Behind the Scenes

Chris Olson—Armstrong-Clark Company

Published August 2018

Editor’s Note: This column exists to give recognition to a few important individuals who often work out of the limelight but whose contributions are important.

Q What is the name of the company that you are employed by?
A Armstrong-Clark Company

Q What is your name?
A Chris Olson

Q What is your position/job title with the company?
A General Manager

Q How long have you been with the company?
A Six years

Q What are your responsibilities with the company?
A I oversee day-to-day production operations, everything from blending stain batches and filling cans to managing raw materials.

Q What can you tell us about your background?
A I spent 10 years in construction building houses, which included framing, finishing, roofing, and landscaping. After construction, I spent six years in the welding fabrication processes using metal inert gas (MIG), tungsten inert gas (TIG), and stainless fabrication for general building applications.

Q What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
A I have a good crew, which makes things easier. The biggest challenge we face now is addressing growth. Our company is really growing, and we need to keep pace with managing inventory. We are now also managing two facilities for daily production and warehousing, which forces us to constantly review how we do things.

Q What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
A Watching the company grow. There is a lot of excitement at our company. Also, we have a lot of fun working together.

Q Who has influenced you professionally, and how has his/her influence impacted your work?
A Jake Clark, our president. He took me under his wing and gave me a chance a long time ago at a time when I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. He taught me how to stay focused and that if you work hard enough, smart enough, and long enough, you will be rewarded.

Q Who has influenced you personally, and how has his/her influence impacted you?
A My wife Carena has been there through everything by my side and made me who I am today. I am not sure where I would be if it weren’t for her love and support.

Q What advice would you give someone to live by?
A Anything is possible if you work hard and don’t give up.

Q What interests do you have outside of work?
A  Bowling and fishing.