During Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re inviting L&P employees to share about their everyday Leggett life and their heritage.
Andres
We’d like you to meet Andres Hernandez! Andres is a Crater Operator and has been with L&P for 21 years.
“I enjoy my job because it is very fast-paced and it makes my nights of 10 or 12 hours go by quickly,” said Andres.
“The first thing I do after clocking in is my daily exercises. Then, I inspect my machine and area. After that, I am ready to start crating units all night. When it’s time to go home, my partner and I start scanning our production tags and cleaning for the other shift so they can work in a clean and safe environment.”
When he’s not at work, Andres focuses on family and resting:
“Before work, I spend my time with my family, and after work, I go home and rest. During the weekends, I take my family out or have a get-together at my house so I can have everyone there because my family is very important to me.”
When sharing about his heritage, Andres said, “I am very proud of my Hispanic heritage! I am a hard worker, a survivor, and all I want is to give my family and myself what my parents couldn’t give me. All we want is the American Dream!”
At L&P, our Information Technology (IT) professionals often work behind the scenes, enhancing our business systems and processes and providing around-the-clock support to keep us connected.
IT Professionals Day is September 19, and we want you to meet some of our amazing colleagues in IT!
Darren
Darren Jones, IT Support Supervisor
Darren has been with L&P for four and a half years, and his team manages all the physical IT-related needs of the branches. They primarily support our ECS (Elite Comfort Solutions) branches and assist others as needed.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
“Sharing knowledge and working with my colleagues to resolve problems brings me joy. I also like socializing with our end users, because over time, you create relationships with them. Offering peace of mind to an end user by resolving their IT issues is a driving force.”
What inspired you to start a career in IT?
“In the late 1990s, I discovered a computer game called QUAKE and therein found a community of friends, many of whom were in IT. I learned to build my first computer, and through conversations with my QUAKE brethren, I realized that I found the career I wanted to pursue.”
Mario
Mario Sever, IT Director for EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa)
Mario has been with us for 19 years and enjoys working with our teams across the globe.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
“I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to work with L&P partners and team members around the world. I enjoy helping them by supporting their businesses with IT tools.”
What inspired you to start a career in IT?
“When I was in primary school, my father bought me a Commodore 64 (a computer), which influenced me the most in choosing IT. I started with fun things like gaming, and after a few months, I began programing in BASIC (Beginners’ All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) language programs. Finally, I went to university for IT and started a career.”
At L&P, our Information Technology (IT) professionals often work behind the scenes, enhancing our business systems and processes and providing around-the-clock support to keep us connected.
IT Professionals Day is September 19, and we want you to meet some of our amazing colleagues in IT!
Jason
Jason Tyler, Principal Security Architect
Jason has been with us for 23 years and enjoys working with the many dedicated and talented people at L&P.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
“While I enjoy the technical aspects and challenges of security architecture, what truly sets Leggett apart is its culture and willingness to continuously improve. My role serves as a catalyst to bring many people together to create a secure environment for the company to grow while enabling business processes to function.”
What inspired you to start a career in IT?
“At nine years old, I fell in love with DOS 3.2 (an operating system). Ted, my mentor and friend, took my DOS manual and put a line through all the commands that were deemed too dangerous to run, so naturally, I ran a few of them and formatted a few system disks as a result. Making mistakes and learning from them have taught me many valuable lessons and inspired me to continue to expand my IT knowledge.
In high school, I had opportunities to work with high-end Silicon Graphics Indy and Octane machines and run a Bulletin Board System (BBS) at home. At this point, IT was in my blood. I applied for my first job at McDonald’s and was turned down (guess I wasn’t qualified), so I applied at RadioShack and they hired me! The rest is a technical blur, as I’ve worked on thousands of machines and networks.”
Julie
Julie Storm, IT Support Analyst III
Julie has been with us for 17 years and is currently Tier 2 Support, which is where IT-related issues go if support beyond what our Service Desk can provide is needed.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
“Working with a wide variety of people from all over the world is the best part of my job! I get to form long-lasting friendships with the kind of people that you know would always be there to pick you up when you fall (right after they stop laughing at you). These relationships are so important to my job because they help me discover that a problem is forming before it gets too large.
The people in the branches and in sales really help make money for L&P, so keeping those people running is how I contribute.”
What inspired you to start a career in IT?
“I was working at a large tech company, and during the morning production meetings, it became very obvious to me how much impact IT support, whether good or bad, can have on the day-to-day ability of a company to earn money. Also, I was told that I have the face for phone support. That probably was not the compliment I took it to be.”
On September 16, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest, rang the church bell in Dolores, Mexico, and gave a passionate speech that called for independence from Spain. This event became known as the Grito de Dolores (Cry of Dolores)—the start of Mexico’s 11-year war for independence.
Each year on the night of September 15, it is tradition for Mexico’s president to kick off Independence Day celebrations by ringing the same bell Hidalgo did in 1810 and giving a speech from the National Palace in Mexico City. Independence Day is also celebrated with food, fireworks, parades, and music.
¡A todos los que están celebrando, L&P les desea unas felices fiestas!
To all who are celebrating, L&P wishes you a happy holiday!
References
Mendoza, Jordan. “Mexican Independence Day: How September 16 Signifies a ‘moment of Hope’ for Mexico.” USA TODAY, Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC., 15 Sept. 2021, www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/09/15/everything-know-september-16-mexican-independence-day/8348264002. Accessed 8 Aug. 2023.
Spocchia, Gino. “Mexican Independence Day 2022: The History of the Day and How Is It Celebrated?” Yahoo Sports, 15 Sept. 2022, sports.yahoo.com/mexican-independence-day-2022-history-171742660.html. Accessed 8 Aug. 2023.
