Happy New Year from all of us at L&P! To kick off 2021, we’re going to introduce you to a few of our recent hires and learn a little about them and their hopes for the new year.

Meet Judith Kuhn, one of our HR Directors in Europe!

What brought you to Leggett?
After my very first interview I was fully in — the next rounds of interviews just intensified this feeling. Everyone I met discussed putting people and their safety first, having open and constructive dialogues, and developing talent. These things are key for me in a working environment.

I’ve been working for 4 weeks now and can assure they’re doing just that. I can already see that the opportunity for supporting the business with HR are great — and look forward to the challenges that come with this position.

What’s something surprising about you?
Besides that I am a lawyer (strangely enough), my heart beats for horses – I have owned horses since I was 8 years old, competed for 16 years in dressage and jumping, and bred and trained horses. Even today, I try to go for a ride every day when I’m at home. It is my second life — fortunately my husband loves it, as well.

What’s your biggest goal for 2021?
To be happy! During these challenging times, I’d also like to support and coach L&P employees to reach their own personal and business goals. By supporting each other, we can ensure L&P remains a great place to work.

It’s a new year, folks, and we’ve got some new faces at L&P! To kick off 2020, we’re introducing you to several of our recent hires and their thoughts on the year ahead.

Meet Samantha Doubledee, a Controller who supports our Project Office within Marketing + Creative.

What brought you to Leggett?
I was previously employed at a local non-profit. However, when I learned about this position I knew there would be so much opportunity to grow within a corporate atmosphere. I’ve been challenged since my first day and have already taken on additional responsibilities in the Project Management Office. I’m excited for my future here at L&P.

What’s something surprising about you?
I married my high school sweetheart. It’s crazy to think we have been together 17 years. We have 2 amazing kids, and love to travel together. We have a bucket list of destinations, including a trip to visit his family overseas this year — it will be a great way to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary!

What’s your biggest goal for 2020?
2020 is the year of ME! I’m looking forward to taking time to get back on track mentally and physically. I love having a creative outlet and have been diving into my Cricut projects. I also have weight-loss goals, a travel wish list, and other goals that focus on being a better version of myself as a wife and mom.

It’s a new year, folks, and we’ve got some new faces at L&P! To kick off 2020, we’re introducing you to several of our recent hires and their thoughts on the year ahead.

Meet Jeremy Ward, Advanced Programmer Analyst in Information Technology at L&P.

What brought you to Leggett?
I was a Senior Software Engineer at Walmart for about 5 years. However, I moved to Joplin when I married my wife two years ago and I’d been making the long commute to Bentonville every day since. When I saw the job posting for this position, I knew it would be a great fit for my experience — plus it added about 3 hours back into my day!

What’s something surprising about you?
I own two small businesses.

My company 458 Digital provides photography and video production services, mostly for commercial clients. I create marketing content for local businesses, but I’ve also worked on location with the production crew for TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting and provided production work for several Warner Bros. movies.

Warden Tactical, my other business, provides NRA sanctioned training for people in the four-state area — including concealed carry permitting, firearm safety, competition shooting, and private lessons. It’s a great way to share the knowledge I gained as a Police Officer for the Air National Guard.

What’s your biggest goal for 2020?
I just hope to learn as much as I can about the company and my role in it. Part of that includes building upon the technical skills needed for this position — for example, I plan to complete advanced training in C#, which is a newer language for me.

It’s a new year, folks, and we’ve got some new faces at L&P! During the month of January, we’ll introduce you to several of our recent hires and their thoughts on the year ahead.

Meet Patricia Woods, Training Facilitator in Learning & Development at L&P.

What brought you to Leggett?
I was teaching adult education in Carthage and visited L&P’s careers website to research potential jobs for my students. I read the listing for the Training Facilitation position and it seemed like an interesting fit for my background. This position provides me with all the best parts of teaching — plus I get to travel!

What’s something surprising about you?
The 2nd place in my heart is the Pacific Northwest. I love the rain, trees, and if I ever win the lottery I would love to go there to save the killer whales!

The 1st place in my heart is Columbia… M-I-Z!

What’s your biggest goal for 2020?
Personally, I hope to complete all the coursework for my PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology — at which point I will move on to my residencies and dissertation. I’m also working hard to take over the logistics of our Supervisor Training program and look forward to the networking that will come from that at our branch levels. 2020 will be a busy year as we begin to launch the program internationally!

It’s a new year, folks, and we’ve got some new faces at L&P! Throughout January, we’ve introduced you to several of our recent hires and their thoughts on the year ahead.

Last but not least, meet Gavin DePaul, Software Engineer at our IDEA Center. He started with us in August.

What brought you to Leggett?

I interacted with L&P during a business seminar in high school, so it’s been on my radar for a while. I decided to pursue a Computer Science degree in college, and so when I graduated, the research and development facility at L&P seemed like the perfect fit!

What’s something surprising about you?

I’m 22 and my brother is 17, but he is already taller than me. This might not be super surprising, but when I’m not at work, I like to do web development as a hobby.

What’s your biggest goal for 2019?

