What does a Morrison Parts Manager do?

What does a Morrison Parts Manager do?

Morrison Industrial Equipment is a vital member of the material handling industry, providing equipment sales and service to companies throughout Michigan and in Northern Indiana. We’re a multi-line forklift dealer that sells and services everything from heavy duty forklift trucks to aerial lifts to manual pallet jacks.

We are service experts, and servicing forklifts requires replacement parts. As you might imagine, the job of Parts Manager at a Morrison branch is a crucial one. These are busy professionals, so we’re very thankful for the participation of four Morrison Parts Managers in developing this post: Zach Blodgett of Muskegon Branch, Josh Higgins of Brighton Branch, Don Fochtman of Grand Rapids Branch, and Bruce Scheltema of Forklifts of Michigan in Grand Rapids. Thanks to all four for taking the time.

What does a Morrison Parts Manager’s day look like?

The official description for the job says “A Part Manager oversees the Parts Department, receiving and placing orders, answering phone calls, assisting with walk-in customers, providing stock orders, performing inventory adjustments, and paying invoices.” That’s the condensed version. Now, here’s what three current Parts Managers have to say.

• Says Zach Blodgett of the Muskegon Branch, “The typical life of a Parts Manager is a combination of problem solving and customer service. Daily life entails taking care of your customers' needs. The best part of the job is building and maintaining relationships with the people that do business with us.”

Zach continues, “A usual day goes like this: Come in, strap up, and prepare for whatever ride the day brings! A lot can be said about being Manager of the Parts Department, but ‘boring’ isn't it.”

• Josh Higgins of the Brighton Branch explains: “I start my day around 6 in the morning. I refill the technician replenishment parts, then receive and stage the parts that come in from the morning delivery. I go through completed work orders to start the invoicing process, followed by paying vendor bills. My email is usually full of parts orders and quote requests, so I spend most of the day moving through those with the help of my assistants.”

• According to Bruce Scheltema of Forklifts of Michigan, “I start the day restocking the vans for the techs so they can start their day with the parts they need for a successful day. The days are packed with emails and phone calls. Each one is filled with helping techs and customers.”

A Morrison Parts Manager is a busy, in-demand professional. Days pass quickly and are filled with opportunities to solve problems and meet the needs of customers and technicians.

How do you become a Parts Manager at Morrison?

What is Morrison looking for in a Parts Manager? Mechanical experience is important. Experience with forklifts is great but not required. Reliability, good communications skills, and the ability to multitask are important attributes. Experience at Morrison is a plus, but not required. Morrison hires Parts Managers from both inside and outside the company.

There’s more than one path to becoming a Morrison Parts Manager. Some of our Parts Managers are field technicians who wanted to take on a managerial role rather than working in a hands-on position. Others start and end their careers in the Parts Department, advancing through the ranks. Here are the stories of two of our Parts Managers.

• Don Fochtman of the Grand Rapids Branch started at Morrison as a parts specialist. After a few months he was promoted to parts assistant. When the manager left, he was interviewed for the position and was promoted. He has been Parts Manager for just over a year. He’s been with Morrison for 2 years.
• Josh Higgins of Brighton Branch was a technician in Louisiana for 2 years before moving to Michigan. He was hired by Morrison as a technician and worked for 3 years before applying for the Assistant Parts position. As soon as Josh joined the Parts Department, the manager put in his notice. As a result, Josh was promoted to Parts Manager.

Parts professional looking for advancement. Field technician wanting to get out of the field and into a manager’s office. Forklift expert or not. Current Morrison employee or not. There are many paths to becoming a Morrison Parts Manager.

What’s Morrison’s business culture?

Teamwork, support, and camaraderie are essential aspects of Morrison’s culture. Here’s what some of our employees say.

• “The culture here is teamwork-based. Everyone is willing to help each other out.”
• “Everyone gets along. We all have each other's back, and we work together as a team.”
• “People are busy, efficient, and hands-on. Always helpful.”
• “I enjoy my job. Every day at Morrison is a highlight.”

At Morrison, we believe in working hard to serve our customers. We also believe it’s important to enjoy what you do and the people you’re working with. We make work fun with outings and activities at our branches.

Join the Morrison family

No doubt about it, Morrison is a great place to work. We’re a leader in the material handling industry. Plus we’re a team-oriented company that offers great benefits and training, as well as a supportive, friendly work environment. Morrison’s provides great opportunities for growth and a work culture where people stay.

Check out Gearhead Careers to explore our great Morrison companies and view job openings, or call us at 616-281-6438. Apply today and start the process of joining our family.