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Rybacki’s Thoughts While Showering: Service, Service, Service
By Larry Rybacki, President
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Everybody in the company has gone ‘above and beyond’ in the last three years. All 360 SIGMA folks have given their all. But I wanted to take this opportunity to single out our warehouse folks and the inside sales team for a special shout out.
From Day 1 of the Pandemic, our warehouse crews have been going to work. They’ve been showing up to ship out product day in and day out. They never faltered. So cheers to our warehouse people who never skipped a day.
Then there’s Inside Sales and our admin people…they’ve gone into the office too. Nowadays, you can in theory work online or at home, but a lot of our inside sales decided to go into the office to work alongside their warehouse team. They wanted to make sure that they were able to maintain our customer service at its normal level. One thing we pride ourselves on is Service, Service, Service. I think we’ve done a great job considering all the potholes in the road.
Another thing I’m proud of is how we’ve stuck to our guns and always told the customer the truth. And this has been tough for everyone. It’s easy, when people have a job where they can say “Yes” all the time: Saying “No” is tough. I tell our people that communication is key, and you have got to be honest with your customers. At the end of the day, why are we here? We’re here to serve the end user. We‘re here to service that city, town, or contractor. We’ve got to help them get the job done because we’re all in the same waterworks industry and we all have the same goal.
I’d like to give a big shout out to our warehouse and Inside Sales for being steadfast and maintaining our high service standards during a difficult business environment. In addition, there’s our accounting and admin teams, our engineering group, and of course our outside sales folks. Everyone has done an admirable job. We’ve all been working hand in hand with our customers through the short-term challenges while keeping our long- term partnerships and relationships front of mind. As the supply chain appears to be easing, SIGMA wants to thank all our customers for your understanding.
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Check out this Webb-Site: The Importance of Teamwork
By Joe Webb, National Sales Manager
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This time of year always throws me back the gridiron. In my younger days, I played linebacker at the college level, and the life lessons learned on the football field have stayed with me well past the fourth quarter.
We learned early on that we all had a job to do, a specific role, a crucial position to play in the success of the team. If any one of us failed to perform, the whole team could suffer—whether it meant a blown play, a missed opportunity, a loss, or an injury, the outcome was negative. I have carried this mentality with me in other areas of my life and I have been incredibly fortunate to be a member of another team that always pulls together: SIGMA. When I am meeting with customers to learn what they need, I know that I have teammates with years of experience and dedication backing me up to help provide and deliver what is required. Our engineers, sourcing professionals, operations, quality control, logistics, inventory, Raven manufacturers, and warehouse crews all work together seamlessly toward a common goal: to serve the customer.
This mindset is crucial to the success of any organization; if collaboration, mutual respect, and trust are missing, most efforts are doomed to fail. SIGMA prioritizes teamwork as a core value, and this shows in everything we do, both in and out of the office.
Many SIGMA employees are involved in charitable works, and this is an extension of the teamwork mentality. Whether it is a “Pink-Out” for Breast Cancer Awareness, The Rybacki Memorial Golf Tournament for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, SOFKIN, an organization that supports underprivileged children in India, Shriners Hospital for Children, or the United Way, our coworkers pull together as a team to support efforts aimed at helping others.
The Webb family has recently begun working in this direction. To honor my father-in-law after he passed, we created the Dan Cox Legacy Fund. https://dancoxlegacyfund.com/ This has been a great way for our family to pull together with the community to honor Dan, who was a larger-than-life coach for his entire adult life. The Fund helps meet the financial needs of Catholic youth in education, athletics, and community programs, and has made a strong impact on many young people.
