Cheers to 30 years, Scott Kirkpatrick!
Scott’s 30-year OGC-iversary is this month! In 1995, Scott was working in the produce department at Eugene’s The Kiva Grocery and OGC co-founder Tom Lively was his Account Rep. When Tom let him know there was an opening at the Eugene warehouse, Scott applied. “I used to deliver to Scott K at the Kiva. He’s kept us laughing ever since he joined OGC 30 years ago!” says Brian Keogh, OGC Buyer. After starting in the warehouse, he was a driver for many years before settling into his current role as an Account Representative working with OGC customers in Eugene, Southern Oregon, the Oregon Coast and more.
He’s beloved by coworkers and customers alike. “What I appreciate most about Scott K is his authenticity, his natural ability to build strong connections and his friendly, can-do spirit,” says Monique Kirby, Senior Account Representative at OGC. “He has a special gift for inspiring joy among his coworkers and his customers adore his infectious positivity, fun and caring approach to produce and successful problem solving. I’ve learned so much from Scott over the years and feel very fortunate he’s part of OGC!”
Learn more about Scott in his own words:
What’s your favorite produce? “Pummelos and Cosmic Crisp apples.”
What does a typical day at work look like? “Most of my day is spent on the phone interacting with our customers. I love that we’ve got a passionate customer base. I have a diverse group of customers—small restaurants in Eugene, mom and pops on the coast, stores in Southern Oregon and more. I’ve had a lot of these customers for a long time, and I think there’s a lot of value in that. We tend to retain customers, and these long-term relationships cultivate trust with our company.”
What do you like about OGC? “I really believe in organic produce and what we do and how we do it, so it’s easy to be passionate about that. I also like the company culture and have made good friends here. I think if I was selling something else, it wouldn’t be as exciting. The variety of things to sell because of seasonality also keeps things interesting.”
How has OGC changed over the years? “We’ve changed the ownership structure in so many ways, and I’ve been around for all that. We’ve had tough times too. It’s cool to see where we are now. But I’d say it’s less about the changes and more about the consistency—staying aligned with our values and focusing on produce, like in the 90s when I first came aboard.”
What do you like to do outside of work? “I love music, camping and traveling. Lately, we’ve been going to Florida to visit my daughter and vacationing in Greece.”