Before joining Bender, Rusty spent seven years as the Purchasing and Supply Chain Manager at PAC Strapping Products. He also spent three years as the Packaging Sourcing Specialist for Veritiv, and three years at The Franklin Mint, first in customer service and then as Purchasing and Fulfillment Coordinator.
At Bender, Rusty is responsible for leading the purchasing department, executing purchasing requisitions, negotiating prices, and issuing RFQs. He manages suppliers' performance and monitors open orders and on-time delivery to match customer demand, which is a key component of his role. He also identifies and audits key suppliers to strategically improve price, quality, and delivery of parts, and manages inbound and outbound freight partners on spend and timely deliveries. One component of his job is transferring labor to outside vendors, simplifying Bender's manufacturing process, which allows the team to focus on increasing the output of products manufactured.
Rusty says, "I enjoy being surrounded by a great team that is fun to work with and collaborates well on projects. I like the company's focus on improvement and encouragement to work on new solutions to become more efficient. I also enjoy being able to problem solve both by tackling day-to-day challenges, as well as working on longer-term strategic projects."
In his spare time, Rusty enjoys spending time outdoors, kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking, and camping. Marsh Creek is where he likes to go the best. He also enjoys traveling, seeing new places, taking new adventures, and working out, mainly through running and biking. Recently, he spent time in Iceland, where he kayaked in a glacier lagoon.
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