While participating in The Arc Baltimore’s Project SEARCH internship program in 2016, Tavon Jackson interned as a warehouse associate at Carter Machinery, a Caterpillar heavy equipment dealer. His supervisor was thrilled with his performance and offered him a fulltime job in the Parts Distribution Center.

Tavon recalls, “in the beginning, I didn’t think I could do it, but I had trust in myself. I’m good at what I do, and I have the qualities to make sure everything gets done correctly.”

Tavon picks small parts orders, documents his completion, and prepares them for shipping. In his first year there he picked over 16,000 orders with only two minor errors. He also completed his forklift certification. His supervisor describes Tavon as an ideal employee who is efficient, willing to do any assigned task, and a team player in every sense of the word.

Due to his success, Carter Machinery approached Tavon about training all new employees in the warehouse. Now, it is common to see new hires shadowing Tavon and soaking up his knowledge and work ethic as he zips through the warehouse pulling orders and sending them on their way to clients.

Tavon is the dynamic employee that all businesses strive to hire.