Jimmy Fullem
Jimmy Fullem, Production Supervisor, Integrity Stainless, Latrobe, PA
Self-declared workaholic. Welcomes training and development to drive success. Believes you should always enjoy what you're doing.
Jimmy Fullem started working in the custom home industry and moved into cabinetry before beginning his career in the metals industry in 1996 at what is now our Integrity Stainless Latrobe, PA division.
“Jimmy wears many hats in Latrobe. He willingly covers for others when they’re out, takes great pride in his work and always finds a positive approach to whatever he’s doing,” says Richard Ranells, General Manager for the Latrobe division.
“Being nominated for this recognition is my proudest moment with Olympic Steel,” says Jimmy. “It feels good for your hard work to be noticed. It confirms that somebody sees what I’m doing, and I’m proud to be recognized.”
Jimmy says available training programs and opportunities for advancement have helped him most during his Olympic Steel career. He explains, “I try to do all the training, because it’s more knowledge for me – I feed off of it. I really enjoy all of the opportunities to learn more and get better.”
On that note, the Core Value Jimmy feels he most represents is Employee Development. “All through my life, I’ve enjoyed the coaching and training process – anything I can do to improve myself. I always thought I wanted to be a teacher and prior to 2013, when Olympic Steel purchased the company, I ran a program for high school kids to learn manufacturing skills in our facility. I like to bring out the best in others and teaching them is how it starts.”
Jimmy is a self-declared workaholic. “I love to work. I like to multi-task and take care of everything. I don’t want to just run a machine – I want to take care of it all: the employees, the whole place. And when I’m not working [at Integrity], I’m working at home in my woodshop.”
One of Jimmy’s techniques for tackling challenges and something he tells all of his trainees is: Think before you do it. He adds, “Take a minute to think about what you’re going to do first, then attack it. Make it happen. Usually, if you really think about it before you do it, then you’ll get it done safely and correctly.”
Fun fact: Jimmy is extremely resourceful. Years ago, he purchased land, cut down the trees, and used them to build a cabin. He also uses the trees on his property to make furniture (see pictures below). Whether he’s building things or building a successful career, Jimmy believes you should always enjoy what you’re doing.
He says, “Come to work. Stay safe. Take advantage of all opportunities for training and advancement. And, recognize the challenges as opportunities to learn as much as you can.”
