Warehouse Associate / Part-Time

Warehouse Associate / Part-Time

As a warehouse employee at Upper Lakes Foods, your day starts around 1:00 PM and continues until the work is completed. Each day can be a little different depending on the company's workload and business needs.

Your main responsibility is to help make sure customers receive the products they ordered. You will work with trucks, pallets, carts, and warehouse equipment to move products throughout the facility and prepare orders for delivery.

A major part of the job is building customer orders. You will receive load tickets that tell you which products need to be picked and where they need to go. Using equipment such as a powered pallet jack, you will locate products, move them safely, and organize them onto pallets. The goal is to build accurate orders while working efficiently and safely. You may also operate a forklift or other powered equipment used throughout the warehouse. Properly operating this equipment is an important part of keeping both employees and products safe.

This is an active job where you will spend much of your shift standing and walking. You will frequently bend, kneel, crouch, reach overhead, push, pull, and lift products. You should be comfortable regularly lifting and moving up to 50 pounds, with occasional lifting or moving of items weighing more than 60 pounds. Because warehouse work is physical, being able to stay active and maintain a steady pace throughout the shift is important.

Upper Lakes Foods handles food products, so the warehouse environment can include freezers, coolers, and dry storage areas. You may spend long periods working in extremely cold conditions. The workplace can also be noisy and may contain moving mechanical equipment, so paying attention to your surroundings and following safety procedures is essential.

A clean and organized warehouse helps everyone do their job safely. Employees are expected to keep their work areas neat, dispose of materials properly, and follow the company's safety and sanitation requirements. If you notice a shortage of products or supplies, you may also be responsible for restocking and replenishing them. Safety isn't just a rule at Upper Lakes Foods. Employees are expected to operate equipment responsibly, follow company and regulatory requirements, and make decisions that protect themselves, their coworkers, the products, and the facility.

Although this is primarily a hands-on warehouse position, there is also some computer work involved. Employees use the warehouse computer system to receive and process incoming and outgoing orders. Accuracy is important because the information entered into the system helps keep products and shipments organized.

Warehouse operations depend on everyone working together. Employees are expected to maintain good working relationships with coworkers, management, the company, and the surrounding community. Upper Lakes Foods places a strong emphasis on teamwork, respect, integrity, and communication. Everyone plays a part in making sure orders are prepared correctly and customers receive good service.

The company values people who show up, work hard, and maintain a positive attitude. Their core values include:

Strong Work Ethic

They believe in hard work, perseverance, and consistency.

Positive Attitude

They want employees who are flexible, cooperative, and willing to work toward successful outcomes.

Integrity

Honesty and doing the right thing are important parts of the workplace.

Teamwork

Employees work together to maintain quality, safety, and good customer service.

Professional Appearance

Employees are expected to maintain good hygiene and a clean, appropriate appearance.

Respectful Interaction

The company strives to provide a workplace where employees are treated fairly and respectfully.

The basic requirements are straightforward. You need a high school diploma or equivalent and approximately 13 months of warehouse experience. Most importantly, you need to be capable of safely performing the physical duties of the job and be willing to work the assigned schedule.

Upper Lakes Foods is an independent wholesale food distributor based in Minnesota. The company operates facilities in Cloquet and Northfield, Minnesota, as well as Janesville, Wisconsin. The company distributes food throughout the Upper Midwest and serves customers such as independent restaurants, schools, assisted living facilities, and foodservice chains. Their overall mission is to create value for their customers, employees, suppliers, and communities by providing quality products, people, and ideas.

At the end of the day, this job is about keeping the warehouse moving. You come in, prepare orders, move products, operate warehouse equipment, restock supplies, maintain a clean and safe work environment, and work with your team to make sure everything gets done correctly. It is a job for someone who doesn't mind physical work, can handle working in cold conditions, follows safety rules, works well with others, and is willing to keep working until the day's orders are finished.