FOR Marianas Pacific Distributors Inc.’s Salesperson of the Year 2023, Chris Nunez, rewards and recognition of his effort are the “cherry on top” of a job that he truly enjoys.
“I want to be part of the best salesmen award, but for me the job is [all about] hard work and dedication and making the sales and getting the customers what they need,” he says of the position. “I like the challenge.”
In honor of Labor Day—a time to recognize and honor the contributions of American workers—Marianas Variety spoke to Nunez and 2023 MarPac Employee of the Year Jean Sablan, who both have dedicated years of effort to MarPac, which has been employing CNMI residents for nearly 51 years.
In Sablan’s case, as MarPac’s longest-serving employee, she thanks the management and her colleagues for the recognition. “I am truly proud to be a part of such an amazing team. A heartfelt thank you to everyone.”
Both Sablan and Nunez are enthusiastic to meet the demands of their job, and add that they work in a “family environment.”
“They treat us like a part of this company that we helped grow. We grew together as a family,” Sablan said.
Nunez chimes in that he feels like his higher-ups listen. “They hear us on our ideas and feedback. They take that, and they try to help the employees and staff,” he says.
‘You’re here eight hours of a day. It doesn’t mean you have to sit at your desk and not have fun. The thing I always say to my employees: ‘When you wake up in the morning, you want to feel good about coming to work,’ because if you don’t then there’s something wrong.’
<p style=”text-align: right;”><strong>—MaPac Resident Manager Guy Pudney </strong>
Resident Manager Guy Pudney tells us that he strives to create a healthy work environment that fosters synergy among the employees.
“We’re one big team, but we’re more than a team, we’re a family. That’s what we tell each other here—that we have a big family environment here at work,” he said. “You’re here eight hours of a day. It doesn’t mean you have to sit at your desk and not have fun. The thing I always say to my employees: ‘When you wake up in the morning, you want to feel good about coming to work,’ because if you don’t then there’s something wrong.”
The awards given to Nunez and Sablan are one way that they honor top performers.
But Pudney says the process of being nominated is an honor itself that makes employees feel good.
“Everyone’s that’s nominated, that means they’ve done an excellent job. …Anyone who is nominated means they have caught the eye of their supervisor,” he said.
At MarPac, the Employee of the Year award begins with management. Managers from every department will nominate one staff member who has good attendance, does quality work, is responsible, respectful, dedicated, reliable, and takes initiative with a “great attitude,” Pudney says.
Nominees are placed on a ballot, and the staff of MarPac select their Employee of the Year.
For Salesperson of the Year—or the “Top Gun,” according to MarPac salespeople—the winner should be the person who most surpasses his or her previous year’s sales goal. This person should also have all the same qualities as the Employee of the Year. That is, he or she also needs to have a good attendance record, performs quality work, is responsible, respectful, dedicated, reliable, has initiative, and has a good attitude.
Pudney officiates the final results for both categories.
He says both winners are recognized at the company’s New Year’s party, where they will be given a cash prize, a plaque, and a spot on the MarPac perpetual trophy for Employee of the Year and Salesperson of the Year.
To date, no one has ever been both Salesperson of the Year and Employee of the Year in the same year. Nunez has won both awards, but in different years. He was Employee of the Year in 2012, then Salesperson of the Year for 2017.
Nunez and Sablan say it would be a “surprise” for someone to nab both awards.
Sablan and Nunez say MarPac departments have to work together to move Budweiser and other products out into the community.
“The sales part—we try to get all the products and send them out,” Nunez says. “Then Operations makes sure we have that product prepared and delivered [to] customers.”
“That’s what I mean about MarPac,” Sablan adds. “Even though we’re in different departments, and we have our own goals to meet, we work as a team. As a company, it provides positive reinforcement that the hard work and dedication are valued.”
Jean Sablan, MarPac 2023 Employee of the Year, stands next to Chris Nunez, MarPac 2023 Salesperson of the Year. Sablan and Nunez spoke about how their labor is appreciated at their place of employment. Hanging on the wall behind them are the perpetual plaques that list past winners of the Employee of the Year and Salesperson of the Year.
