Fate put Putney on career path
by Paul V. Arnold
Fate is a funny thing.
It steers
you down paths you may not have chosen, and only years later do you
realize the impact and importance of that change in direction. What
was once seen as adversity is now remembered as an opportunity.
Such is the case of
Bob Putney.
In 1977 while at
Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Putney’s career plans were thrown a
curve.
“I flunked out of
engineering school,” he says.
Putney made the
215-mile trek back to
his hometown
of Richmond, Va.,
where fate awaited him.
“I was struggling. I
was just looking for a job,” he says. “I turned in
a resume at the front desk at Philip Morris. I got called the next day
for an interview and they matched me up for a need in the company.”
The cigarette
manufacturer
hired him to do time studies as an industrial engineering technician.
Opportunity knocked.
Putney answered. He excelled on the job and took advantage of the
firm’s
college tuition-reimbursement
program. His career path now includes impressive mile markers:
1978: Promoted to
installation maintenance planner.
1981: Promoted to
machinery installation supervisor.
1983: Earned a
bachelor degree
in general studies (emphasis on
industrial project management) from Virginia Commonwealth University.
1990: Promoted to
inventory planner.
1993: Promoted to
senior
inventory planner.
1996: Promoted to
senior
purchasing agent.
1999: Earned Certified
Purchasing Manager designation from the National Association of
Purchasing Management.
2000: Promoted to
purchasing staff specialist.
If you followed the
path, you noticed that Putney’s career evolved from engineering and
maintenance to purchasing and the supply chain.
“I had no idea my
career would go this way,” he says. “It just
happened, and it was all for the best. Today, that plant-floor
experience helps me. I know who the players are in the factory and
their areas of responsibility. When I need help in any area, I know
who to call on.”
Today, Putney and two
co-workers manage a $50 million MRO budget for Philip Morris’
Richmond Manufacturing Center, a 200-acre facility that employs 3,500
and produces 672 million cigarettes a day.
Putney’s duties are
varied and immense. They include:
• procurement of
MRO products, spare parts and services;
• management of the
coal
contract for plant boilers;
• management of the
local
hauling contract governing 90 truck drivers who transport materials
from warehouses and storage
facilities to the factory;
• support of plant
construction and remodeling projects;
• serving as a
subject matter
expert on teams that
decide omnibus
(integrated supply) contracts and consolidated service agreements;
• and, leading the
implementation
of “PM buyer,” the
company’s
electronic procurement solution.
If that’s not
enough, he manages setup contracts for the firm’s two biggest events
—the stockholders’ meeting and the employee picnic.
“My biggest
challenge is
scheduling my time and making
sure all the needs are met. Also, it’s being able to prioritize,”
he says.
Putney believes his
path does not end here.
“I’d like to move
into a manager position,” he admits. “I’d like to share my
knowledge with younger folks and get them experienced and able to
carry on the business.”
This article appeared in the
April/May 2002 issue of MRO Today magazine. Copyright 2002.
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