Publix Patriots: From E-4 to Distribution Supervisor
At Publix, we offer over 19,000 unique positions. As you can imagine, each position requires a special skill set, and skills acquired while serving in the military often translate to many positions and careers at Publix. In fact, we were recently named one of Forbes’ Best Employers for Veterans and we are honored to have many military veterans in the Publix family. In our Publix Patriots blog series, we meet military veterans and learn how their military skills and backgrounds help them build their careers at Publix. Today, we meet one of our distribution supervisors.
Meet Taffy.
Taffy spent four active years in the Army and four years in the Florida National Guard before retiring from the Army as an E-4. Upon retiring from the military, Taffy knew exactly where she wanted to start a career.
“Growing up in Lakeland, Florida, I always heard about Publix, their benefits, the pay and that it was a great place to work,” Taffy shared. “When I left home for the military, I always knew that when I returned, I wanted to start a career at Publix.”
And starting a career at Publix is exactly what Taffy did. She joined the company in August 1995 as a sorter at the damage return facility, eventually becoming a fill-in team lead. When the damage return facility closed, Taffy transferred to the high velocity warehouse as a lead, where she worked for three years before transitioning into her current role of supervisor at the low velocity warehouse. Taffy said, learning to adjust to different situations and changes helped her get to this point in her career.
“In my current role, I manage the wine module,” said Taffy. “Each day varies, especially around the holidays. I’ve learned to adapt to anything so my team and I can succeed.”
How Taffy’s military background helped her at Publix.
Taffy’s military background helps her each day in her career with Publix. She says discipline is a skill that has benefited her Publix career the most, though leadership, hard work and teamwork skills also come in handy.
“The wine module is four floors with selectors on each floor. Teams of associates work to select product and place it in a tote, send the tote down a conveyor belt, receive the tote and pack it for distribution,” Taffy shared. “It takes a lot of teamwork to ensure this is executed while also taking inventory.”
Taffy notes that being in the military provides a unique opportunity to meet and work with many different people and experience new things. During her time in the Army and Florida National Guard, she was able to travel and see different parts of the world. This gave her the opportunity to grow and further her education.
“Working at Publix, you also get to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds,” said Taffy. “However, we are all working to achieve the same goal — to be the premier quality food retailer in the world by providing premier customer service and treating everyone with dignity and respect.”
Taffy encourages any military veteran interested in pursuing a career with Publix to simply apply.
“Publix really cares about the military veterans and all their associates,” said Taffy. “They offer great benefits and opportunities for advancement. It’s a great place to work.”
Are you interested in a career at Publix, or do you know a military veteran who might be interested? Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to learn about the various career paths available at Publix.
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