Robert Clothier

Profile of Team Member – Robert Clothier

“Building an exceptional company is the result of building exceptional teams with exceptional people.”

Team 1 Plastics, a plastic injection molding company for the transportation industry, has been and continues to be a successful company because of our exceptional team.  Today, we will introduce one of these exceptional people, Robert Clothier, as we continue a series of articles profiling our Team Members.

Name: Robert Clothier

Current Position: Human Resources Manager

Other Positions Held: Human Resources Assistant

Date of Hire: 8/12/2013

What is your favorite story or memory during your time working at Team 1?
Rob’s favorite memory is from the summer of 2014 when the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was trending on social media and at Team 1 Plastics. Rob told the story, “Craig (Carrel), Gary (Grigowski), Dave (Sanford), and Mike (Muma) all participated in the challenge. I remember being in the Break Room as the buckets were filled. With the amount of ice that was put into that water, it was probably as close to freezing as it could have been without being solid. They were all good sports about it, and the video turned out awesome. And, Team 1 offered to cover the donation for all team members who were nominated.” Rob admits that he had been nominated by Mike and says that he intended to participate in the challenge. Unfortunately, or fortunately (depending on your perspective), he put off being in the challenge until it was too late. However, Rob did contribute to Team 1’s Ice Bucket Challenge – he was the one behind the video camera, preserving the memory.

How has Team 1 helped your personal and/or professional development?
As a HR (Human Resources) professional, Rob knows that a common complaint of job seekers is “how am I supposed to get experience if I’m not given the opportunity?” Rob said that “Team 1’s focus on what people can bring to the table – more than having a degree or for how long and for which employer they have worked – is one of the things that I value most about Team 1.” Rob was given the opportunity to step into a management role with only a four-year degree and less than two years of HR experience. “Something that,” he said, “just wouldn’t happen at very many companies.” And, Team 1 continues to support Rob in his professional development, sending him to HR continuing education training several times a year, sponsoring his membership in SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) and its local chapter, SCHRMA (South Central Human Resource Management Association), and supporting his preparation for taking the PHR (Professional in Human Resources) Certification exam.

What is your favorite aspect of working at Team 1?
“I think my favorite thing about working at Team 1 is that we have a good group of people that work well together, and I like that I get to work with everybody at the company.” Rob also said that he likes that his days tend to be different from one day to the next. Working in HR means that sometimes you have to make some unpopular decisions. “Everybody would love to get a raise, free insurance would be great, and a loose attendance policy would be more convenient for everybody – myself included!” said Rob. “We do our best to make the best decisions for our team and the company, but unfortunately that involves making a tough call every now and then.” But, he added, “I think working in such a positive and open environment makes these decisions better received which, of course, makes my job much easier.”

What do you want to share about your life outside of Team 1?
Rob lives in Spring Arbor with his wife and their three children, two daughters and a son. He enjoys spending time with his family and has a wide range of interests, including playing hockey and golf, reading, hunting, and simply enjoying the outdoors. One of his favorite places is Isle Royale National Park, where he has backpacked over 150 miles across several overnight trips. Lately, Rob has turned his focus to ultramarathon running, with the goal of competing in the Barkley Fall Classic in Tennessee, a notoriously grueling race known for its punishing terrain, steep elevation changes, and extremely low finish rate.  He’s been a runner for many years, but it was a Netflix documentary about the Barkley Marathons that sparked his fascination with pushing the human body to its absolute limits.  “I want to see what I’m truly capable of, physically and mentally,” Rob said. “The Barkley Fall Classic represents something that’s extremely challenging, and that’s exactly why I want to do it.”

Do you have any advice and/or encouragement for future Team 1 team members?
“I think the best advice that I can offer,” Rob said, “is to learn from your mistakes. Every person at Team 1 makes them, but the key is to avoid making the same mistake twice.” After you make a mistake, he says you should think, “Now that I know why that didn’t work, this is how I can do it the next time. And, what did I learn from that situation that I can apply somewhere else and prevent a mistake the first time?” Rob said that “it’s continuous self-development, and it goes hand-in-hand with the old adage ‘work smarter, not harder.’”

Now for a totally random question:
Which of the Seven Dwarves is most like you?
Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you? Rob admitted that he is not well versed on his fairy tales. In fact, he said, his wife stopped watching the TV show, Once Upon a Time, with him (the show is based on fairy tales) because he kept having to ask her such basic questions about the fairy tales that the show was portraying. “So sure, I’ve heard of the seven dwarfs,” Rob said, “but I really know nothing about them. Looking at the list of names of dwarfs, nothing jumped out to me, but if I saw one called ‘Normal,’ I probably would have picked that one.” Rob turned to the internet for help. After watching some YouTube clips of the seven dwarfs, he said, “I thought Grumpy was the funniest, so that’s what I’m going with.”