I’d really love to learn more within the software engineering industry. I’m working within the world of IIoT (the industrial internet of things), which means I write code and adjust machine programming to make machines work more efficiently. It’s an exciting field to be in and there’s so much more to learn.

It’s a new year, folks, and we’ve got some new faces at L&P! Throughout January, we’ll introduce you to several of our recent hires and their thoughts on the year ahead.

Meet Nathan Terry, Sales & Service Representative for our Global Systems Group.

What brought you to Leggett?

I was born and raised in Carthage, MO, so I’ve grown up hearing good things about L&P. I have a sales background, so I was excited when I noticed this opportunity with the Global Systems Group (GSG). I sell machinery that goes into mattress factory equipment, such as quilters.

What’s something surprising about you?

I’m a singer! I have been singing in gospel groups for 20 years. I also lead worship at my church.

What’s your biggest goal for 2019?

My biggest goal this year is to help my team make 2019 a success for GSG, and in turn help L&P reach new heights. I’ll be traveling a lot in my new role because I’m a Sales Representative for the Western United States and Canada. In fact, just within the next few weeks, I’ll be heading to Los Angeles, then Phoenix, and then Seattle!

It’s a new year, folks, and we’ve got some new faces at L&P! During the month of January, we’ll introduce you to several of our recent hires and their thoughts on the year ahead.

Meet Carey Buchanan, Programmer Analyst in Information Technology at L&P.

What brought you to Leggett?
I graduated in May from Missouri State University with a degree in Computer Science. As I started searching for employment I learned about the range of products that Leggett manufactures—it’s a lot more than just beds! I realized that a position here could provide me with a lot of opportunities.

What’s something surprising about you?
I commute from Springfield every day where I have a second job providing in-home care to people with disabilities. In my spare time, I love to take my Poodle Pointer, Sadie, to the dog park. I also have three chickens—Snap, Crackle, and Pop!

What’s your biggest goal for 2019?
First, I want to learn my way around this maze of a building! I am also really looking forward to learning a lot more about the company. Right now I am working on a rebuild of the Employee Store website and a business to consumer website for our bedding division. It will be fun to see those launch and to dive into even more projects.

It’s a new year, folks, and we’ve got some new faces at L&P! Throughout January, we’ll introduce you to several of our recent hires and their thoughts on the year ahead.

Meet Brad Applebaum, 3D Modeler in Creative Services at L&P.

What brought you to Leggett?
I graduated in 2009 and have worked several jobs in the industry. However, I was searching for a more stable career opportunity. I found Leggett & Platt’s profile on LinkedIn and was immediately attracted to the company’s long history. I like that L&P feels like a small, local business, yet has the opportunities of a much larger company.

What’s something surprising about you?
I’m a game developer in my spare time. I have one published title, “Healer: A Light in the Darkness,” which is available on the iTunes store. I also have several other community games that I share with friends. I enjoy this hobby because it really brings together my passions for storytelling and design in a fun way. I also get to collaborate with some very talented people.

What’s your biggest goal for 2019?
I really want to help our small 3D department make waves. Creative Services has had a talented 3D artist and animator for years. Now that there are two of us, we’re looking for more ways to increase our capacity and save company resources—all while keeping within Leggett’s overall culture and mission. While this is really a goal for the entire department, I’d like to champion the cause for 2019.

It’s a new year, folks, and we’ve got some new faces at L&P! Throughout January, we’ll introduce you to several of our recent hires and their thoughts on the year ahead.

Meet Sarah Allen, Commodity Specialist in Purchasing. She started with us in October.

What brought you to Leggett?

I have always heard wonderful things about L&P. In fact, my grandfather was a Risk Manager many years ago for Leggett, and he’s always encouraged me to apply here. I’m so glad I did!

What’s something surprising about you?

At first, I may seem reserved, but I’m actually overly competitive. I played a little bit of every sport in high school and college, and my competitiveness comes out during board games, a bet, you name it.

What’s your biggest goal for 2019?

I want to show kindness to everyone – I think kindness gets lost in negativity these days. Think of how different the world could be if everyone extended kindness and graciousness. That’s the world I want to live in, and so I’ll start with me!

It’s a new year, folks, and we’ve got some new faces at L&P! Over the next few weeks, we’ll introduce you to several of our recent hires and their thoughts on the year ahead.

First up, meet Liana Green, Benefits Clerk in Human Resources at L&P.

What brought you to Leggett?
I lived in New York for a long time, but I recently returned to Carthage to help care for my mother. As I began my job search, everyone I talked to had great things to say about Leggett & Platt. I wanted a long-term career and I knew this company would give me the stability I was looking for.

What’s something surprising about you?
My mom breeds Akitas, and right now we are taking care of 19 dogs on our property. We also have two goats that help “mow” the grass around the kennels. Because of my mom’s health issues, I help her take care of the animals and we both enjoy having so many puppies around. I live on 7 acres now, which has been a nice change from my small apartment in Hyde Park, NY.

What’s your biggest goal for 2019?
Professionally, I hope to learn as much as I can about retirement benefits. I have never worked in this area and I want to have a good understanding of how L&P coordinates them. This is important to me because I really want to be able to support my team here. Personally, my biggest goal for next year is to help my mom as much as I can.