Contributed by Jim Naccarini, R.S. Hughes Purchasing Specialist, 44 Years

Starting my Journey at R.S. Hughes

I began working at R.S. Hughes in May 1980, starting part-time while I was still in school. My first role was in the warehouse. Eventually, I transitioned to full-time in Berkeley, California, but by 1986, I became the branch manager in Oakland, a role I held until 1993. After that, I shifted to being an account manager until 2004.

Opening the Maryland Branch

In 2004, I moved to Maryland to help open the branch there. It was just me and one other person when we started. As the manager, I implemented a call-out program, where we would make 20 calls and send 20 mail-outs in an hour. This method proved effective, usually yielding at least one solid lead or order for the outside sales team. This program became a key part of our process for many years.

When we started our call-out program, people at Berkley mentored me on how to structure and run it effectively. In Oakland, we had a similar program, but it wasn’t as extensive as the one we developed. For this program, one person would make calls for an hour, then the next person would take over for the following hour. We followed this daily routine, Monday through Friday, and it became the foundation for how we grew our business in Maryland.

One memorable milestone was when we hit $200,000 in sales in a single month. As an incentive, I promised to shave my mustache if we reached the goal—and we did! I’ve kept it off ever since. Back when we first started, sales were only about $60,000, so hitting that mark was a significant achievement.

Get the Job Done Right Away

If you say you’re going to do something, do it right away. Too many people are affected when you can’t keep a promise in a timely manner. Bob Hughes had a rule that always stuck with me: touch it once. His philosophy was simple—if you start something, finish it. It’s a principle I’ve always tried to follow.