Meet Diane Gutierrez, field coordinator for West Pak Avocado. Initially, Diane was one of the smiling faces you’d see at reception if you visited our Murrieta, California headquarters. Today, she handles packouts in the field department to ensure growers get paid accurately for the fruits of their labor.
How long have you been in your current position?
Diane: I started at West Pak as a receptionist a little over a year ago. After several months I moved to the field coordinator position.
What are your current responsibilities?
Diane: My primary responsibility is ensuring packouts are accurately prepared and sent out, as they are crucial in determining the payment the grower will receive for their avocados.
What is a packout?
Diane: After harvesting a grower’s avocados and receiving the fruit at our packing facility, we create a packout for the grower. This document details everything about the bins of fruit the trucks bring in. Once the avocados are carefully weighed, graded, and sent for packing, the correct grower payment amount is determined based on current market value. This information is crucial in confirming the price for the grower and ensuring they are paid accurately.
What is your role in the packout process?
Diane: I receive the packout papers from the tower (our operations center) and calculate the amounts to ensure their accuracy, considering factors such as tares, gross, and net. I adjust the amounts through Famous (grower accounting software) if any discrepancies are found. This process can take up a significant portion of my day, as it involves entering data, auditing, and scanning.
I also send the pickup sheet to Supply Chain around 11:00 a.m. each day so the department has an accurate count of our current supply.
What is a typical workday like for you?
Diane: During the busy season, I mainly do data entry. Now that the season is over, if I don’t have as much to do, I ask my former supervisor in the Finance department if he needs any help with anything. I have experience with bank coding and auditing, freight invoices, purchase matching, and sending out checks as needed.
How does your finance experience help you in your current role?
Diane: That’s actually what helped me get into the position I’m in now.
What do you consider to be the best part of what you do?
Diane: That I am constantly learning. I have a lot of learning to do, and that’s what West Pak is providing for me. They’re continually teaching and showing me new things. I feel valued and appreciated in this position.
What strengths do you bring to your current job?
Diane: I’m very focused. Once I’m into something, I’m very into it. That’s a good thing and a bad thing because when I’m super-focused, sometimes I don’t really look at the time, and I’m like, “Shoot, it’s already time for me to go home.”
I’m also a multitasker. Whenever I’m doing something, and they’re like, “Hey, can you do this other thing for me real quick?” It could be auditing or something, and I’m like, “Yeah, of course, let me put this aside for you right now.” Sometimes, I can do both things at the same time. I prioritize what they give me; if they tell me they need it right away, I do that.
What’s the most challenging part of what you do?
Diane: Keeping up sometimes. It can get pretty busy. At first it was a little more of a challenge for me, but now I know what I’m doing.
What’s your favorite thing about working with West Pak?
Diane: This is probably the best job I’ve had. They gave you the best opportunities they can. I started off as the receptionist, and they asked me, “Hey, would you like to join the field department?” That’s what I love about it – they gave me the opportunity, and I took it. Other companies don’t really give you that opportunity within months of just being there.
West Pak also really appreciates all its employees. They have helped me out a lot, teaching me and helping me learn new things. I’m so thankful I was able to come to this company.
Tell us more about yourself. Are you from the Murrieta/Temecula Valley area where West Pak is located?
Diane: I’m actually from San Bernardino. I moved out to Hesperia when I was eighteen, and it’s been about a year and a half since I moved to Paris.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Diane: I like to go for walks and to parks. I honestly like being outdoors. I prefer being outdoors to indoors. I don’t really hike much, but I enjoy it when I do.
Do you like avocados? If so, what’s your favorite recipe or way to eat them?
Diane: I like avocados, but I don’t know any recipes for them. I eat them with salt and pepper, add them to my sandwiches, and make guacamole for my tacos.
