San Antonio—O’Krent Floors recently named Jason O’Krent, director of sales, following three years in the field as a sales associate. A new position, special projects coordinator, was created for Laura Reuter, a veteran employee with a 12-year history at the company.
“Jason will be responsible for developing sales growth strategies, procedures and action plans in daily coordination with the director of operations, sales associates and clients,” said Sam O’Krent, president of O’Krent Floors. “Laura will expand database management to include the development and integration of new software technology.”
Employees are at the core of the business, O’Krent added. “It is their dedication and commitment that keeps our company strong—the reason we exist. We are so proud that Jason, a fifth generation in our family business, is helping propel O’Krent’s into its second century of flooring. We are equally proud to create a new position for Laura, who had maintained our company database since 2005. She has a creative, investigative mind and is instrumental in the integration of technology that keeps us at the forefront of our industry.”
As a former sales associate, Jason O’Krent gained perspective working in the field, honed the importance of time management and the nuances of customer satisfaction while juggling family commitments. “I gained valuable insight from other members of the sales force,” he said. “I will continue to solicit their ideas, value their contributions and provide them with the tools they need to be more efficient and effective.”
Reuter began her career at O’Krent Floors in the accounts payable department doing data entry and claims management. In 2010, she assumed database management and maintenance, which she dubs “the heart of the business, because it touches all systems and all departments, it drives and protects the bottom line.”
Reuter will work with the director of sales and operations to maximize the benefits of iPad and Bluetooth technology and implement software to strengthen inventory control as the business grows. “Because of technology, the frontier of flooring is always changing,” she said. “A strong, organized, well-maintained database is the key to propelling new technology. It simplifies the integration process.”