Culture
- 02/22/2018
- 1 Min Read
- By: Rob DiCola
Why I Work At FCP Euro - Rob DiCola, Fulfillment Manager
Hear from our employees as to why they chose FCP Euro. Rob DiCola, our purchasing manager, explains his story:
Why FCP Euro
I was just 22 or 23-years old, managing my local gym. I rose through the ranks and still had more room to financially grow if I decided to stay with the company. I was paid enough to buy a house, pay my bills, and put money aside every month. I worked in an environment where I was respected by the staff members, upper management, and the members who worked out there. Yet, I wasn't satisfied. The days felt like they became longer and longer, and my personal development seemed to be at a standstill. Despite the success the gym was having, and the goals we were crushing, I was anything but fulfilled.
I recall the first day I met the CEO of FCP Euro. He always stood out as a member as one day he would come in wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and another day wearing a shirt and tie. His schedule was consistent, and I started identifying him as a frequent member of the gym (one you see numerous times a week). One day, I asked him what he did for work. He gave me the 60-second elevator pitch, and for whatever reason, I was super interested. We exchanged emails, and before I knew it, I toured FCP Euro and connected with Scott and other team members some more over lunch.
As someone who wasn't familiar with the industry or the company, I was a bit nervous to jump ship and join this organization. I also believe FCP Euro was a bit nervous, as they are very keen on hiring the right people who compliment and excel the culture of the company.
For this reason, we both decided before moving forward with any career decisions, I'd work on a project for the team. This allowed me a great opportunity to acclimate myself with the company, some real life problems they face, and my opportunity to present solutions on how I would handle these problems.
I spent a handful of months working on this project part time. Managing the gym was pretty demanding, a lot of long hours and on call 24/7. But I was off on Fridays, and spent my Fridays working with some staff members at FCP Euro going over this project.
The first time I toured the facility, I was in awe of how beautiful it was. The offices are glass, the conference room doesn't have ceilings, everything is open. The 7 core values are displayed in big blue letters right there on the wall. I could feel the passion in the air, not only for cars, but for employees. I was hooked to this feeling the moment I walked through the doors, and to this very day, this feeling is still alive and well!
As I spent more time in the facility, emailing staff members and working with them during a few Fridays over the summer months, something became quite clear. The staff members genuinely loved working with FCP Euro. Sure, every staff member from time to time will feel like they are overwhelmed or face a challenge, but the challenges are embraced as you want to solve the problem here. Everyone finds the work we do incredibly interesting and fulfilling. More importantly, we are treated very well internally. I did a self-reflection and realized I did not love what I was doing at the gym, the work was not fulfilling, nor did the staff members have the same gratifying feeling with the work they were doing. It was a good job for a handful of years, but you eventually hit the wall of 'whats next' and 'where is all of this leading to'.
In today's world, most businesses are looking at ways to cut corners, provide less to customers and employees but paint a fictitious picture as if they are great. At FCP Euro, we all live by a simple philosophy. Though this isn't displayed in big blue letters on the wall, it is in all of our minds and hearts, and why we show up everyday... "do what is right." These words apply to how we treat each other internally, and for how we treat our customers. Our intention behind every interaction is to exceed our customers needs, and always do what is right.
This is what pulled me to FCP EURO, and why I am very proud to call this company home.
