Published February 27, 2019
Staff Spotlight: Samuel Parker – Logistics Manager
This week, we sat down with Logistics Manager Samuel Parker. As the manager of our driver fleet, Sam plays a huge park in ensuring that healthy, cooked from scratch meals are delivered to kiddos all throughout Chicagloand on a daily basis. Read on to learn more about Sam, his role at Gourmet Gorilla, and some memorable moments.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself – where are you from, how long have you lived in chicago, what are your interests, etc.?
-I grew up in the panhandle of Nebraska. I am the son of a railroader and a teacher and I have 2 younger sisters. My family moved to Topeka, Kansas around the time I was starting high school. After high school I attended and graduated from the University of Kansas. I just recently moved to Chicago this past summer. As far as my interests go, I follow sports quite a bit and am a big fan of the Royals, Chiefs, and Jayhawks.
Q: Have you worked in logistics and/or with food systems before?
-I have worked several different positions in the logistics field for the past 12+ years. Working with food systems is something that is new for me. My previous positions have been mostly focused on the distribution of items that were far less temperature sensitive and time sensitive. There is a level of precision that is demanded by this position that wasn’t necessarily required in my previous experience.
Q: What attracted you to working at Gourmet Gorilla?
-When I made the decision to move to Chicago, I was looking for a fast growing company with a mission statement that I really believed in. Offering healthy food to kids is an idea that is easy to get behind! In the preliminary conversations I had with members of the team here, I felt as though there was a need and an opportunity for me to make an impact.
Q: What does a logistics manager at Gourmet Gorilla do? What does a typical day at work consist of for you?
-The short answer to this question is that the logistics department is tasked with making sure the healthy meals that are prepared by our kitchen team are transported/delivered to our clients safely and efficiently. The process of ensuring this happens is a bit more intricate and complicated than the short answer, but that basically summarizes our responsibilities.
Q: What is the funniest/most outrageous thing that has happened to you while at work?
-As you can imagine, with a large fleet of vehicles dispersed all throughout Chicagoland area, issues do occasionally arise. I would say the most outrageous, (not sure I would call it funny!) thing that has happened since I have been here has been – one of our drivers actually got a truck wedged and stuck underneath a bridge. It was wedged so tightly underneath the bridge, that a tow truck was initially unable to pull it out!
Q: If you had to move to another department for a day what would you like to do a GG? Why?
-That is a good question. I suppose I would choose to spend a day in the purchasing department. I know that some of the other departments rely heavily on the decisions that are made in that department. I can imagine there are a ton of moving parts yet everything always seems to go so smoothly.
Q: What is your favorite part of working at Gourmet Gorilla?
-My favorite part of Gourmet Gorilla is definitely the team of people that we work with. I genuinely like every single person I work with on a day to day basis.
