STEFFES SPOTLIGHT: Jamie Feland
Jamie Feland began his career at Steffes 10 years ago as part of the shipping and receiving team and eventually transitioned to the supply chain side of the business. When he first moved into purchasing, Jamie’s role had a broad focus supporting departments including contract manufacturing and oil & gas, but as the company grew, his scope was narrowed to primarily skids and oil accessories. His role has continued to evolve and he now oversees strategic sourcing for the company as the Category Manager for Supply Chain.
His role entails identifying sources for raw materials, developing pricing terms, evaluating supplier performance, and strategic supplier planning.
Jamie works closely with our internal buyers to procure materials and ensure teams are equipped with the proper materials for production. He continually assesses that Steffes is aligned with our suppliers, that we are purchasing at the right price and examines cost savings opportunities through competitive sourcing. No two days are the same in his role, which keeps his job exciting.
“I appreciate that every day presents a new challenge and it’s not repetitive,” said Feland. “I definitely like the people I work with, it’s more of a family atmosphere here by the way the company is run.”
Some exciting projects Jamie has been part of during his tenure with Steffes have included a joint Kaizen event with one of our suppliers and another project working as part of the team for a new product launch of a treater separator skid in the oil & gas industry.
Jamie recently earned his Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) certification through the Association of Supply Chain Management, which required him to successfully complete a rigorous assessment process. The program is based on industry standards and gives supply chain professionals end-to-end supply chain knowledge. Jamie is always looking to develop and improve his skillset, which motivated him to earn his CSCP certification. He is hoping the knowledge from the self-study program that he worked on over the course of 8 months will help him to be a better leader, equipped with the tools necessary to positively influence others on his team.
Jamie is also Lean Bronze certified, which is a certification recognized in the industry that demonstrates someone has a tactical understanding of Lean manufacturing concepts. Additionally, he has completed leadership training through Dale Carnegie as a participant as well as a course coach. Dale Carnegie training focuses on developing the soft skills necessary to be an effective leader and an influential communicator and problem-solver.
Outside of work, Jamie enjoys spending time outdoors mountain biking, snowboarding, and hiking.