Strolling off the airplane into Richmond International Airport in Virginia, Rick Goe was a young man going places. At the tender age of 23, he had just been named the operations manager for SP Richards’ facility there, which at the time made him the youngest such manager in the company’s 100-year history.
Armed with only a high school diploma at the time, Goe had been promoted for the third time in his young career, which certainly bode well for his future. At the airport, he was met by the company’s general manager, “Bob,” whose first question caught Goe off guard and certainly would not fly under the current talk tracks promoted by human resources departments.
“How old are you?” Bob inquired. But that was hardly the only uncomfortable portion of the conversation.
“Listen,” Bob continued. “If you want to make any changes, you need to run them by me first.”
Perhaps Goe was emboldened by his youth, which can tend to ignore any voice of caution that would suggest he tread lightly for now. Or perhaps it was Goe’s understanding of what he had been tasked to do, and what it would require for him and the SP Richards facility to be successful, that prompted a frank and honest reply.
“I was asked to come here because obviously what you guys were doing wasn’t working,” Goe told the GM. “So give me six months, and if something (bad) happens, you can tell me ‘I told you so’ or kick me in the behind.”
Bold strokes and demonstrated leadership have been the underpinnings of a long and successful career for Goe, who currently serves as the vice president of supply chain for Supplies Network. This 2020 ENX Magazine Difference Maker is proud of the growth that has been enjoyed by Supplies Network, which has billowed from a $200 million privately-held supplier to an $800 million organization.
Going All Out
Goe and the company embrace a “work hard, play hard” mentality of aggressive pursuit with a shared vision of growth and goals. Meeting and exceeding customer expectations is one of the avenues that help fulfill their mission.
“I really thrive on improvement and how we can get to the next level,” Goe said. “I love change, it doesn’t bother me, but it has to be well-orchestrated and somewhat surgically done. It’s the challenge of providing a solution, perhaps one the customer wasn’t even considering. There’s a lot of satisfaction in seeing our internal team elevate and take their game to the next level.”
Goe has benefitted from alternating between a sales and operations mindset. While not an engineer, Goe tends to delve into that mindset in devising ways to reduce touchpoints and enhance workflow.
His journey into the industry was hardly orchestrated. Growing up in eastern Ohio, Goe had planned to play football in college, but when several knee surgeries put an end to his gridiron dreams, he decided to forego school and get a job. The unemployment office in Oklahoma City pointed him to SP Richards, which kicked off a well-traveled 12-plus year career with promotion-driven stints in New York, Virginia, New Hampshire, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Goe’s supplies career experienced a pause, as he pivoted over to AOL for five years, serving as a director of fulfillment for its marketing group. During that time, Goe attained his BA degree. Then, a fortuitous phone call from Distribution Management/Supplies Network was the catalyst for a now-17-year journey with the organization.
It is with Supplies Network that he truly found a home. “For me, I think about who I would go to war for, who I would be fighting side by side with until the bitter end,” he noted. “The Flemings, Tom (chairman and founder) and Sean (CEO) have been great mentors and business partners. We share the same values and goals. The gentleman who hired me, David Gresham, is a phenomenal individual who I have a lot of respect for.”
Building Blocks
The last year has been a whirlwind experience for Goe and Supplies Network. April of 2019 capped a nearly 13-month quest to design and move into three new distribution centers, in which Goe invested much sweat, toil and time into making a reality. The project more than doubled Supplies Network’s space and saw cloud and robotic technology built into it, along with a new conveyor layout.
“I haven’t been home much, but it’s been exciting and fun,” he remarked. “For me, this next year is going to be focused on execution, the blocking and tackling, and taking advantage of the investments that we’ve made, which will help us grow the business.”
Goe and his wife, Tracey, have four grown children between them. They enjoy vacationing in the Caribbean and Europe. They have a new 10-acre property he purchased three years ago, and Goe enjoys fishing and taking care of the land. A diehard Pittsburgh Steelers and The Ohio State University football fan, Goe enjoys golf and hockey when he has the opportunity. But there’s simple enjoyment to be had in the comfort of his back yard.
“I cut my own grass,” he noted. “I put the earbuds in and it allows me to decompress.”
