The Lost Art of Showing Up
Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, and the other small towns surrounding us, are predominantly called home by people who possess the qualities so many Americans miss. People who tell the truth without considering the alternative. Kind as a way of life, hard-working as a matter of pride. People who show up when they say they will. Followers of the Golden Rule. It’s no wonder DiamondBack planted our flag here in 2003.
Thank goodness for those throwback values. They’re a big part of what makes our team, truck bed covers, and customers different. Those values can also be credited with DiamondBack’s rapid growth as a company. By 2017, fourteen years after launching, our growth was catching up to us. We were building more covers than ever, and our team was managing, but things were rattling a bit under the pressure. It was apparent that our systems were becoming a limiting factor in our ability to keep promises. Our old guard needed new ideas.
All Systems Go
For a company that specializes in metal work, DiamondBack has always strived to be forward-thinking in our approach. That said, after enough years with our noses to the grindstone, we looked up to discover a new world of applications. New technologies that ensured more timely freight shipments, shorter lead times, speedier customer service, and better benefits management for our team. As we began to explore options, Scott Stilson, our own crack IT Director, was sure he’d need help. He didn’t have to look far. A few miles from our factory, a recent college graduate was itching to get his hands dirty.
John Clark was just ten years old when he got his start in IT. It was Christmas, and a great one. John’s parents gave him a desktop PC, his younger brother Justin an ATV, and John was undoubtedly the happier of the two. Also the more inspired. Almost immediately, John became his family’s go-to tech advisor and repairman. Working with computers was John’s dream long before the necessity of a livelihood entered his mind. And he’s never wavered from it, once. Actually, John’s never much wavered in any area.
Old Faithful
Throughout his grade school and college years, John managed a social life and a few extracurriculars. But nothing challenged his interest in computers. He took the classes available to him in high school, then carried on his studies at Thiel College in Greenville, PA. Immediately after graduating with a degree in Web Development and Interactive Media in 2017, John moved right back home.
Penn State’s campus is about 30 minutes from Philipsburg, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a local who isn’t at least a casual Nittany Lion fan. Even locals who attended other schools. You’d also be hard-pressed to find a fan as dedicated as John. Introduced to Penn State football as a kid by his grandparents, John never misses a game. Never. And we’re not talking about tuning in. We’re talking about showing up. At present count, 92 games in a row, bowl games included.
In manufacturing, especially as it relates to our systems, consistency really is key. John is the model of it, and everything runs more smoothly when he’s around. Thankfully, since 2019, he’s been here like clockwork, Monday through Friday.
