Managing the new branch at ‘The ‘Ville’
The first thing visitors see when they enter the new MPW Louisville branch is a 25” safety coin that Office Administrator Lori Parrish had made to hang on the wall. “Safety is our focus every day,” she said. “We want everyone to go home safely.”
Parrish is an interior designer as well as an administrator, so when the new MPW branch was opened in January 2022, she worked with the contractor to get it ready. At about that time, MPW was holding training classes at the Hebron campus during Covid and Lori’s husband, Louisville Branch Manager Wayne Parrish, needed a proctor for the classes. Lori stepped up to the plate, which led to her becoming Louisville branch office administrator.
“I would say being an office administrator is mostly clerical and administrative tasks, coordinating appointments and assisting management,” Parrish said. “I’m sure it’s defined by the type of business a person is working for as to what the job description is.”
For Parrish, that job description includes checking work orders and non-billable hours to make sure they are all sent in and getting PMPs ready for invoicing. She keeps schedules up to date, writes POs and submits new hire paperwork. “There are eight different plants that have their own training that we guide the new hires through, along with MPW orientation,” she said. “We do whatever is needed each day to make the process run smoothly.”
Parrish also does all the cleaning of the offices, bathrooms and kitchen, as well as keeping the areas organized and stocked. “I really enjoy the people I work with and the variety of things I get to do,” she said. “I like keeping the office areas neat and welcoming.”
Parrish was familiar with administrative work before becoming a designer and was seeing that the Louisville branch staff was overwhelmed with billing paperwork. “I kept asking how I could help, and it developed from there,” she said. “This position didn’t exist in this location but since the branch has grown, I do think it’s helped.
“The new facility is great,” Parrish said, adding that it’s right next to the interstate for easy access and it has an excellent maintenance area and conference room for classroom training.
Lori and Wayne Parrish have three married children and six grandchildren. “Church and family are our priority. We spend a lot of summertime weekends at the lake on our boat,” she said. “It’s great family time without technology! We also like to spend time with friends going to dinner and other fun outings.”
But there is one question Lori Parrish is often asked. “Just how is it to work so closely with your husband every day?” she said. “My answer is, it’s a good thing I know him so well! But really, we’ve been successful so far!”