Beresford facility is top-rated, five-star hub for distribution company
Riva Sharples | Editor
Thirty-five employees at K & M Tire in Beresford recently enjoyed an “On the Road” event hosted by officials from the company’s headquarters, who came to Beresford to spend time with local employees and to check out the facility once again.
The Beresford K & M facility is a hub warehouse, housing and moving more than 65,000 tires regularly through the site. With a footprint that spans across South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming and into Wisconsin and Montana, Beresford’s K & M building is one of the largest and most important hubs in the K & M Family.
The company has more than 40 locations across the United States and 1,100 employees nationwide but still prides itself on being a family-oriented business that cares about each employee.
“One of the things I like about this company is the family values,” said Paul Gerken, Beresford Hub Manager. “The main office is really focused on knowing all of us. They started these ‘On the Road’ events a few years ago so they could visit all of their locations. Through these ‘On the Road’ events, they have a chance to interact with employees at their different locations with a meal, some games, and some friendly competition.”
Visiting Beresford’s facility for the local ‘On the Road’ event were nine leaders from the company’s headquarters in Ohio, including Cheryl Gossard, President of K & M Tire; Brian Gossard, Director of Operation Engagement; Matt McLuckey, VP of Operations; Tod Sturgeon, OPs Project Manager; and Stacy Lee, HR Coordinator, alongside several others.
During the visit, the officials donned aprons and grilled for the employees while playing cornhole and other games with them. Employees also had fun engaging in tire-related competitions. In a competition among K & M’s Beresford drivers, Rob Bourne took the Driver prize, while in the competition between warehouse employees, James Berghorst won the “Tire Hound” award.
“This event shows appreciation, boosts morale, strengthens our loyalty, and supports our company values,” explained Ben Mauch, VP of Human Resources for the company.
While visiting Beresford, those from headquarters were impressed with the condition and efficiency of the facility. It is ranked as a five-star facility within the company, thanks to its cleanliness, organization, and productivity. Through two crews of workers, the facility moves thousands of tires each day. The first shift unloads and organizes the tires that arrive each night by semi-truck. The second shift then comes in to fill orders and load the trucks that leave the facility each day to deliver tires to customers or to satellite K & M locations, all with an impressive one-day turnaround time.
Beresford’s K & M distribution center has been in operation since 2019. In addition to employing more than 35 people from the area, a majority of them from Beresford, Centerville, and Alcester, the company also contributes to the community in other ways, including maintaining Larson Cemetery and helping to sponsor community events, like the recent D.A.D.’s Auto Repair Show & Shine.