"When I first joined Superior Sample in 1980 as a payroll clerk, I had just ended a part-time job at a local eye doctor in hopes of finding full-time work," said Pat. "It was all manual work with no computers to be found in the office until several years after I started."
Pat retired from Superior Sample effective April 24 this year after an amazing 32 ½ years with the company. Her start in 1980 as a payroll clerk eventually led to an accounts payable position in 1985 and then on to customer service support in 1988. "It's pretty amazing to look back at my experiences with Superior Sample over the years and I'm especially fond of the relationships I've had inside and outside the company."
One particular memory involved a last minute winter flight to Detroit with company owner Rex Hagen and his daughter Nancy, in support of a leading customer's 35th anniversary celebration dinner. "We were on the runway and Nancy and Rex pulled out flashlights and tried to judge the amount of ice on the wings to make sure flying was safe," she recalls. "It was kind of scary to think that in a small 4 seat airplane that flashlights were being used from inside to decide if it was safe enough to fly." Pat giggles about it now, but at the time, she said, it was quite frightening.
In 2000, she was promoted to outside sales for a new industry being pursued by the company to diversify from furniture and wall covering. "We really hadn't developed the knitwear business for sampling, but our process of manufacturing and close customer service allowed us to earn business with some of the leading companies in that industry," she shared. Superior Sample innovated sample cards for a leader in the knitwear industry, that became a standard by which other companies have tried to emulate. In 2006, Pat moved to a full-time role of outside sales until her retirement last month. She finished her career with Superior as Senior National Accounts Manager while training National Accounts Manager, Joy Bauer to take on a similar role for Superior Sample.
Company President and co-owner, Peggy Daniels said this about Pat, "Although an employee of our company all these years, she is more like family to us and most of our team. I know our customers have loved having her as a primary contact and it's been bittersweet to see her go."
Pat now looks forward in her retirement to spending more time with her family, relaxing and enjoying life. Pat also looks forward to taking art and pottery classes in the fall. One thing for sure is that although this chapter of Pat Smoots being a regular face of Superior Sample to the customers has closed, a new chapter has definitely begun for her and Superior Sample.
With the warmest of wishes, we hope for the best in her retirement and are excited about the continued growth of Superior Sample in the sampling industry.
