“Schwan’s People You Need to Know” is an ongoing series of stories about some of the people who help make Schwan's Company and its subsidiaries a great place to work.
Buck reflects on what has made his nearly 30-year career at Schwan’s a special one
 |
| Cliff Buck, a route engineering manager at Schwan's, is approaching his 30-year anniversary with the company. |
“I’ve had the opportunity to meet many different people in many states all with different personalities throughout my career with Schwan’s,” Cliff said. “Each and every one of those folks, as well as the ones today, has impacted my career and who I want to be as a leader.”
Cliff started his Schwan’s journey in 1989 as a warehouse manager in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. There, he held several positions with home-delivery and retail business units before being promoted to area sales manager in central Illinois. In 2015, he transitioned into a role focusing on route engineering at our office in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Taking a moment away from his current role, Cliff shared some feedback about his nearly 30-year career with Schwan’s.
Q: Tell us something about yourself that most people at Schwan’s do not know.
A: Early in my life, I pursued emergency medicine. I’ve also stood on the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville, Tennessee, and performed with the group Oklahoma in front of a large crowd.
Q: What’s your typical day like?
A: We usually start around 6 a.m. and support field requests for routing or market-structure changes. Our team supports many different projects, and I take part in many discussions around field impact to customers and employees throughout the day. I also work with finance, accounting, human resources and operational managers to compile data needed to understand our impact as well as support leadership in their decision-making process for moving forward.
Q: What are you most proud of in your career with Schwan’s?
A: The people I have helped develop into leaders and those that I impact through working together. Developing people is one of my biggest passions. I think my passion for that helps me be successful in each position I’ve had. I want to support and help my leaders, peers and customers with a positive experience. I believe that elevates my performance; not to mention, I might be a little competitive.
Q: What do our company's vision and values mean to you? How do you demonstrate them in your day-to-day work?
A: My role today supports a crazy number of cross-functional partners. I love it, though. I’ve learned a ton since I’ve been in this position. Every action I take at work affects a lot of people across our organization. I take all of our company values seriously. They are the same values I do my best to uphold in my personal life and that’s what makes them so important to me at work. I can come to work and be the same person I am at home.
Q: We often talk about working as “one Schwan’s team.” What does that mean to you?
A: It’s bringing others along with whatever project, assignment or day-to-day activities I have. Learning as much as possible what people do in their roles and the impacts they have is important because many decisions I make can affect them or our business. Building relationships at work help us all understand how things impact our business. With that said, caring about what others do, what’s important to them and that they understand what’s important to you, is what helps us reach goals together.
Q: What are you most looking forward to in our company’s future?
A: Continued success as a company and making sure this is a place people look forward coming to work at every day.
Q: What is your favorite food product from Schwan’s?
A: I love a lot of them, but my freezer must always have Signature™ Gold ‘N’ Nugit® bars.
