SRSI is continuing to grow its team of motivated individuals. Sam Siraphet, SRSI Project Manager, is a perfect example of the growth and success SRSI brings to the Material Handling industry.
Sam has an incredibly inspirational backstory. He came to the U.S. after fleeing Laos as a refugee in the late 70’s. With the help of his father who trained in the U.S. as part of the Laos Royal Air Force, and sponsorships from the United Nations Global Outreach organization, Sam was eventually able to settle in Silvis, Illinois with his family.
Adjusting to a new life was a lot for Sam, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He attributes his ease of adapting to his grade school counselor. Later, Sam attended Parks College of St. Louis University, specializing in aviation, and went on to graduate from SLU.
After dabbling in various careers, Sam took an entry-level job with Nokia as a production operator. Sam knew his education experience and work ethic would allow him to grow quickly in whatever job he chose. Before long, he was promoted to supervisor of automation engineering, then Lead Project Engineering, and Mechanic Sourcing Manager.
Sam grew to support international relations for global manufacturer sites. His occupation entailed lots of traveling, exploring cultures, relationship building with suppliers, and leadership, all until Nokia had an employment reduction across all global sites.
With growth comes change; however, and Sam was prepared to continue succeeding in the industry. Sam discovered SRSI when he was a Senior Production Planner at another company years after he left Nokia. He saw the unique value SRSI posed and decided to take the opportunity.
“I will thrive at SRSI with my background in cross-functional roles with suppliers – external and internal relationships. The culture and complexity of networking is crucial to the foundation of partnerships, and I’ll support it in an effective and timely manner to meet our customer’s expectations,” Sam notes.
Sam is already spending lots of time out in the field. “It’s a great eye-opener and learning-tool to be out there physically touching systems, literally problem solving two days into the job. Seeing some of the solutions on site allows me to see what I can learn and do,” he mentions.
Outside of site work and managing projects at SRSI, Sam enjoys spending time with family, staying active, golfing, grilling. And, as others at SRSI learned at the last company picnic, Sam is also an avid cornhole player!
Sam reflects on his career thus far and relates to the quote: “For every setback there is an opportunity.” He takes advantage of opening new doors and making connections and treating people the same way that he wants to be treated, with respect and consideration. “Listening and observing more and taking a step back allows you to see from different perspectives from the installers, suppliers, and vendors. I try to go everywhere with an open mind,” Sam says, and we couldn’t agree more. We’re delighted to add Sam to our team of excellence and look forward to his upcoming successes.
