Chicago, Illinois

Husam Saleh’s story is quality. Husam was born and raised in the Chicago area. He received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois, and continued his education by earning his Doctorate of Pharmacy from Midwestern University. During pharmacy school, he began working at a company called Corrugated Supplies Company (CSC). 

Husam’s work pertains to quality control and greatly impacted the business. He is responsible for improving overall plant- and company-efficiencies by designing and trialing new processes. On the maintenance side, Husam manages the team and their CMMS process. They track the work being done, strengthen inventory management practices daily, and focus on how they can up-level their overall maintenance strategy.

Husam Saleh, thank you for everything you do. Your willingness to step outside of your comfort zone to help drive the team is amazing!

How did you get started in maintenance?

When I started working at Corrugated Supplies Company (CSC), I was a student and only worked at CSC part time. From the get go, I really enjoyed the job, the people I worked for, and the direction the company was heading. I had 8 years of experience in the retail and hospital pharmacy industries, but slowly began to realize I did not enjoy that field of work enough to stay there for the rest of my career. When it came time for my graduation, I chose to remain here at CSC and am very grateful for that the path they’ve given me.

My role at CSC was under the Quality umbrella, and I never had prior experience in maintenance. Our company decided it was time to adapt a new maintenance program, and I volunteered to lead it. Despite not having formal experience in maintenance, I felt I knew enough about our plants to get the program going. Since I took it back in February, I’ve been able to work with our maintenance crews in new ways and learned so much about their process.

I love what I do because I continue to learn so much more every day. Everything our maintenance team does is all for the betterment of our company. They take care of me, and I do my best to take care of them. I see the vision of where this company wants to be for the future and I want to do my part to get them there.

husam saleh, upkeep, maintenance appreciation

What is one of your proudest achievements?

Outside of my educational achievements, I would say I’m most proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish through setting up this our CMMS program here at CSC. Taking on a new role, working with different departments that I wasn’t before, and being involved with all of our plants was a big challenge. From where the project started to where it is now, I feel is a great accomplishment.

husam saleh, upkeep, maintenance appreciation

What is one thing you wish people knew about your job?

The amount of work that goes into a plant’s maintenance program on a day-to-day basis is huge. Since I work between departments, and since my role in Quality is involved with so much within the company, I practically work around the clock. We have five, going on six plants, so there’s always more to do!

Thank you, Husam!

Husam was also a winner of the Biggest Impact Award in the 2019 UpKeep Awards. Learn more about his win here!