SYSCO Food Services of Modesto, Inc.
Top Jobs, p1
SYSCO Food Services of Central California, Inc. delivers career satisfaction
Chances
are high that the cup of coffee you drank at a restaurant recently –
including the cream, sugar and spoon you stirred it with – came from
SYSCO. Or you may have enjoyed something more exotic like coconut crust
lobster tail yakitori or a thick cut of certified angus beef. The person
who bused your table probably used a SYSCO-supplied spray cleaner and
cloth.
SYSCO, an acronym for Systems and Services Company, currently has 147 locations nationwide with 2002 sales of $23.4 billion.
John
Torza, president and CEO of SYSCO Food Services of Central California,
Inc., a division of SYSCO Corporation, says SYSCO is the nation’s
largest marketer and distributor of food products in North America.
Located
on South Mariposa Road in Modesto, SYSCO Food Services of Central
California, Inc., formerly SYSCO Systems of Modesto, stocks 10,000
items. The company delivers food, supplies and equipment to 5,000
customers, including restaurants, hotels, hospitals and schools from
Sacramento to Bakersfield.
Torza explains that the company
actually has two sets of customers. “The first set is the employees. We
strongly believe that if we take good care of our employees, they will
take care of the second set — the end user — and we will grow and
prosper as a sales organization, while they grow and prosper, too.”
Careers
with SYSCO Food Services of Central California include office and
warehouse positions, as well as marketing associates (salespeople),
delivery associates (drivers) and merchandisers (buyers).
“Our
number one goal is to make our customers profitable, and we do that
through excellent customer service,” says Torza. “When hiring, we look
for great people skills, a ‘can do’ attitude and a strong work ethic.
Most positions require a high school education. For drivers, two years
of experience is preferred, and a class A license with clean DMV record
is critical. Also, we’re always looking for salespeople who are
motivated, enthusiastic self-starters with the ability to get up every
morning and sell like champions.”
The recent acquisition of Smart
& Final Foods added 50 associates to the local operation, for a
total of 456 employees. “I believe we’re one of the fourth or fifth
largest employers in the Central Valley,” Torza says. “We’re a
working-class, customer service-oriented, family friendly company that
promotes from within. No matter what our role, we treat each other with a
tremendous amount of respect. We’re here to help each other get the job
done.”
Because SYSCO is a major corporation, employee growth and
education are encouraged. “If you do a good job at SYSCO Food Services
of Central California and you want to move up to the next level and we
don’t have a position, you’re afforded the opportunity to pursue your
goals at another location,” Torza says.
Employees enjoy frequent
recognition and the company enjoys low turnover: many workers’
longevity records span 10 years or more. Torza adds, “We’ve just been
named a 5-Star Employer.” The 5-Star award is a corporate program won on
a regional level for excellence in Human Capital: leadership support,
quality of life, rewards, retention and diversity.
“CARES
(Customers Are Really Everything to SYSCO) calls are conducted after 30
days of employment and again after 90 days, for all new associates,”
says Pamela Cullors, vice president of Human Resources. “This human
contact factor helps us to gauge and improve employee satisfaction.
Employees tell us that they love the people they work with. There’s a
lot of energy here.”
Company benefits include medical, dental,
vision, life insurance, 401K, stock purchase, stock options after 10
years of service, employee discounts and a paid retirement plan.
Torza
and Cullors describe some additional employee-pleasing perks: “Since
we’re a food company, we give employees free Starbucks coffee, seven or
eight kinds of ice cream, plus juice, yogurt and popcorn available 24/7.
We have movie theater-type popcorn machines and TVs in the break room.”
SYSCO
frequently participates in job fairs and utilizes many agencies
including the Employment Development Department (EDD). To learn about
Fresno and Modesto opportunities, call the company’s hotline at (209)
527-0190, ext. 7850. Job postings are online at
www.centralvalleyjobs.com and www.americasjobbank.com. Corporate
information about SYSCO is at www.sysco.com.
© HHWS for The Modesto Bee
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