Contributed by Michael Alker, Customer Care Specialist, 10 years   

Few R.S. Hughes employee-owners can say their birth announcement appeared in the Coast to Coastcompany newsletter, and even fewer can claim to be a third-generation member of the R.S. Hughes family. For me, both are true. 

My legacy with R.S. Hughes began with my grandfather, Norman Thomas, who joined the company in 1974 as a Division Sales Manager in Sunnyvale, California. His leadership and expertise helped shape the company’s growth, culminating in his role as Regional Sales Manager for the Pacific Northwest. He played an instrumental part in establishing the Sacramento branch, where I now work. After nearly two decades of service, my grandfather retired in 1993. 

A Family Affair 

By the time I was born in February 1989, both my grandfather and my father, Scott Alker, were part of R.S. Hughes. My dad’s journey began in 1980, shortly after his 17th birthday. His contributions were significant—when Bob McCollum acquired Dayton Distributors in the late ’80s, my dad became the first R.S. Hughes employee to help integrate the Tampa, Florida, branch. Later, he moved to Portland, Oregon, where he worked until his retirement in 2021. 

As a child, my dad would occasionally bring me into the office, where I met his team—some of whom are still with the company today. I remember hearing names like ‘Loctite’ and ‘3M’ before I was even in middle school. He never pressured me to work for R.S. Hughes, but the friendly environment made a lasting impression on me. 

I have vivid memories of sitting in the breakroom reading Star Wars picture books and playing with rubber band balls and office supplies under neat Loctite headlamps that looked like Star Trek spaceships. 

Future Customer Care Specialist Michael Alker is held by his father, former R.S. Hughes employee Scott Alker, as his grandfather, Norman Thomas, also a former R.S. Hughes employee, looks on.

Finding My Way to R.S. Hughes 

Following in their footsteps, I started my own R.S. Hughes journey a decade ago in Portland as a part-time warehouse worker. In 2022, I moved with my dad to Sacramento to be closer to my grandmother and transitioned into a Customer Service Representative role. That led to a promotion to the Order Management Team. Today, I serve the company as a Customer Care Specialist. 

I don’t usually mention that I am a third-generation employee, though if I’m on the phone with a long-time employee, sometimes my dad’s name will come up and we’ll chat about it. As of 2024, my family has been a part of R.S. Hughes for 50 years. 

In a way, you could say I’m living the job I dreamed of as a kid. R.S. Hughes has evolved over the years, but the camaraderie remains strong. That sense of unity is what has kept my family within the R.S. Hughes family for so many years. 

I haven’t met any other third-generation employee-owners, but I have worked with Senior National Account Sales Representative Michelle Biocini, a second-generation employee-owner. My grandfather actually hired Michelle’s father, Pete Biocini, who served as R.S. Hughes’ president for a time. My father hired Vice President of National Accounts Marc Eddings. 

It’s kind of fun to know the impact my family has had on the company. So, I do my best every day to try to bring my best to R.S. Hughes.