Alsum Companies is looking for a Merchandiser for our Aurora, Bloomingdale, and Carpentersville, IL retail locations. You would support the marketing and promotion of our food products at various retail locations. Often this involves preparing an in-store display that showcases our products, communicating with clients, fulfilling product order, and rotating product to give our customers the freshest produce available.

A Day in the Life of an Alsum Farms & Produce Merchandiser

As a Merchandiser, you go into each day ready to provide excellent customer service to stores and store personnel with professionalism, integrity, and decorum. You will develop an intimate understanding of Alsum standards, client planograms, and merchandising programs. Part of your day will consist of rotating product as required by the manufacturer and complete freshness checks. Safety is important, so all tasks must comply with safety standards of Alsum and the client while working in their stores. You will also prepare the store for tours, meetings, and other events as required.

Job Details

Job Type: Full-time

Job Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

Salary: $18.00-$20.00 per hour

Work Location: Aurora, Bloomingdale, and Carpentersville, IL

Travel Requirements: 25% – travelling between stores (company vehicle provided for travel)

Requirements

You may be perfect for this Merchandiser position if you:

• Are passionate about the execution of an operational task at retail stores
• Have strong communications skills and analytical ability
• Have a positive attitude
• Are a self-starter and motivated
• Understand the developing relationships with customers
• Have client and customer interface
• Can get results in the marketing of fresh produce commodities in a competitive environment
• Are a team player that contributes actively toward company goals
• Have a valid driver’s license and can drive between retail locations

Most of this job is performed in retail grocery stores. This environment includes but is not limited to store personnel, shoppers, and other merchandising personnel. The temperature will vary from moving product from coolers to the floor (40-75 degrees Fahrenheit). As the Merchandiser, you will spend the remaining portion of this position operating a motor vehicle to multiple retail store locations. Must be aware of and comply with all customer safety policies, procedures, and rules.  Other physical requirements are:

• Must be able to lift 50 pounds at times 
• The ability to move product with a pallet jack, or by cart.
• Various repetitive movements. 
• Good manual dexterity to perform required duties

Alsum Benefits

Alsum Farms & Produce offers its full-time (30 hours or more) employees:

• Employer contributed health plan
• Employer paid life insurance
• Voluntary dental, life, disability, and vision insurance
• Onsite fitness center
• Vacation and holiday pay
• Profit sharing
• 401(k) with company match
• Employee discounts
• Educational assistance program

The Alsum Story

The story began nearly five decades ago in a 600 square foot potato shed, with one man, Glen Alsum, one vision, and a work ethic framed by dedication and service. Today, there are 350,000 square feet of sheds and production space, almost 325 full-time and seasonal employees, and 200,000,000 pounds of potatoes produced annually and that doesn’t include onions, pumpkins and other fresh produce that are distributed to grocery stores and warehouse retailers across the country.

We pack under the Alsum Farms & Produce brand plus many national brands and customer labels. Alsum offers a wide variety of packaging options from 12 ounces up to 50-pound packs; and in poly, mesh, paper or cartons all from one shed. 

And that work ethic? It’s still framed by dedication, a commitment to service, and a belief in providing a field-to-fork, vertically integrated business approach that incorporates growing and harvesting, production, packaging, and distribution, all under the umbrella of unrelenting quality.

As time ticks by, the mission, vision and values haven’t changed, although the generations of leadership have. Since 1981, Larry Alsum has been at the helm of Alsum Farms & Produce, with his daughters, Wendy Alsum-Dykstra and Heidi Alsum-Randall, poised to take over when Larry, who’s been in agriculture his entire life, retires.

Corporate Responsibility

We do business by:

• Conserving and restoring the Wisconsin acreage we are privileged to farm and protecting the surrounding wildlife and ecosystems
• Partnering with growers and suppliers committed to sustainability
• Providing consumers with safe, fresh, quality Wisconsin potatoes, onions, fruits and vegetables
• Ensuring our employees have a safe business environment to work in, one that rewards them for their commitment and encourages them to advance
• Being a company that “pays it forward” — helping others in our community and inspiring others to do the same

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug Free Workplace

Salary Description

$18.00-20.00 per hour depending on experience