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The CSS People That Make it Happen – Sudipta

Meet Sudipta, our outstanding Operations Assistant!

Today it gives me great pleasure to introduce one of CSS’ newer family members, Sudipta!  Sudipta completed her practicum through CIWA with CSS, and after a short period of time it became clear to us that she should be part of the CSS family – and she agreed because as soon as her practicum was finished, she was hired on full time!  She now occupies the title of Operations Assistant.

As you know now from reading previous staff introductions, we like to ask our crew a few “get to know you” questions and here is what Sudipta had to say:

Sudipta really appreciates the work culture and ethics that CSS holds.  She says the management and crew members are all so extremely warm, helpful, understanding, and supportive.  In her own words “I feel so blessed to be a part of the CSS Office team”.

As an immigrant to Canada, Sudipta literally had zero background knowledge of our industry so something she found interesting was that there is so much more to it than just selling office furniture.  It’s a huge industry, with many nuances that we’re pretty sure not very many people actually understand.

If Sudipta wins the lottery she would help others who are in need!  Although I’m willing to bet it would probably come after she takes her family on a world tour – that would be so much fun!  She loves Indian and Italian food – and even though she’s tried numerous different styles of cuisine she still considers herself not to be a foodie – and is definitely more inclined toward Indian cuisine.  Sudipta isn’t much of a drinker and there is nothing wrong with that!  She prefers a coffee…whether its hot or cold is totally dependent on the weather.  Occasionally she’ll treat herself to a soft drink – but the go to for sure is water.  Gotta stay hydrated!

Sudipta hasn’t spent a lot of time in downtown Calgary, so when we asked what her favorite building was…she was a bit stumped.  Ultimately, she chose Telus Sky, as it has a beautiful night view.  Agreed!  It’s stunning!  As far as a favorite place to visit is concerned, she has many!  She’s been to Waterton and greatly enjoys that atmosphere.  Lake Louise is beautiful (isn’t it!), Moraine Lake is mesmerizing, Kananaskis, Banff…the list literally goes on!  She admits she has lots left to explore in this wonderous province but, clearly, she’s off to a good start!

When asked if she wanted to share anything else, this was her response.  “It has been an amazing journey with CSS.  When I first started, not to lie, I was super nervous and excited at the same time.  I had no idea how things would go, where my path would lead; I still feel nostalgic looking back at my days when I first started my practicum with CSS with a positive outlook, eagerness to learn and avail the opportunity as much as I could.  But now it’s all history!  I am with CSS now, still a long way to go and lots to learn from the iconic CSS team.  For this I would definitely like to thank management and the rest of the team for being so welcoming, kind and wonderful to me.”

The CSS People that Make it Happen – Brent

Meet Brent – our extraordinary owner and President!

In this posting, it is my absolute pleasure to be able to introduce you to our incredibly talented leader and company owner, Brent Reid.  His official title is President, but if you’ve ever been lucky enough to know him, you know that he really does do everything imaginable in this business!  Brent is the true definition of an integral person, with a definite problem solving, get-it-done mentality.  He’s the driver of this business, and I can positively say the company wouldn’t be here without Brent.  He learned a lot from his Dad, but at his young age he already knows so much more than his Dad did at this age – that’s a great progression of success for any family-owned business.

Brent is definitely known as the office furniture expert, in all ways imaginable (yes, of course I’m biased – I married him!).

When Brent answered the question about all the best parts of being a member (and leader) of the CSS work family naturally it is the nature of teamwork and the staff comradery.  Brent has witnessed firsthand what great teamwork is and what it can accomplish.  Working hard to build a culture of teamwork and integrity has been an important part of Brent’s development of CSS throughout his years as an owner.

No two days are the same, for anyone at CSS.  You’ll hear this a LOT from us, our staff, and our clients!  This is what Brent finds interesting about the industry – the variety of what your day can hold!  Brent could be seen on-site doing a walk-through with a client to quote for an RFP (request for proposal), or be in the back shop completing a customer repair to a chair or desk, or driving and loading a truck – without a lie, we really do mean that no two days will ever be the same working at CSS or in our industry.

Spoken like a natural woodsman, Brent would spend his lottery winnings on an incredible hunting trip and a fly-in fishing trip – should I mention he loves any backwoods adventures, or did you get that already?

Which brings us perfectly onto the question he was asked about his favourite meal: a nice rare moose steak…I can also add he enjoys anything BBQ’d as Brent certainly masters this skill well too!  He’s the one who handles the best of cooking for our company camping trips, and our employee social nights.

Brent enjoys a good ol’ IPA beer, which of course goes along well with everything that can cook on a BBQ.  His go-to easy-to-find brand is Keith’s if you’re ever wondering what to surprise him with, that’ll be the winner-winner!

When Brent isn’t hustling and wearing all the hats possible for CSS, you will find him escaping to the forested woods west of Calgary, or anywhere that there’s mountains to be enjoyed.  With lots of travelling on the backroads and forestry trunk roads, Brent is always a person who’s up for family time in the mountains, especially when it is outside of cell service!

