Name: Rick Paolella
Title: Military Sales
Hired: 2018
Hobbies: Rick is one of the few people that has a license plate that reads, “My other car is the Batmobile”. Funny thing is that his other car really is the 1966 Batmobile that Rick has used for Make-A-Wish and Autism Awareness. Rick also spends his free time drawing, riding his motorcycle, (along with his wife who has her own bike), and volunteering his time rescuing feral cats. Rick also dabbles with electronics specifically LED Technology. Something he’s been doing since the early 1980s, long before they were popular.
Bio: Hose & Rubber Supply provides a lot of different things for a lot of different people. It serves as a parts supply store for DIY enthusiasts, but it’s also a resource for various businesses and even government entities.
That’s where Rick Paolella comes in.
Rick is in Military Sales for military bases outside the Utah area. When Rick was hired, he brought with him an impressive resume of skills and experience.
“I was in the aviation distribution business serving the “aftermarket” for a company called Seal Dynamics for almost 20 years.” While Paolella was running the government division at Seal Dynamics, he participated in various government-sponsored events including a TKO, (Training – Knowledge – Opportunity) it was at that event that he met a man named Tim Chilcott, who was developing GMS (Government Military Sales) Division of Hose & Rubber Supply.
“He and I were talking during the breaks and stuff, and he said ‘You know, it sounds like you have a pretty well-rounded background on doing business with the government,’” Rick remembered. “Chilcott said ‘We could use a guy like you.’” Shortly thereafter Rick was hired to generate sales for Hose & Rubber Supply’s Government and Military Sales (GMS) profit center.
“Basically, my job is to look for any opportunities I can at the [military] bases throughout the country outside the Utah area,” he said. “My territory is the entire country. I focus primarily right now on Warner Robins Air Force Base and TinkerAir Force Base. I’m working on a partnership with a company out of Atlanta called A.D.A. Supplies, a company that sells to Warner Robins. We’re also working with A.D.A. Supplies as they support the Army in a GCSS program, which stands for Global Command Support Systems.
Rick said one of his favorite aspects of the job is being able to walk onto a base and meet with the military personnel. “It’s an honor to support the warfighters. When you get to go to the base and work with the young men and women in uniform; I can’t describe the feeling. It’s something I just love to do and I’m lucky and honored to be able to be in that position.”
Interacting with men and women in uniform on the military bases, Rick witnesses a quality-driven team and the importance they put on being a tight-knit family that really looks out for each other. Rick said he feels and sees that same type of closeness with the people at Hose & Rubber Supply.
“Everybody works together,” he revealed. “Everybody is willing to help support each other. They’re the kindest people I’ve ever met, working with the team at Hose & Rubber. They’re just incredible people/ There’s no politics, there’s no in-fighting. Everybody just gets along and everybody works together and it’s just a great place to be part of. It’s not a job to me; it’s more like something I’ve just been blessed to be a part of.”
And Hose & Rubber Supply is blessed to have him, as well. When Rick Paolella was hired, he brought with him a wealth of government experience, Paolella is determined, (along with the rest of the team at GMS) to get their division to the next level.
“If you’re looking for quality, honesty, and integrity, this is the place to be,” Rick said. “We stand behind our product and are proud of what we do. We really want to do the right thing, each and every single time, for every single customer.”