With the fall sports season in full swing and my four kids involved in football, soccer, and gymnastics, we spend a lot of time on athletic fields and in gyms. This is both fun and hectic. Annie and I appreciate the lessons these experiences provide for the kids—not the wins and losses, but the effort, the preparation, the value of practice, and the importance of teamwork. The fact that it tires our high energy brood out is an added bonus.
| SIGMA Presents New Installation Video | SIGMA is proud to continue our tradition as an industry leader in the restraint sector, and serve as a technical resource for our customers and colleagues. To that end, we offer our latest instructional video on the SLCE Restraint Assembly. | |
Please let us know if you or your organization is interested in a virtual or on-site training session, and send us your suggestions about any other instructional videos you would find useful. Email your ideas to gmatthews@sigmaco.com.
| Now Readily Available: Detectable and Non-Detectable Tape |  | |
SIGMA has a strong inventory of all types of marking tape, which is ready to ship from our warehouses across the US. SIGMA’s tape meets or exceeds the industry standards using the American Public Works Association (APWA) color code. Our tape selections and features include:
Detectable Marking Tape
- Minimum 5.0 Mil thickness with a (0.00035”) solid aluminum foil core
- Construction is a 0.8 Mil clear film, reverse printed and laminated to aluminum foil which is laminated to 3.75 Mil clear film, making the film permanently printed
- Meets or exceeds industry standards to APWA color code
- Available in different widths
Non-Detectable Marking Tape
- Consists of 4.0 Mil overall thickness
- Manufactured with no lead material
- Used for underground purposes
- Super stretch non-detectable marking tape consists of a minimum 6.0Mil overall thickness, is reverse printed, and has a laminated construction for prolonged use underground
- Available in different widths
Barricade Tape
- Consists of 4.0 Mil overall thickness and 3” width weather resistant poly with easy-to-read 2” black lettering.
- Options include:
- CAUTION
- DANGER
- CAUTION DO NOT ENTER
- QUARANTINE
- Many other wording choices
Craig Schapiro, National Customer Service Manager comments, ““We have a plentiful inventory of this product, which is required for many applications. Pairing this with other waterworks products is an added efficiency for customers because they only deal with one purchase order and one vendor. In addition, there is added savings on shipping costs for the customer, as these products help build orders for freight allowance.” To learn more about these and other extended and affiliated products, please contact Craig at cs1@sigmaco.com.
| As a growing company, SIGMA continues to expand our team. We extend a warm SIGMA welcome to new hires Rebekah James, CPA, Senior Accountant, Madelyn Evans, ERP Administrator, Jessica Oakes, Supply Chain Coordinator, and Brendan Lupa, OEM New Business Development Assistant. | |
Rebekah James, CPA, joined the SIGMA Banking, Finance, and Accounting team in July as Senior Accountant. She brings experience in private accounting, as well as public accounting in small and medium-sized firms. Her detail-oriented approach to learning all aspects of our accounting functions, including accounts payable and accounts receivable, will serve SIGMA and our customers well. Rebekah holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration from Georgian Court University. In her leisure time, she enjoys kickboxing. Rebekah can be reached at rjames@sigmaco.com.
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Madalyn Evans joined the SIGMA team in August as Enterprise, Resource and Planning Administrator. A member of the IT division, Madalyn is tasked with implementing, supporting, and troubleshooting for the P21 System. She has significant experience in this realm, having worked for the for the past nine years overseeing P21 ERP systems for companies serving the plumbing, HVAC, and construction sectors. Madalyn blends a strategic approach of careful planning and thorough training with a strong inclination to take action, embrace change, and move forward. She holds an Associate Degree with a Business focus from Edmonds Community College in Washington, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Administrative Management with a Minor in Information Technology from Central Washington University. She resides in Arizona with her husband, daughter, two dogs and a cat. She is an avid sports fan, and enjoys spending her leisure time with both the human and pet members of her family. Madalyn can be reached at mevans@sigmaco.com.
