Get to Know Matt Amick, XY’s Procurement and Logistics Manager!
We spend a lot of time talking about what’s going on behind the scenes as we’re developing the tech that drives XYO. We don’t spend nearly as much time talking about the physical logistics of the business — how we get Sentinels and Bridges from San Diego into your hands. That’s where Matt Amick, our Procurement and Logistics Manager, and his team come in.
Matt joined the team in October of 2018. In six short months, he’s coordinated some MAJOR changes in our operations. When he started, all of our Geomining Kits were assembled in and shipped out of the back of our second-floor offices in downtown San Diego. Now he’s running a 6,820 square foot warehouse and the team’s shipping out up to 2,000 orders in a single day!
I had the chance to sit down with Matt and learn a little bit more about him.
What do you do at the company?
I’m the Procurement and Logistics Manager — I head up our entire warehouse facility. We’ve got a team of twelve working full-time to get everything we sell out the door to our customers. A lot of my focus right now is on optimization, working on continuously improving our processes as we grow and trying to improve our costs on things like shipping and packaging while maintaining or improving the quality.
What is an average day for you (if there is one)?
We just moved into the warehouse space a few weeks ago, so my average day has changed quite a bit. I’m less involved in the hands-on aspects of shipping things out now, and I’m more focused on procurement and operations. When I get the chance, though, I’m still in there printing out shipping labels and packing things up.
How did you get into your position — what was your route to becoming who you are at the company?
I knew Jon, XY’s Head of Talent, and he reached out to me directly. I spent the last few years working for Sprouts, an organic grocery store chain. I ran the team that helped open new stores across the country — my team and I would go to stores that were about to open and train the new receiving team on how Sprouts’ operations worked. It was a great position, but I was ready for new challenges, so when Jon gave me a call I jumped at the opportunity.
What’s surprised you most about working at XY?
The culture here is the biggest surprise. Everyone here is passionate about what they do, and there’s an amazing amount of freedom — there’s no micro-management and there’s no one here who needs it. Nobody on the team is here just for the paycheck, and everyone is incredibly driven and competent. I think that makes me work even harder — when you know everyone is giving their best, you want to give your best too.
Anything else that’s been unexpected?
Moving into the warehouse has been amazing. When we were shipping out of the offices, we had to make use of the available space and shelving. Now that we have a dedicated space, everything is so much more organized!
With Matt at the helm of our brand new warehouse, we’ve got everything in place to keep growing at a record pace. Next week, we’ll share all the details on the new facility!
