The L.D. Davis sales team are the "front lines" of our company. They, most times, are the first person that a prospect or customer speaks with.
Earlier this month our VP of Sales & Marketing, Stacey Kreisler, celebrated 13 years with LD Davis Industries. What an accomplishment!
We sat down with Stacey to see how her time at LD Davis has been over the last 13 years.
Work hard
How did you get your start in the glue industry?
It’s the same old story, as a small child I never dreamed of making it in the glue industry when I got older, but here I am.
Seriously, I had been in sales for a credit bureau and then a web design firm. I knew Tripp Davis socially, and had called on him when I worked for the web design firm. I helped LD Davis Industries design and launch a new website in 2002 (it was nothing like it is today).
About 2 years later I ran into him again, and he said he had an opening at the time in customer service. As luck would have it, my children were young and working in an office rather than outside sales appealed to me.
It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. When working for a mid-size company your voice is heard, and we are agile enough to accommodate any size customer.
How has LD Davis Industries helped you in your career development?
As I mentioned I had years of sales background, but not management background. I have moved up gradually at LD Davis, so that certainly helped me grow as a person and manager.
We are a very tight knit group of people that want to make a positive difference for the customer everyday. Managing my team in sales and marketing has been easy because they are each experts in their fields. As they say, surround your self with people smarter than you are. It makes managing very easy.
Before working at LD Davis Industries, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
When I worked for Equifax I mainly called on financial institutions, but one of my customers was the VA. They would use our database to find Veteran's who were owed benefits. Now keep in mind, this was the late 80’s early 90’s. Mark Zuckerberg was playing with Legos, and I had a cell phone attached to my car (it was still an improvement over my pager). I digress...
Back to the VA. The White House asked them for their help in locating the sailors from the USS Finback that rescued the 21 year old former Navy lieutenant George H.W. Bush who was shot down in the Pacific in 1944. We helped them to find the sailors, and they had a reunion at the White House in 1989. It was such an interesting project to work on!
What advice do you have for prospective LD Davis Industries candidates?
What I say to all new employees is working for an adhesive manufacturer is not always glamorous, but it is very rewarding being able to help customers find a solution to their problem. Most of the time we have a solution or can formulate a solution to meet their needs (even for some of the most unique applications).
If we can not find a solution, we try to help them find a company that can.
What do you like most about working at LD Davis Industries?
The drive to be the best in every facet of our company. We are investing in new and better ways to help our customers and our employees. As I mentioned, we have very motivated and engaged employees that all want to succeed.
What is your proudest moment at LD Davis Industries?
This is going back a few years, but when I came to the company it had already transitioned from a 2nd generation (Louis “Lou” Davis) to 3rd generation (Tripp Davis).
However, Lou Davis would still come into the office sporadically and travel down to our facility in Monroe NC about two times per year. On one of those occasions, I had just received an order from a prospect that our lab and I had been working with. They finally were going to use our product in production, and they gave us a very large order. At the time it was the largest (dollar wise) single order at LD Davis to date. Lou Davis had the order framed and gave it to me for my office. He was very encouraging.
Play hard
What is your favorite city to travel to?
Wow, that is a difficult question!
I have been lucky to travel to so many different cities in the United States, and abroad for work and in my personal life. I would have to say I love the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I know it's not a city, but my family has vacationed there for over 20 years so it holds a lot of great memories.
What is the last concert you attended?
Well I know you did not ask favorite, but I have to say Bruce Springsteen. My last concert was Steely Dan.
Favorite food?
I love to cook, and I love Italian food. But, I recently went to a Greek restaurant (Estia) in Philadelphia and it was my favorite. So, if you can't tell, I really love trying different places.
When I travel I am always using Yelp to try to find a great local restaurant so I can avoid the chain restaurant.
Favorite movie?
Like food, I love a wide range of movies. From the "Godfather 1 and 2", to the "Way We Were", with "Deadpool" somewhere in the middle. See? I told you it was a wide range!
What do you like to do for fun when you’re not working?
I like to entertain or just spend time with family and friends. Oh, and long walks on the beach…
Want to learn more about the people behind the scenes at LD Davis? Meet our Operations team.
