Employee Focus: Oscar Smith
For our 2nd quarter of 2023 Employee spotlight,
we spoke with Oscar Smith. Oscar joined
the Van Mark team in October of last year in the role of Production Lead and
has since proven to be a true asset to VM thanks to his great attitude and positive
work ethic. One of the things Oscar
shared with us is how much he appreciates his work schedule at Van Mark, as it
allows him to have most weekends and evenings free for his own pursuits. He also mentioned how nice it is to be in a
work environment where he feels a strong family atmosphere and one that has
open communication among the staff.
Oscar tells us “Van Mark has put me in a position to better myself by
learning more about leading others and working toward a common goal”.
Oscar also shared his plans for the future with us. He and his wife are working toward owning
their own business and, eventually, relocating to Florida. Their dream is to enter the real estate
market and to own and run a cleaning business.
While we would be sad to lose a great teammate, we know how important it
is to chase our dreams, and we will always support our employees, even when
they elect to pursue other paths.
When asked to look back upon his life so far, Oscar said the
advice he would give to his younger self would be to appreciate your parents
more, understand the value of building your credit score and, to put more
thought into how today’s decisions will affect your future life. When Oscar isn’t hard at work at Van Mark, he
enjoys spending time with his family, taking his 2-year-old son to the
playground, and fishing with his mother.
He is also a former athlete turned-sports fan who played almost every
sport offered throughout his middle school and high school career.
Oscar is a high school graduate who obtained a degree in
heating and cooling back in 2005 but never actually got into the field. He grew up on the east side of Detroit and
spent a year at Michigan State shortly after graduating high school. Oscar, his wife Takara, son Jayce, and bonus
daughter Autumn, currently reside in Livonia.
Lastly, Oscar’s advice to anyone who would like to better themselves is
to not be afraid of change, to accept criticism, and to be selfless and be
honest with yourself and those around you.
