Our next Employee of the Year spotlight features the winner of the Merchandising & Break Fix Employee of the Year Award: Richard L., Field Operations Manager! A dedicated BDSer for over eight years, Richard spends most of his day ensuring that his team is performing at the highest levels. He likes to start his day by being at the office at least 45 minutes early, sitting down with a fresh cup of coffee and going through his reports before tackling what the day held for him – he sure is a definite go-getter! Plus, here’s a fun fact: Richard used to be a professional bass fisher who competed in various tournaments. Read on to learn more about Richard and his life at BDS!

Q: How does it feel to win this award?

A: It was a shock because I really don’t look at things like that. I just do my job. I’ve won Employee of the Quarter a couple of times, but I just do the best job I can day in and day out.

Q: What is your favorite part about working for BDS?

A: Our people, our culture, and the challenge. I enjoy working with the reps and I talk to my team individually at least once a week, if not 2-3 times a day. The culture and people come together to make a team, and I am constantly challenged as a Field Operations Manager.

Q: What is the funniest thing that happened to you?

A: When I was a semi-professional bass fisher, I used to go to store openings on behalf of my supporters. I went to an Academy Sports in Birmingham doing a meet and greet; a counterpart I knew was going to be there but I was unaware that a former winner of a 1993 national bass tournament was there as well. I’m right in the middle of doing a meet-and-greet and he walks up and I completely blanked, I couldn’t even call out his name and that happened when I was in the middle of being interviewed by a local news channel!  My family gave me a little grief for it.

Q: What made 2016 a great year?

A: For me, it’s been the leadership. You can’t be successful without surrounding yourself with successful people. Working with my managers and having their support and trust allows me to do my thing and be successful at it. I’m a very process-oriented individual and I hold my team accountable to that level. I also have a great team. It all comes back to the team; without that support, I would be like an island in the middle of the ocean trying to make things happen. The internal and external support I receive from the team and from leadership allows me to be successful.

Q: Do you have a favorite book(s)?

A: The Foxfire book series. I love reading about the early days and it’s all about how life was back in the early 1900’s life in the area that surrounds Cumberland plateau so it’s kind of neat to see how it was back in that time because my grandparents and great grandparents lived through that time. It’s very inspiring to read about how persevering those folks were in tough times.

My second favorite book is Built from Scratch by Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus. It’s about how Home Depot was built into the $30 billion business it is today.

Q: Watch sports or play sports?

A: I watch very limited football, usually Alabama or Auburn. I am an avid outdoorsman; my wife and I are both hunters and we go big game hunting in the US and Canada. We enjoy meeting new people each year that share our passion for the sport.

Keep an eye out for more Employee Spotlights featuring all this year’s Employee of the Year award winners! Interested in becoming a BDSer yourself? Check out our Careers Page for the latest job openings.