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Jessica Oakes joined the SIGMA Sourcing Procurement Group (SPG) this month. She will initially focus on SIGMA’s accessories, extended products and restraints, supporting the SPG team with purchase orders, issuing quotes, interacting with vendors, and tracking inquiries. Her prior experience as a warrantee administrator honed her skills attending to details, assisting customers and collaborating with colleagues. Jessica approaches her work with a positive attitude, and looks forward to learning and growing every day. She is currently completing her Associate’s Degree in Administration at Ocean County Community Collage. When she is not supporting the SIGMA SPG, Jessica enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, and visiting the occasional craft brewery. She can be reached at joakes@sigmaco.com.
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Brendan Luba joined SIGMA in September as OEM New Business Development Assistant. He will be assisting and processing RFQs and issuing releases of tooling and sample orders for new products. Brendan comes to SIGMA with unique professional experience; he joined the staff of NJ Governor Phil Murphy’s office in February of 2020, two weeks before the pandemic hit. He remained there for 18 tumultuous months, learned a lot about resilience and flexibility and adapting, but ultimately decided that his future was not in politics. Brendan’s approach to work is highly proactive; he adopts the mindset that if something needs to be done, just get it done. He believes that the best days are well planned and smooth, and he avoids procrastination and last-minute scrambling. Brendan holds a Magna cum Laude degree in English from Monmouth University. When he is not helping SIGMA OEM with new business development, he enjoys bouldering and bowling. Brendan can be reached at bluba@sigmaco.com.
| We congratulate Rebekah, Madalyn, Jessica, and Brendan on their new positions and wish them much success! | Stock Car Racing a Stohr Family Affair | |
The Stohr family continues to tear up the track at the Houston Motorsports Park. Their “Shake N’ Bake” Driving Team which proudly showcases the SIGMA logo, has been a fixture on the track all season.
During the July 4 Race, Jim Stohr (whose day job is SIGMA’s Southwest Region Branch Manager) took 4th place overall. At the September 10 race the team had another strong showing. Jim (#92) finished in 5th place, his daughter Jessica Stohr Covin (#92), a SIGMA Territory Sales Manager, finished in 5th place, and Jessica’s husband Troy Covin took 4th place.
| We at SIGMA place tremendous value on our SIGMA family. With that in mind, we celebrate the joys and successes of our employees and their loved ones, and we share their good news… | From the Northeast Region: | |
Congratulations to Lori Grant-Peters, Engineering Assistant, whose son TJ was accepted to the JCP&L Electric Utility Technology Overheads Lines Program at Brookdale College. The program is highly competitive, with over 170 applicants, JCP&L selected 16 people, 8 for their lineman program and 8 for their substation program. TJ was one of the selected for the lineman program. We wish TJ much success!
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Mystal Bias, Billing Department, and Jesse Roberts, Inside Sales, are expecting a baby boy due October 13th. The Houston Team had fun hosting a surprise baby shower on Friday, September 23rd. We wish Mystal a safe delivery.
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Congratulations to Pedro Guerra, Warehouse Supervisor, on his 30th “SIGMA-versary.” Pedro is the first employee in the Houston office to reach this milestone, and he is considered the “backbone” of the warehouse team. His commitment and work ethic are remarkable; he shows up rain or shine, even during a hurricane, to open each morning and ensure that SIGMA delivers for our customers. We thank Pedro for his service and loyalty, congratulate him on this achievement, and wish him many more successful years with SIGMA.
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Finn Westby, our Warehouse Supervisor at SIGMA Sturgeon and his new wife, Parvin, were married on September 3rd at Our Lady of Good Help Parish in Edmonton Alberta Canada. Congratulations to Finn and Parvin and best wishes for a long and happy life together.
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Congratulations to Dan Lansing, Inside Sales Manager, on his 30th Anniversary with SIGMA. Dan handles 90% of inventory, has daily contact with territory sales managers, has developed significant expertise in XL, and handles most of the onsite computer issues for the Western Regional Office. He is an asset to the Company, and we thank him for his long service to SIGMA, congratulate him on this milestone, and wish him continued success.
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