Jake R. : The Sky’s the Limit

Jake R., a volunteer firefighter, discovered Kimberly-Clark through a job in the construction trade, which took him to 10 of its plants around the U.S. Those experiences made him realize that Kimberly-Clark is the place where he wanted to be.

“I fell in love with Kimberly-Clark’s atmosphere and way of life, and took a job at Neenah Cold Spring (Wisconsin, U.S.A.),” Jake says. “Working for Kimberly-Clark has given me a good-paying job where I can be home with my two kids every night and also have room to grow with the organization.”

Jake started more than a year ago as a shift mechanic and soon landed the role of Fire Chief for his background and expertise as a volunteer firefighter and first responder.

He takes pride in being able to upgrade the facility’s fire alarm to one that broadcasts verbal information instead of just loud warning sounds. “It makes it much easier for everyone to hear exactly what is happening and where, as well as what steps to take next,” he points out.

As a friendly and quick-witted guy, Jake is a natural fit for Kimberly-Clark’s famously warm culture.

“For such a big company, Kimberly-Clark really embraces a family feeling,” Jake says. “It doesn’t matter who you are or what your job title is, everyone here is treated with the same respect, and people genuinely care. When someone asks, ‘How’s it going?’ they actually want to know.”

Jake mentions that he instills Kimberly-Clark’s caring mentality into his job.

“The ‘care’ portion of Kimberly-Clark’s Better Care for a Better World isn’t just related to our products,” he notes. “It’s also about helping a coworker by listening to what’s going on in their life, offering advice or being a mentor to them. That’s the care I can control every day.”

Jake is glad that he plays a part in helping hundreds of colleagues feel safe at the plant as well as giving people around the world a better life through Kimberly-Clark products.

“I hope Kimberly-Clark continues to experiment and grow new products that change the world one life at a time and that it never loses that family feeling or drive for safety and quality that it has come to be known for over the last 150 years,” Jake says.

He sees endless opportunity for himself and his associates because Kimberly-Clark offers a multitude of different career paths. “The sky is the limit,” affirms Jake.