Providing support from behind the scenes is what the warehousing industry is all about, and as Claire Fripp, owner and president of Fripp Warehousing, will tell you, the work that warehousing companies do is essential to parts of our everyday lives that we take for granted.
“When we first opened our warehouse in Kelowna in 1996, the global market wasn’t what it is today,” explains Claire. “But today, people in the Okanagan are used to receiving products quickly. Shipping times for businesses and consumers would be a lot slower if warehousing companies like us weren’t around.”
Fripp Warehousing offers a large breadth of services. On a basic level, they store and distribute dry, cooled, and frozen goods on behalf of local, national and international companies.
They are essentially the middle, unseen step between ordering and receiving product—one that Claire wishes more people knew about, especially in terms of its potential as a career path.
Women, Claire says, are even less likely to see themselves in the industry.
“Warehousing and distribution is definitely seen as a male profession, but it’s a great career path for women,” says Claire. “I’m glad that my daughters were able to gain experience in the industry as they were growing up.”
Claire and her family actually reside in Montreal, and her regular commute to Kelowna meant her four children spent a lot of time in the Okanagan working at Fripp during school breaks. Claire’s oldest daughter, Jennifer, now lives in Kelowna and works at the warehouse.
Like Fripp Warehousing quietly helps uphold the supply chain, they also quietly support the community by giving back in little ways that make a big difference. Fripp Warehousing has been sponsoring Westside Soccer for 25 years, in addition to several other youth sports teams.
“My kids always played team sports growing up so I know how something small like a sponsor paying for a trip or new jerseys can make a huge impact,” Claire explains.
Fripp Warehousing is also home to the beautiful 200 ft long Kelowna History Mural, on the warehouse’s Crowley Ave. exterior wall, painted by Kelowna artist Eric Blais along with contest winners from the Kelowna Minor Hockey League.
While the work she does may not be well-known, Claire truly loves what she does both in the warehouse and in the community.
“Warehousing plays into a love of problem solving and creative solutions knowing that each product, while perhaps not unique, is being distributed by you for vastly different clients,” she says. “If you’re a woman who loves logistics and is interested in how the supply chain works, I’d encourage you to think about warehousing and distribution as a career.”
Claire encourages those interested in this career path to look into the Bachelor of Administration (Management Specialty) program at Okanagan College.
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This article was originally published in the inaugural edition of I Am Woman, a magazine celebrating female leadership in the Okanagan. Read more stories of exceptional local women.
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