Next to the Spencer Peterman showroom in Gill, MA, you’ll find the workshop where our one-of-a-kind bowls are turned, sanded, and finished before they are sent off to become lasting pieces of functional art in our customers’ homes. Step inside this building, and the first face you’re likely to see is Marie Glabach, our production manager. Marie is the person who coordinates with the rest of our crew to make sure that every order is met and that things run smoothly.
This month on the blog, let’s get to know Marie and find out how she makes the magic happen.
Hi Marie, how long have you worked at Spencer Peterman? And what have your roles been with the company over time?
Marie: I’ve been here for ten years. When I first started here, I was actually a bowl sander. I was only sanding for maybe about a month, and they asked me if I’d be interested in moving downstairs because the guy that was doing my job back then left. So they brought me downstairs and I worked down here part time. I’d work downstairs half a day, either packing boxes or working on the computer. And then the other half, I would roll up stairs, and I would finish the bowls. And that lasted for a couple years. Then it was just me downstairs, and Michelle wanted to be able to concentrate more on doing other things. So I came down here full time, and I’ve been doing it ever since.
So, can you describe your day to day and what the production manager role entails a little bit?
Marie: The main thing is, I tell the people in the crew what kind of bowls we need, and I see what’s in the works for the sanding department. I usually discuss with Josh what they have available, and he’ll usually ask me what I need the most. A lot of my job is just going through emails, checking for new orders and going through my orders and seeing what needs to be high priority. For example, what I did yesterday is I sat down and I had to go through all my orders and see what I needed from the other shop for boards and tossers. So for the most part a lot of my job is sitting at the computer or just going from department to department and communicating about what needs to be produced today.
What do you like most about working here?
Marie: I would say the people. We have a really good crew right now. Everybody gets along, and they’re just a fun crew to work with. And Spencer and Michelle are great. They honestly care about the people that work here. They will bend over backwards to do anything to make the job better for you. And then of course, the flexibility is great because you can pretty much make your own hours as long as you put in the hours and get the job done. You can come in at six in the morning or you can come in at night, as long as you put in your eight hours and get done what needs to be done. It’s just a nice laid back relaxed atmosphere.
What is your favorite product in the Spencer Peterman line?
Marie: My favorite of course would be spalted maple. Yeah, but not so much the spalting, but what we call curl that you’ll see sometimes in the maple. You can see a bowl with curl [pictured below] like this one right here. See the wavy lines? That’s what we call curl, and that’s what I love. There are so many different variations of the spalting, every bowl is just so different. so unique.
What do you like to do for fun outside of work?
Marie: I’m pretty much an introvert. I enjoy reading. I read a lot, and I love cooking as long as I have somebody to cook for. But I don’t like cooking just for myself–I like a big meal and having people come and enjoy it. I do play on the computer somewhat. I like playing with our dog. But that’s about it. After work I like to go home and play with the dog, Oreo, and then I have to jump right into cooking dinner. So after dinner, I usually sit on the couch with the dog curled up on my lap. And, you know, watch TV or read my book. It’s very relaxing.
