A: "The family environment. It was important to me when my kids were still at home to be able to go to school programs or not feel like my job was in jeopardy if I needed to be home with them when they were sick. Also, even though we are an oil field company, we do not have that type of environment here. When the company was started, it was a faith-based company. I believe that was the main reason. There are not very many companies that stood for what we did."
40 Years and Counting: Celebrating KLINGER GPI's Financial Manager
By KLINGER GPI | 6/27/2024
From part-time filing to Financial Manager, KLINGER GPI celebrates Debbie Lindbloom for 40 years (and counting) of exceptional service and dedication.
Debbie Lindbloom's decades of knowledge and experience are invaluable to KLINGER GPI's past, present and future success. Her lifetime career of hard work and team-oriented mindset are foundations of KLINGER GPI's culture.
How it started
In the summer of 1983 in Borger, Texas, Debbie began at KLINGER GPI, formerly named Gasket & Packings, Inc., filing a few hours a week. She began to help out with customer service in a part-time role for a couple of years. This turned into a full-time position with added responsibilities of overseeing the bookkeeping. As the company was rapidly growing, Debbie and her close friend and coworker, Karen Felker, started to wear many hats as there were only a small handful of employees at the time. "At one time, Karen and I did all of the purchasing, inventory and customer service. We were a two woman band. When a customer came in, we would go to the warehouse and pull what they needed and then typed out the invoice. No computers at the time, just memory," Debbie remembers. "I even cut and stamped out a few gaskets when needed."
How it's going
Throughout the years, KLINGER GPI expanded in West Texas with added locations in Amarillo, Lubbock and Odessa, Texas. During this time, Debbie was put over the customer service and accounting departments. She was hiring and training new staff in all locations as well as managing the day-to-day of both departments. Along with this, Debbie was also doing the financials for the company. This eventually led to her current role as KLINGER GPI's Financial Manager. With the KLINGER Group acquisition of Gasket & Packings, Inc. in January 2020, and the 2023 merger with KLINGER's gasket manufacturer in Houston, Texas, Debbie's role as Financial Manager has grown ever more important.
We asked Debbie a couple of questions to get an understanding of where her loyalty and long-tenure comes from.
Q: What has kept you with KLINGER GPI for over 40 years?
Q: What makes the workplace so special for you?
A: "It is a team-based environment. I like the way we set goals for our company. It takes every department working together to make the goals; working towards that goal and knowing when we do the job that needs to be done there are rewards. Also, again, the family-based environment. It's important to be at work and not take advantage of the freedom we have to work around family issues, but not stressing over taking care of family needs."
Because of Debbie's extensive knowledge in many departments, she remains the top administrative expert at KLINGER GPI. Her commitment to the company's goals and team-first mindset is still a priority in her work today. Although it is doubtful that Debbie will work for another 40 years, KLINGER GPI is grateful for her valuable work-ethic, expertise and leadership.
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