June 1, 2020
SPOTLIGHTING 2 SUPERSTARS THIS JUNE 2020
Brandon Walsh | Delivering Performance Excellence
Brandon Walsh is a Pump Station Technician for our Bay Shore, NY facility reporting to Bill Petratos, Area Manager. Paraco supplies propane to almost 120 pump stations (resellers) on Long Island, and Brandon is charged with providing first-line, essential support in preventative care and emergency response repair to these resellers.
Brandon was hired by Bill as a dock employee about 5 years ago, and in that capacity, Brandon’s primary responsibility was filling motor fuel and barbeque tanks. Committed and responsible, Brandon excelled and grew in his position. That, combined with his mechanical inclinations made Brandon a great fit to the team with promising growth potential. Through his own merit, personal aspirations and dedication, Brandon thoroughly learned the cylinder business. From that point on, it was clear Brandon could learn the multi-faceted components of the facility’s operations. Actively involved with the assembly of Bay Shore’s BBQ Carousel, once that project was completed, Brandon dove in head first to learning the intricacies of pump stations which involves their repair and manufacturing.
It could be said that Brandon is the guy who supports any task, makes sure it gets done, and completed to its best. During the off season for pump stations, Brandon stays closely involved with temp heat installations, managing each job from the original RSA, to liaising with service in scheduling tank deliveries, and taking over from there to perform all tank connections and necessary safety functions. Bill says of Brandon, “He is truly a grass roots employee. Brandon readily accepts challenges and is a role model for any new employee. He looks at Paraco not just as a job, but as a career. It has been a true pleasure seeing Brandon develop into the employee his is now.”
Dave Letteriello who works side by side with Brandon, added “Brandon is truly great to work with. Since my involvement became more prevalent on the technical side of our delivery support service, I have found that Brandon is not only great to work with, but is a great teacher and mentor. He provides great training and direction, and he critiques the final product in a constructive and professional manner”.
Donna Howay | Defining Indispensability, Versatility & Dedication
Donna Howay, Purchasing Manager for the Finance Department is tasked with a multitude of targeted responsibilities. Under Kevin Watson, Chief Financial Officer, manages current, non-propane vendors in negotiating annual pricing and terms. She also works closely with the vendor community in obtaining new vendors to leverage Paraco’s purchasing power; works closely with Finance to ensure the vendor payables operation runs smoothly and efficiently; directs and organizes our year-end physical inventory process; and supports operations and sales on special projects as needed.
Donna, who celebrated her 16th anniversary at Paraco this last December has held various positions throughout her tenure, learning much about our organization; amassing an impressive breadth of knowledge and putting it all to good use. Consistently a respected employee and role model, her diligence, solutions-oriented approach and work ethic have steered her through career advancements along the opportunities path. Her service background, in-depth knowledge of the ADDs system, and prior experience in Credit & Collections make her a uniquely versatile employee. Demonstrating what an immense asset Donna is, her multifaceted talents and background have forged success in getting things done across the board; like toggling between new deal negotiations and swiftly shifting gears to source PPE, all while assisting employees with credit card issues so Accounts Payable can close the month on time.
With respect to special projects, in the last 18 months Donna has been a driving force in three strategic projects. Her ability to see the big picture while also focusing on fine details have lent to her success. This was evident by virtue of her role as Paraco’s project manager on the KoscoHeritage oil divestiture as well as serving as the temporary Manager of Credit & Collection, as she established new policies & procedures, and hired and trained new staff in order to build out the department. Also, she currently serves as a critical member of the COVID-19 task force. Her ability to bridge the gap between field and senior management is yet another distinct strength serving both her and Paraco well.
Art Ravo, Vice President – Supply Chain says this of Donna, “Her aptitude to get results was clear during the Covid crisis when she was able to source supplies that were nearly impossible to find. Her strong communication abilities shown through as senior & field management always knew where and when the needed supplies would arrive. Donna always makes herself available and has been the go-to person since taking over her current role. Turning over a lot of my old duties to Donna, knowing they would be well cared for and improved upon allowed me to expand my role here at Paraco. On a more personal level, it has been a pleasure working with Donna these past three years.”
Kevin Watson, acknowledging Donna’s many contributions, adds “Throughout her career at Paraco, Donna has truly exemplified how valuable she is to the company by virtue of her ability and commitment to step in on important transactions such as the KoscoHeritage divestiture and the Credit & Collection transition. Donna, you are well deserving of this recognition and we thank you for being part of the company’s success over the years.”