As our staff spend lots of time in buildings, we like to ask the question: what’s your favourite building in downtown Calgary?  Brent personally enjoys Jamieson Place, why?  For obvious reasons that any office furniture company desires and longs for in all buildings: the best loading dock and direct access to the freight elevator!  Always a solutions seeker, I’m not surprised that Brent’s building favourite is one that helps make CSS’ jobs and tasks easier.  Something as simple as having indirect access from the loading dock to the buildings’ freight elevator can cause significant upset in a project.

Brent has been around to witness the company overcome many challenges, satisfy a whole lot of clients, supersede expectations, move thousands of people and manage office services for clients well beyond the Calgary area.  Brent is in amazement when he steps back and takes a moment to realize the sheer volume of work that our talented crew has achieved.  Not just in CSS’ 35+ years of business, but on any one project or service call.

Brent leads our team with distinction and courage, making sure our clients’ best interests are always taken care of.  The volume of work that CSS can achieve as a crew is a direct reflection of Brent, the devoted leader of CSS.

The CSS Office Solutions Inc. Staff Spotlight series of introducing the world to the people behind the CSS scenes has been rewarding.  Without our people, we aren’t a service company.  Especially this time, writing the spotlight has been absolutely wonderful for me to showcase a little bit of who Brent Reid is, as a leader, as a company owner, and as a member of the CSS work family.

Want to connect with Brent on LinkedIn? Click here

If you’re interested in learning more about Brent’s expertise as it relates to his client relationships and services, furniture repairs or usefulness of such, don’t hesitate to contact our office to get in touch with him directly. 

 

 

The CSS People that Make it Happen – Jim

Meet Jim – one of our extraordinary warehouse coordinators!


Today I am elated to introduce to you another highly valued member of the CSS work family.  Meet our warehouse coordinator Jim!  He has been with us for only the last two years, but he makes us feel like we’ve known him for many years now!  You may not see him quite as often on site in your office but for sure you will find him in our warehouse, helping to take care of the many aspects of being a warehouse coordinator.  His hard work and sincerity say it all.

Jim highly appreciates the care and concern CSS Office Solutions provides to each and every employee.  And yes, that’s the reason we call it our CSS work family.  Working together like a family makes us unique and helps build up our individual strengths every day.  We are proud of all our employees!

His favorite type of food has changed lately as Jim is experimenting with various gluten free foods.  Good thing the food industry has made leaps and bounds with gluten free options that taste great!  His go to drink is Pepsi although now he is trying to get rid of it in the evenings, so please be sure to offer him a Pepsi only during the day!

Jim says if he won the lottery, he would like to buy CSS Office Solutions.  Not sure how well that would work, but its nice to have dreams!  The merging of two major manufacturing powerhouses, Knoll and Herman Miller, has been an interesting area for Jim in our industry.

He has yet to decide on his favorite downtown building and local Calgary destination as he says there are a lot to pick from; and we agree.  Jim is from a small city so while he says he like Calgary, it’s far too big for him.  But since CSS is here, he has a great reason to love Calgary.  Jim, you are an asset to our family, and we are so lucky to have you!

The CSS People that Make it Happen – Nicole

Meet Nicole, one of our marvelous Moving Supervisors!


Today I am ecstatic to introduce to you one of our core crew members, Nicole Fortin!  Nicole has been with CSS for over 21 years!  She is one of the most recognizable faces in the CSS work family and Nicole has amassed quite the fan base with our clients.

The best part of being a member of the CSS Work Family for Nicole is the loving staff that she works with every day.  Further proof that we aren’t just co-workers, we truly are like family.  The fact that CSS will do anything for our clients is something that Nicole has always found interesting in our industry.

If Nicole won the lottery, she would spend every cent on her family, making sure everyone was safe and comfortable.

She’s a pasta lover and can’t get through the day without a good cup of coffee…or maybe two!

Nicole’s favorite building in downtown Calgary is The Bow – she is as familiar with that building as she is with her own house!  She also loves the museum and all the green space parks that Calgary has to offer.  When not working, Nicole enjoys taking her dog for walks.

 

 

The CSS People that Make it Happen – Jennifer

Meet Jennifer, our awesome HR and Safety Manager!


Today I am thrilled to be able to introduce you to our HR and Safety Manager, Jennifer Eriksson.  Jennifer has been with CSS for almost one and a half years.  She came to us with decades of experience in the field of safety with an HR background and is incredibly talented!  She’s been an appreciated resource and guiding force in ensuring compliance for our in-house and industry safety requirements; plus, her tremendous support through our huge transformation from paper to digital systems and processes!

Jennifer’s favorite part of working at CSS is the camaraderie and laughter that inevitably occurs during the workday while we’re all getting the job done.  Not having much of a background in office furniture she found it very interesting to see how large pieces of furniture are moved easily with the right tools and equipment.

