SARASOTA/BRADENTON, FL – Goodwill Manasota has promoted from within to fill a critical post at the organization: Ron McLaurin has been named director of transportation and logistics. In this role, he will be responsible for overseeing all who pick up and deliver donated goods at homes, businesses, attended donation centers, and Goodwill Good Neighbor Centers; coordinating and transacting salvage sales and zero waste opportunities to maximize revenue and profitability and further Goodwill’s green environment initiatives; and increasing revenue by staying abreast of salvage market prices and ensuring the Logistics Center on Whitfield Industrial Way has sufficient warehouse space.
McLaurin was hired by Goodwill Manasota in 2015 as a store assistant team leader. He was promoted to store manager in March of 2016. His ascent with the organization continued as he was promoted to manager of transportation and salvage in May of 2016; he was named to his new post in April of this year.
“I was astonished while taking my initial ‘river tour’ during my interview at Goodwill; I found the operations aspect to be very impressive for a donated goods business,” McLaurin said. “I especially enjoy the teamwork that is evident at our various locations and the positive things we do for our employees and our local community. It’s important to feel good about your employer’s standing in the community.”
McLaurin graduated, with honors, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida in 1995, later earning his master’s degree in Business Administration in Supply Chain Management from Ashford University in 2010. He worked at Publix Super Markets for 19 years, both at the retail level as a multi-unit department manager and in corporate purchasing in the meat/deli/seafood business units. He served as a technical specialist to both business units working on forecasting models for buyers, and new store design and redesign; he retired from Publix in 2011.
Although he planned to take some time off, he was talked into working at Sweetbay Supermarket as an assistant department manager after just three months (“of floating in the pool,” he laughed) and spent five years with Sweetbay/Winn-Dixie as a meat/seafood manager. However, with the industry’s move to centralized processing, merchandising and detailed production scheduling was no longer needed. That is when he found Goodwill.
“While our goal is always to search as far and wide as we need to find the right person for crucial, specialized positions, we are thrilled when the perfect candidate is already within the Goodwill family,” said Bob Rosinsky, president and CEO of Goodwill Manasota. “Ron’s education and extensive experience with this type of work will help us to maximize revenue, keep things running smoothly, and help us to reduce even further the amount of unwanted goods that ends up in area landfills.”
For more information about Goodwill’s programs and services, call (941) 355-2721 or go to experiencegoodwill.org.
About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that changes lives through the power of work. With the sales of donated goods and philanthropic donations, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment by providing job skills training and employment opportunities. In 2016, Goodwill Manasota served 28,207 people, placed 755 people in jobs and assisted 240 veterans as they reintegrated back into the civilian workforce. Goodwill Manasota’s economic impact back to the community is worth $92.1 million. Goodwill is one of the pioneers of the reduce-reuse-recycle movement and this past year diverted more than 40 million pounds out of the landfill. We accomplish our mission through a network of Good Neighbor Centers in Sarasota, Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto counties and our Mission Development Services (MDS) around North America. Goodwill Manasota is accountable to a local Board of Directors. Goodwill Manasota, in essence, belongs to this community and is not owned by any individual or company. For more information, visit www.experiencegoodwill.org.