Ensuring we have the correct inventory of ingredients for our customers, the ingredients are located in the warehouses they need to be and logistics are running smoothly is an essential part of how Gillco operates. Without Karla Amaya, Purchasing Agent at Gillco Ingredients, none of this would be possible.
Learn more about Karla and all that she does to make Gillco operate smoothly.
Give us a little background on yourself! Where are you from? Hobbies? What did you do before Gillco?
I am originally from Mexico, but I have lived almost half of my life in other 4 countries (France, Canada, Switzerland and the US).
My hobbies are traveling, learning languages, cooking and trying new foods. I speak 6 languages and my goal is to learn 8.
I have been working in the food industry since 2014; I was in the purchasing department for a food distribution company in Honolulu working with local supermarkets, cruise lines, ships and state prisons, mostly on contract bidding and fulfillment.
Prior to that I was working in healthcare manufacturing for a New Zealand company that expanded its plant to Mexico, and I was the first employee for the startup project. I had to wear a lot of hats at the beginning from getting the facility being remodeled until production was up and running, it was an unbelievable experience which I learned so much from.
How long have you been at the company?
A little over 2 years.
What does your position at Gillco Ingredients entail? What does a typical day look like for you?
Every day is different, my position is more of a project based role than routine tasks. From doing a little bit of logistics and scheduling inbound orders, reconciling inventory, transferring inventory between our warehouses, finding new warehouse opportunities and negotiating rates, placing orders, forecast and planning, booking ocean freight, working with our brokers for importing, handling cargo insurance claims, foreign supplier relations and price negotiating. It is never a dull moment and it keeps me on my toes.
What are some of the challenges for you in this role?
It is very important to stay organized, pay attention to detail, and plan everything so I don’t miss anything. There are unexpected projects popping up all the time and multitasking is the most important part of it all.
What is the best part of your role/why do you like working at Gillco?
I like the fact that no day is the same, I don’t have a routine to follow, there is always a new project to work on and I sincerely love what I do. I get to be in touch with almost everyone along the supply chain, starting with suppliers, foreign brokers, ocean freight carriers, customs brokers, the USDA, port, trucking and warehousing personnel, all to make sure everyone is doing their part along the line and the product is available for our customers when they need it.
It has been a wonderful experience working for Gillco, the work ethic is amazing & we are a great team.