Hickman County Leadership class observes local commerce

(Editor’s Note: The following was submitted by Hickman County High School students Halle Spillman, Levi Frizzell, Will Clark and Alyssa Fuller)

On a cold brisk afternoon, the Hickman County Chamber Of Commerce Leadership Group went on their Business and Commerce Theme Day field trip recently. First they traveled to First Community Bank. Then they visited Peerless Premier Stove and Oven Factory. Lastly, they toured the Hickman County Post Office.

At the First Community Bank, the group met Courtney Morris, the Human Resource Director. Morris taught the students about the job opportunities available at the bank. Some jobs they learned about were Teller, Credit Analysis, Mortgage Lender, Human Resource Director, Communication Representative, and Loan Officer. Next, she spoke about respect, how to act at work, and what is appropriate to post on social media. The Leadership group also learned about what banks do. Banks are a service business and they identify the financial needs of each individual.

While at Peerless Premier they met the manager, Mr. Vernon, and the maintenance advisor. The company has been in Clinton for 13 years and has 95 current employees. The students went through the factory where employees assemble 400 stoves a day. The stoves come in sizes 20, 24, 30, and 36 inches. The group learned about each step of the stove-making process. Lastly, they met Mrs. Cagle and learned about her step-by-step process in making sure the ovens work correctly.

Lastly, at the Post Office they met the Post Master, Rob Hubbard, and he showed the students behind the scenes of the mail world. He took them on a journey to learn about where mail comes from and the confusion of a mail room. The group was also educated on why it takes so long to receive mail, and the students had a lot of questions. Hubbard gladly answered their questions and gave the group valuable information.

The Hickman County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Group is now well-educated on banking, stove-making, postal services, and business in general. The students highly appreciate all the great men and women who took with time to talk with them about business practices. The students’ next theme day will be Dec. 6. They will be exploring careers in agriculture and natural resources.