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Get to Know the Bayport Team
April 9th, 2019
When Qamar shared the exciting news about the Bayport team joining the Monument family in late 2018, he highlighted their many similarities with the Monument team, including their products, technology, market spaces, and core commitments to innovation and continuous improvement.
Thanks to this perfect fit, we’re off to a great start with the new partnership – working across businesses and functions to identify promising opportunities in both the custom manufacturing and product sides of our business.
Since most Monument employees have not yet had the chance to meet the Bayport team directly, The Line recently sat down with Bayport employees from different functions to learn more about the Bayport culture and people – and their thoughts about next steps in our new partnership.
What’s special about the Bayport culture?
“Because we’re a relatively small team, we wear a lot of ‘hats’ in our day-to-day activities,” said Chris “Tink” Hargrove, Maintenance Mechanic (5 years with Bayport). “You don’t hear ‘That’s not my job’ around here, because everyone is willing to pitch in and help out wherever needed.”
“We all enjoy a great learning environment, and there’s a common willingness to share knowledge,” said Carrie Wiley, Sales and Logistics Coordinator (5 years with Bayport). “When I first started here, I was really impressed with how smart the people on the team are – so not only is there a willingness to teach – there’s also a huge pool of expertise.”
“We don’t operate in silos, and we don’t suffer from ‘not invented here’ syndrome,” said Savannah Simonds, Quality Assurance / Quality Control Manager (2 years with Bayport). “We work together to solve problems, and if someone has a good suggestion, we’re all ears.”
“We don’t just have a family-like culture, we are a family,” said Carrie. “I’m a breast cancer survivor, and when I was undergoing treatment, people from the site donated food right to my house, and once I was back on my feet, many of my teammates walked by my side in Relay for Life. We’re there for each other – at work and in life – and that commitment is one of the best parts about coming here to work every day.”
What are your top commitments at Bayport?
“We can definitely relate to Monument’s strong focus on customer satisfaction,” said Alicia Penny, Admin Manager (10 years with Bayport). “The trust they place in us is one of our most valuable assets – and we take that mutual commitment very seriously.”
“Many of us include our cell phone numbers on our email signatures, because we want customers to know that they can reach us at any time with an issue,” said Carrie. “We’re no strangers to last-minute requests and urgent timelines, but because we work together so collaboratively, we can move all our pieces around quickly to come to the rescue – time and time again.”
“Because we handle so many changes and urgent needs, it’s critical that we keep our focus on safety,” said Tink. “Just as we look for improvements to make life easier for our customers, we look for improvements to make the site safer for our team. We are eager to share learnings with the broader Monument team – and to discover new opportunities across all of our top priorities, including safety.”
In what you have learned about Monument so far, what are your thoughts about future opportunities? What excites you the most?
“Our days have definitely been a whirlwind since day one of the integration,” said Savannah. “We’ve learned a lot about the Monument team in a relatively short amount of time, and it’s already easy to see the similarities in our cultures, focus areas, and commitments. We still have a lot to figure out in this first chapter of our partnership, but it’s definitely an exciting time of discovery for us.”
“Some of us toured the Monument Houston site, and it was really encouraging to see how much the company has invested in the site and its people,” added Savannah. “We’re eager to see the growth opportunities at Bayport that will come from Monument’s support – and to learn more about the role we’ll play in Monument’s vision for the future.”
“Times of change are always challenging, but we’ve got the strength of the Bayport team and the support of the broader Monument team to write a successful first chapter in our new partnership,” said Carrie. “There are many more chapters to come – filled with new ideas, collaboration, and of course, opportunities for growth in all areas!”
