In the quarter century that Summit has been in business, we’ve achieved a lot. Being voted Minnesota’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” four years in a row and making the Inc. 5000 were definitely shining moments. Above all else, what makes our company unique are the people who comprise the team. In honor of our 25th anniversary, 25 Summit superstars share what makes them proud to work at Summit.
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Tony Garcia, Server/Storage Account Manager, 3 months – A success for me would be the amount I understand the server and storage world now compared to when I started at Summit about three months ago. Thanks to everyone on my team for being extremely patient with all of my questions and helping me understand something new!
Will Heriford, Sales Development Representative, 4 months – I’m proud to work for a company that partners with charitable organizations such as Common Hope, as well as actively selling refurbished networking gear as a green aspect of our business model.
Abby Reimer, Marketing Assistant, 4 months – My proudest moment at Summit (which is actually my first job after graduating college) was attending the E-Scrap 2017 conference in Orlando. Because of the combined marketing and sales efforts, our team crushed our goal in the first two hours of the event.
Dustin Hartenstein, Sales Development Representative, 4 months – What makes me proud to work here is how everybody helps out their peers and shows genuine excitement for their colleagues when they accomplish something. My favorite day “at” work was when we went lawn bowling, because I’d never done it before and everybody had a great time.
Jake Svare, Account Manager, 8 months – Prior to starting at Summit, I had a couple other sales-type jobs, but none of them gave me the training that I needed to become successful. I still have a long way to go, but I’ve made improvements and I credit that to the team here. Before Summit, I didn’t really know what a sales process looked like. I was shooting from the hip and hoping that something would stick. Since then, I have successfully implemented a play that has been very successful at getting in contact with my prospects. I would really like to thank the team here since they continue to push me to work hard, think outside the box and improve my processes to hit our goals.
Kristy Phillippi, Sales Administrator, 8 months – The conscientiousness Summit brings to both our client base and internal camaraderie is striking. The strong, supportive culture on a day-to-day basis is refreshing. The growth I have seen while employed at Summit has been record-breaking, and I’m appreciative to be a part of the success!
Nick Taschner, Sales Assistant, 1 year – I take pride in knowing that our top priority continues to be providing excellent customer service. Most of the compliments I receive from customers are about our fast responses to quotes, tracking and general inquiries. Working with great people who all share this common goal has created a “team first” mentality that makes for an enjoyable place to work.
Devetta Hollister, Accounting Assistant, 1.5 years – I’m proud to work here because all the people are so friendly and willing to help at the drop of a hat, most of the time without being asked! Also, the atmosphere is amazing.
Grace Hardell, Human Resources, 2.5 years – At Summit, I’ve been able to grow and learn from my mentors. They encourage me to take on new challenges and have supported me through everything. As a young professional, having experienced guidance is priceless.
Michaela Wagner, Account Executive, 2.5 years – Since I started working for Summit, I learned how important it is to get out of your comfort zone – fear was inhibiting me whether I would like to admit it or not, and doing so really pushed me to levels I never thought I could achieve. I owe it to everyone on my team for constantly pushing me out of my routine over the years. This in turn allowed me to hit quotas early each year as well as meet the company goal needed to earn an office.
Mike Daugherty, Account Executive, 3 years – What I love about Summit is the family atmosphere and how everyone genuinely wants to help each other succeed.
Kraig Kempton, Buyer/Broker, 3 years – Lawn bowling has always been one of my favorite days at Summit. Being on Michele’s (Vice President) team is especially fun – it’s nice to see people from the leadership team in a fun, not-so-formal setting.
Jordan Gagne, Associate Technician, 3.5 years – I enjoyed having a glass of scotch with our president Mr. Noble at the Minnesota Wild game during the holiday season.
Sarah Williams, Account Executive, 3.5 years – In 2016 I earned a spot at our President’s Club celebration for being a Top Producer and a Top Prospector. It felt amazing to celebrate a successful year with my supportive, knowledgeable coworkers. I couldn’t have done it without their help!
Pete Steensgard, Account Executive, 4 years – I love working here because of my coworkers and the culture. They are always ready to help and fun to have a beer with on Fridays.
Cheng Xiong, Cisco Technician, 4 years – Summit events are really fun, like the Easter Hunt of 2014. There was a race between teams to see who could collect all the hidden eggs first with small hints or riddles of where the eggs are hidden in Summit’s buildin. Christmas parties are also something to look forward to!
Bryanna Erickson, Account Executive, 4.5 years – It’s awesome working with such great people who always have your back. I wouldn’t have been able to come back from maternity leave two years ago without the help of my colleagues taking care of my customers and maintaining their business while I was out for three months.
Jim Herbst, Account Executive, 4.5 years – My professional best is delivering quality equipment on time for a large disaster recovery project. I helped the customer meet their budget, in comparison to the multi-million dollar list price.
Brad Park, Account Executive, 5.5 years – I’d have to say my favorite moments were crushing Chris Rosenthal at lawn bowling in every appearance. All these championship medals are getting heavy.
Chue Thao, Cisco Technician, 6 years – My proudest moment at Summit is to hear positive feedback from customers I previously helped solve their IT-related issues. I like being able to step in and walk the customer step by step until their problem is fixed.
Chris Rosenthal, Cisco/HP Technician, 7 years – When you have a kid who plays hockey, it’s not cheap. A special moment at this company for me was when Paul, the man who brought me over to Summit, paid for my kid’s hockey lessons. This type of generosity isn’t limited to Paul – it’s everyone here. From free quarterly lunches to giving everyone their own birthday cake, Summit’s giving mindset makes me proud to work here.
Dan Olson, Director of Sales and Marketing, 10 years – I’ve been happy to be given the ability to grow with this company. I started as an account manager in 2007 when only nine people were working here. In 2012, I earned the title of sales manager and have hired and trained many skilled and amazing salespeople since then. What makes me proud is seeing how our company has grown to more than 30 people who all share the same core values.
Marc Johnson, Account Executive, 15.5 years – When I was a technician working on the products we sell, I was able to obtain several important certifications in a short period of time. Summit needed those certifications within the organization to maintain specific support and product availability for customers. I was proud to really help the company.
Michele Freeman, Vice President, 24 years – In the late 90s, I started to do business with the Bank of New York. The contact there, Ken, needed an item to arrive the next day and didn’t believe I could do it. I proved him wrong. We continued to do business together for nearly two years, with him becoming one of our best customers to date and giving us our biggest year ever. In time, he became a close friend and mentor. Tragically, Ken passed away in the 9/11 attacks. His mentorship made a tremendous impact on me both personally and professionally. I became stronger in so many ways, specifically with negotiating, confidence, being detail-oriented and excellence in customer service. There is no doubt that the relationship Summit makes with customers matters, and the personal strength and grit I gained from this adversity has been my greatest achievement while working here.
Dick Noble, President, 25 years – When I started this company, my goal for Summit was for it to be a great place to work and a great place to do business with. What makes me proud is seeing this passion become the essence of our business, and I believe it’s what made us double our growth in six short years.
