Last month we had a company trip to visit a customer and have a sales meeting. As much as we all travel, we are all rarely together. We have a small team spread across the country, with everyone having been with the company for over 5 years, except, of course, our latest addition Ms. Bailey Cahill. Over the 10 years I have been with Newport I have traveled the country countless times with each member of our sales team (we joke that some of us spend more time together on the road than we do with our families), but rarely are more than 2 or 3 of us together on the road. The scene reminded me of one of my favorite movies, Vacation, as Craig Hospodor, our SVP of Sales, pulled up to the baggage claim at the St. Louis airport in a massive passenger van that was already loaded with the entire Newport sales team. The only thing that seemed to be missing was Aunt Edna being strapped to the roof. I knew we were headed on an adventure, one to be remembered and for some to be reminded of for years to come. I am very lucky to have some of the best coworkers, all of whom I consider good friends, and yes, they all are invited to my Birthday Party. Between our team there is over a century of experience in all aspects of the seafood industry. I am always amazed by how much knowledge and experience each person has amassed over the years, and humbled by how much I still have to learn. Well, four days and many miles and adventures later, we were back in the van headed to the airport to head back home. We had shared some great conversations, had some killer new “road stories” to load into the database and all shared a strong sense of teamwork and excitement for the future of Newport International. Go team Newport!
The Sales Team Hits the Road