From September 15 through October 15, the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month—a time dedicated tocelebratingthe cultures, heritages, and contributions of Americanswith roots in Spanish-speaking countries.
Honoring Hispanic heritage was first introduced in 1968 as a weeklong event. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a law that expanded the celebration to a month. Unlike other Heritage Months that start at the beginning of the month, Hispanic Heritage Month starts on September 15 to commemorate the day that many Latin American countries celebrate their independence from Spain.
We’re grateful to all of our employees who honor Hispanic Heritage Month and enrich our workplaces. To celebrate, we invited a few of our employees to share about their everyday Leggett life and their Hispanic heritage. During the next few weeks, we will spotlight them on our social media platforms.
Hispanic Heritage Month Resources
Interested in learning more about Hispanic heritage? We found a few resources that we would like to share:
At L&P, our Information Technology (IT) professionals often work behind the scenes, enhancing our business systems and processes and providing around-the-clock support to keep us connected.
IT Professionals Day is September 19, and we want you to meet some of our amazing colleagues in IT!
Bilal
Bilal Bhatti, IT Project Manager
Bilal has been with us for two months, so his journey at L&P is just beginning.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
“I enjoy collaboration and continuous learning. Collaboration is important because a project’s success depends on effective teamwork and communication. I also enjoy the continuous learning opportunities, as many projects involve cutting-edge technologies and methodologies. We have the opportunity to stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies, which can be intellectually stimulating.”
What inspired you to start a career in IT?
“Being a problem solver was my inspiration. I love being around technologies and finding creative solutions to use and improve them. This eventually led me to obtain my Bachelor of Science Degree in IT – Networking & Telecommunications 12 years ago from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.”
Mark
Mark Taylor, Sr. Global Network Manager
Mark has been with us for a year and served in the U.S. Army and National Guard for 30 years. His team is responsible for “keeping the lights on,” which means ensuring that cables, circuits, and permissions allow for secure and reliable network access to the applications that help L&P make products and move them around.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
“The best thing at L&P is the people. I really like driving down our time to repair with a team of dedicated engineers and working with many of our vendors to implement best practices, monitor, and troubleshoot. Every day, there’s a new problem, challenge, or project, and that’s why I love IT.”
What inspired you to start a career in IT?
“The constant change and improvement in IT capabilities keeps me excited about work each day.
Fresh out of college, I had two careers — one as a civilian and one as an officer in the National Guard. As a civilian, I started working at Hewlett Packard as an Environmental Health and Safety professional and quickly realized I was actually good at this Unix (an operating system) stuff. I was always writing programs and creating web forms for safety issue reporting. Then, I got a chance to be full-time with the Army and chose IT management as my secondary skill.
One of my favorite times was when I served as a Brigade S-6 (a Signal Officer). I was responsible for the communications systems across a Heavy Armored Cavalry Brigade and was given an opportunity to run the base’s data center. The IT knowledge I gained helped me remain employed as I transitioned back to being a civilian.”
At L&P, our employees inspire us every day with their leadership and initiative — both at work and beyond.
Terry
Today, we’d like to recognize Terry Sylvester! Terry has been with L&P for four years and works in Product Development at our branch in Sparta, Michigan. As a People First Champion for his branch, a successful business owner at Sylvester’s Luxurious Mobile Detailing, and a podcast host for Surviving StartUp, Terry talked to us about leadership, being open to change, and creating opportunities for others:
“Being a leader at L&P opened doors to things I didn’t know or wouldn’t have known in other positions. I’ve learned many things about inclusion from our People First local conversations, and learning about different perspectives has also helped me at my detailing business.”
Terry continued, “Being a leader is everything. If there’s an issue and we can figure it out, let’s do it instead of complaining. People talk about change, but what matters is the effort behind that talk. I also believe that change starts with our kids. There’s a saying that kids are the future, and if that’s the case, why not create great opportunities for them now rather than making them wait?”
With this idea, Terry and a local friend took responsibility and recently hosted a Young Entrepreneurs Expo in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for people ages 17 and under. The event gave area youth an opportunity to build connections, get career advice, and showcase their entrepreneurship.
“The event was amazing, and the turnout was awesome. I never knew how many kids are actually interested in entrepreneurship and already have so much going on,” reflected Terry.
We are proud of and grateful to our employees like Terry who live our L&P values at work and beyond!
Last year, Tammy Trent, our Chief Accounting Officer, asked the Corporate Accounting and Accounts Payable teams to select local charities to join their quarterly meetings to share their missions and how they support the local community. One organization the team heard from was Watered Gardens — a nonprofit located in Joplin, Missouri, that serves the needs of individuals and families by providing shelter, food, and other services.
After learning about Watered Gardens, a group of our employees quickly formed to donate to and serve the nonprofit each month. Kim Hickey, Senior Business Analyst, volunteered to coordinate and create a sign-up schedule for preparing and serving dinner at the outreach center and donating food supplies or money for food.
“I enjoy being part of the volunteer team because serving dinner is a simple way to make an impact on the lives of people struggling in our community,” said Kim Hickey. “We are bringing them a tangible form of comfort and an encouraging smile. It’s also a great way to get to know the other volunteers.”
The group tends to look different each month, but there are many L&P employees who frequently sign up, including members from the Internal Audit and Accounts Payable teams. When it’s their time to volunteer, some employees bring family members with them.
We are grateful to our employees for giving back to their communities and doing great work together!
Our employees who regularly volunteer for Watered Gardens
