Vito Virga was just out of high school when he started working at Otto Brehm, Inc. After his older brother, who also worked for the company, urged him to apply, Vito landed a job as a delivery truck driver, a job he enjoyed for 25 years before stepping into his current position as Otto Brehm’s shop steward.
A hard worker by nature, Vito says, “Right from the start I liked working here. It’s always busy, which I enjoy. Plus I got to drive around the region, seeing new places and meeting new people.” When the shop steward position opened up, a union job that includes advocating for driver safety and resolving workplace issues, Vito gladly took on the new role. “The customer always comes first,” he says, “but so does workplace safety.”
Vito will often sit in as a senior man is training a new driver, and his 30-plus years’ experience affords him valuable perspective. It goes without saying that every driver is committed to on-time, reliable, accurate service. But Vito likes to remind new employees about the importance of developing relationships with the customers they serve.
“Every employee hears this from their first day on the job: You have to take care of the customer. If you don’t, pretty soon you won’t have any customers to take care of,” says Vito “Unhappy customers will go somewhere else.”
Over the years, Vito has seen many changes in the industry. “Today there’s a lot more competition,” he says. “I appreciate that Brehm does whatever it takes to stay competitive. That includes providing everything the customer needs to make their business better, stay one step ahead, and grow.”
Otto Brehm, Inc. grows the same way. Whether it’s adding new technology to help drivers or warehouse workers do their job or expanding the product line according to market demands, a business stays strong by maintaining focus on customer relations.
“We have customers who made the switch to Otto Brehm because they didn’t like the way their last supplier treated them,” says Vito. “That won’t happen if you always put the customer first.”