Her absolute most favorite type of food is chocolate cake, and to wash it down she reaches for a latte from Rosso Coffee.  Sounds like a winning combination to me too!

If Jennifer won the lottery, there’s no way she would pay off debt!  Instead, she would spend it all on guinea pigs!  They are her most favorite animal and would have no trouble renovating a room in her house to be a guinea pig room.  She would have one of every color, short haired, long haired and everything in between!  Maybe an obstacle course?  Jennifer would probably need a veggie garden in the back yard too!  One thing is for sure, she would be in “piggie heaven”!

Jennifer finally figured out how to get to Scotsman’s Hill and that’s officially her favorite local destination to visit.  She also loves the old feel and grandeur of the Hudson Bay Building in downtown Calgary.

She has been lucky enough to get out of the office once or twice to shadow the crews on job sites, getting a firsthand look at everything that goes on behind the scene of a move and install project and says, “we are the unseen people of the office world”.

The CSS People that Make it Happen – Jen!

Meet Jen, our amazing Operations Manager!

It is my wonderful pleasure to introduce you to the wonderful person who handles all things operationally happening at CSS.  If you’ve had any contact with our office in the last 20 years, then chances are quite high that Jen has part in your contact/service/billing, etc.  She currently occupies the role of Operations Manager and has fulfilled many roles while working for CSS!

When Jen was asked the question what’s the best part of being a member of the CSS work family – her response made perfect sense!  She feels that the solid relationships that are built over time and get stronger with each year that passes are pretty incredible parts of her daily work!  She also appreciates knowing how valuable she is to others – and we supremely appreciate how valuable she is to us!

Even in Jen’s twenty years of being a part of the CSS work family, she knows that there is still so much to learn from our business operations and the industry in general!  We’re always learning new things as the industry and economy evolve and Jen is a person that has learned so much during her employment – add to that all that she has contributed that’s resulted in so much positive change at our company, we’re pretty happy to have her at CSS.

If Jen won the lottery, without a shadow of a doubt, she would move to an acreage with too many horses and a collection of chickens, cats and dogs.  Fun random fact about Jen: her post-secondary education is in equine studies, so no surprise where her animal love started and has stayed!

Jen’s most-loved type of food is Caribbean, especially doubles – what she tells us is the most amazing street food in Trinidad and Tobago.  Not too sure how this would pair with her favourite beverage which happens to be whiskey, but I’m sure she manages to enjoy each of these favourites when the opportunity arises.

At CSS we encounter so many buildings and offices in and around Calgary given the nature of what we do, so its really enjoyable for us to ask our staff what building is their favorite, as there are so many to choose from!  We’re always astonished by some favourites shared by our staff, and it brings us joy to discover the buildings that are exciting to them for various reasons!  The Doll Block Building, being beautiful and haunted ranks as Jen’s favorite building in Calgary.

Not exactly a local Calgary destination, but Jen loves spending time in the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.  Being so close to nature in Calgary, why wouldn’t someone want to enjoy actually being right within the mountains whenever possible!

Jen is such a valued member of our work team and office environment, not a day goes by that there isn’t some form of laughter or comradery that helps define us a wonderful workplace, with an even better work family.

If you’re ever near our office location, don’t hesitate to stop by and say hi to Jen – guaranteed you’ll leave with a bright smile on your face!

The CSS People that Make it Happen – Alicia!

Meet Alicia, our amazing Administrative Assistant!

We think it’s fun to put a face to the name, so we recently introduced #friendfriday so you all can get to know everyone behind our stellar service!

First up, meet Alicia!  You’ve probably spoken to her over the phone or had the pleasure of being greeted by her smiling face when you visit the office.  I’m confident you’ve heard that smile through the phone too, she just radiates pure positivity.  Alicia is our incredibly talented Admin Assistant – and we’re sure glad she is part of our team; we’d be lost without her!

Alicia’s favorite part of being a member of the CSS Family is the work that she does and the appreciation she receives.  An interesting fact she learned from her time with us is that moving furniture is SO MUCH MORE than just putting it on a truck and going.

If Alicia won the lottery, she wouldn’t quit working with CSS!  What?!  She would give it all to her mom to start a before and after school daycare and teenager hangout in her village (see why we love her?  So much kindness).

Her favorite food is anything she doesn’t have to cook, but Subway and Chinese food are the top of the list.  If you want to spoil Alicia bring her some sparkling water or “water pop” as her son calls it, or a Kinder Bueno bar…and watch her eyes light up!

She loves the Bow building in downtown Calgary, especially the Lego display in the lobby (she’s a little bit obsessed with Lego).  Heritage Park and the Calgary Zoo are her favorite local attractions to visit.

She says, “The people I work with are amazing and always willing to help whenever I find myself stuck on something”.

Here’s to many more years of fun, friendship and family Alicia!