build your skillset to give yourself the best chance for a successful career. Work hard and take pride in what you do. Going through the motions every day will get you nowhere. Whether you’re a manager or just starting out, we are all part of a team, and it takes every member being engaged for us to be successful.
