Hey all! My name is Dan Perlinger, and I am the Operations Team Lead for Creative Memories.
I joined the company in March 1995 and my first duties were picking and packing orders in the shipping department on 2nd shift. Being raised on a farm in rural Minnesota, it was easier work than picking rock or baling hay and the hours fit perfectly into my class schedule at Saint Cloud State University. After 2 ½ months we added a 3rd shift in shipping and I was approached to be a Team Lead responsible for training the new staff. “Sure, I’ll do it!” The Spring Semester had just ended, so I gladly accepted the position until classes resumed in the fall. I was majoring in Operations Management and CM seemed like a great place to work until I completed college. Before I knew what was happening, three years had passed and I advanced three more times in the shipping department. At that point, the light bulb went on that CM was a great match for what I wanted in a future career.
In 1999 I graduated from SCSU while Creative Memories continued growing exponentially each year. Many employees grew right along with CM accepting the challenges, learning new skills, and gaining advancement opportunities along the way. The years, Showcase Marketplaces, system implementations, company adaptations, and employee faces continued to fly by.
I was honored in 2014 when asked to join the employees responsible for bringing in the new Creative Memories and looked forward to the challenge. I am privileged to be a part of the Operations Team which consists of just 11 members with diverse personalities, communication styles, and skill sets. Our biggest task involved moving and setting up all the product manufacturing equipment, warehouse racking, inventory, and building a pick to light distribution system in a new facility. November was the target CM launch, so we had only a matter of months to accomplish these goals. Impossible you think? Ha! Not with this team! Although communication may have become “colorful” at times, those diverse personalities took the challenge head on and let their skills shine through. It was felt throughout the facility when Operations built and shipped their first albums that November hitting the intended CM launch date.
As we march forward continuing our mission to provide quality products in an accurate and timely manner, we challenge each other to improve internal processes and also our team. Each member came on board with specific areas of expertise that we continue sharing to make us stronger as a whole. I am proud to be a part of such a great team and an exciting company!
Outside of work I strive to put “Mr. Serious” away and find ways to relax. I am a 10 year WBT member at Old Chicago and recently completed my 50th World Tour. Being a huge sports fan, it is a perfect environment to watch the game or swing by after work and talk to the locals. We schedule many fun events during the year such as a charity golf tournament, group buses to catch Vikings, Twins, and Wild games along with a smaller group visiting Vikings Training Camp in Mankato.
The favorite place for me to relax is at the land that my family still owns from when we used to farm. Now it’s used for recreation rather than work with awesome trails cut throughout the property for 4-wheeling or just going on a nature walk to take photos.
Mom and I celebrate Mother’s Day weekend there and I also invite friends out several times a year including our Annual Snowshoeing Weekend that my 71-year-old Mother still participates in!
If you made it this far, congratulations and thanks for reading my rant! Ha, ha, ha! Here’s to a bright future!
