The Latest Addition to the Sneed Team is Sure to Grow Our Product Lines Beyond Belief
At the rate that Sneed is growing, it’s necessary to have an extra pair of eyes on board that can help us determine the next additions to our line of SNEED-JET® and SNEED-PACK equipment. Our team's newest member is Steven Lee, our Product Research and Sourcing Specialist; he’s been in the coding and marking industry for over a decade, so if anyone knows this market like the back of his hand, it’d be him. The road to becoming a product research and sourcing specialist is quite lengthy; thankfully, Steven gave us some behind-the-scenes insights on his 17-year-long journey in the coding and marking industry.
How Did Steven Enter the Coding and Marking Industry?
Like the rest of our team, Steven didn’t start off in coding and marking; in fact, he started as an “Associate Product Manager” for NorthPole Ltd.; NorthPole happens to be the world’s largest manufacturer of camping tents. However, in 2006 Steven joined ANSER Coding Inc., and that’s when he was first introduced to thermal-inkjet technology.
- “I joined ANSER, a Taiwanese company that just so happened to introduce thermal inkjet to the market. That’s the first company I joined in the industry, and thanks to my sales manager position there, I know everything about the industry that I do.”
Steven also goes on to tell us that when he first entered the industry, he didn’t know what kind of printers were being sold or what they looked like; in fact, when printers were first mentioned, he thought they were referring to the everyday desktop printer. Each of us, at some point, has been completely oblivious to this industry and the vital role it plays in our everyday lives, but once we enter the industry, that all changes.
Steven’s Insights on the Coding and Marking Industry
Even though Steven learned about thermal-inkjet technology first, he certainly didn’t limit himself to it. After working at ANSER for a couple of years, Steven was presented with the opportunity to work at InkJet, Inc., and it’s here that he began to learn about other marking technologies like drop-on-demand, continuous inkjet, laser, etc. After working at InkJet, Inc., Steven moved on to work as a Sales Director for Lead Tech Electronic Co., Ltd., which just so happened to be the leading manufacturer of industrial CIJ printers and laser marking machines in Asia.
You can see why we selected Steven for the role of product research and sourcing specialist; if anyone knows this industry like the back of his hand, it’d be him. So, what does a coding and marking expert like Steven have to tell us about the industry that might have gone over our heads?
- “I think that coding and marking is essential to everyday people, especially since everything we eat and buy has a lifetime. Thanks to the information present, we know when food and drinks will expire, but consumers don’t know how that information actually gets there.”
Customers aren’t the only ones who have a lot to learn when it comes to the coding and marking industry; in fact, Steven goes on to tell us that China’s market is currently growing at an exponential rate, making it the optimal setting for coding and marking.
- “The United States opened up to the world 100 years ago, compared to China, which only opened up 30 years ago; this makes the U.S. a material market, and it also means that China is catching up.”
When Steven was telling me about all of this, I was honestly quite surprised: I figured that it would have been the other way around, but he assured me that,
- “While the United States had the opportunity to grow step-by-step, China did not, and at the moment, they’re diving headfirst into growth.”
It’s interesting to have the opportunity to observe another market’s growth as well as a new teammate’s journey within the industry; it’s also a relief to see that most of us started in the industry knowing absolutely nothing. With over a decade of experience in the industry and after having so many other roles, what is it that led Steven to choose Sneed for the next part of his journey?
Why Choose Sneed Coding Solutions?
There’s more to working at Sneed than just thermal-inkjet printers, and that’s made apparent by all of the great relationships that our coworkers have amongst themselves. Believe it or not, before Steven joined the Sneed team, he had already met our CEO, Bryan Sneed, our VP of Sales and Marketing, Ken Mogensen, and our VP of Technical Services, Charles Collins. Steven actually goes on to tell us that he and Bryan became friends back when Bryan was the CEO of InkJet, Inc., but aside from friendship, what is it that led Steven to choose Sneed?
- “I admire Bryan’s success story over the last couple of years because it can be difficult to build a business from scratch in the U.S., but he’s always had great vision thanks to his ability to see the bigger picture.”
There’s no denying that Bryan’s vision has inspired us all, especially with the way that he talks about the future of the company and each of our roles here. Steven also goes on to say,
- “In my past roles, I have had the opportunity to gain experience in distribution development, but I wanted the chance to know more about the coding, marking, and packaging industry, as well as its products and technologies.”
We’re eager to see what Steven has in store for us in terms of helping us find the best products out there to expand our line of SNEED-JET® and SNEED-PACK equipment. With that being said, “Welcome to the Sneed Team, Steven!”
