24 SOURCE | Summer 2022
Not Resting on Their “ Laurels ”: Meet Eric Reed and the Multi-Tasking Laurel Team
Kristine Esdale , Manager of Sales & Marketing , GROWMARK FS , LLC & Solu-Cal kesdale @ growmarkfs . com
Fourteen years ago , the GROWMARK FS location in Laurel , Delaware posted a few open positions . Eric Reed arrived on site that spring to interview for a job as loader / operator . It was 2008 and he was seeking a change after running his own business for years . And change is exactly what he found . Then-location manager Susan Otwell ( now retired ) and Delmarva Region Manager Mike Pochop spotted Eric ’ s background in inventory management and instead offered him the job of assistant location manager .
Today Eric is location manager there , a position he began in September of 2021 . His work stands out as above and beyond due to the extensive support he provides for other nearby GROWMARK FS locations .
Four other Delmarva teams rely on Eric ’ s group to supply their fertilizers for the season : potash , urea , sulfate , and more – whatever is needed for a successful growing season . Between Linkwood ( MD ), Dagsboro ( DE ), Accomac ( VA ), and Cordova ( MD ), as well as Laurel , over
30,000 tons of product pass through Laurel in any given year . It arrives in more than 300 rail cars and fully loaded trucks throughout the year . With a storage capacity of just 5,000 tons , turnover in Laurel must be quick and accurate , and that background in inventory management now comes in handy every day .
“ Jeff Stine is a huge help to me , working through projections and strategic planning ,” says Eric .