It’s a long way from Poland to Passaic, New Jersey. And yet you’d never know it by talking to Krystian Kolano, a guy who’s perfectly at ease in a job he clearly loves at the busy Ethan Allen manufacturing facility just across the river from New York City.
Krystian’s journey to America began at age 14 when he moved with his parents and younger brother from their home in Wilcza Wola, a village in southeastern Poland. They settled in Garfield, New Jersey, and while it was worlds away, Krystian found his niche. He made friends, played soccer, and attended high school (where he met his future wife, Agnieszka, whom he married in July). He graduated from Bergen Community College with a degree in accounting, and worked for a moving company until an Ethan Allen help-wanted ad caught his eye.
He was hired as an operations assistant at the Passaic plant in 2012, dividing his time between receiving and the back office. Krystian was a quick study, but it was a combination of hard work and serendipity that cleared an early path to a supervisory role.
After only seven months on the job, Krystian was called on to fill in for one supervisor and then another—both of whom were out on leave at the same time. “I was taking care of my job, and they asked me pitch in for the others,” he remembers. He didn’t hesitate. The new hire put his head down, got the job done—and was rewarded with a promotion soon afterward.
At 27, Krystian is now an Operations Supervisor who successfully oversees manufacturing and distribution—all with a great attitude, according to his boss, plant manager Mike Caffrey. “Each day is different,” says Krystian, and every day brings with it new challenges. The Passaic facility is unique in that it houses Ethan Allen’s custom artwork and framing operation; it’s there that artisans handcraft custom frames and embellish our paintings, prints, photographs, and three-dimensional works of art.
Krystian is tasked with monitoring goods—from raw materials to finished products—from the loading dock into the appropriate production department, and then back out to shipping. It’s a complex job that requires efficiency and strong leadership skills (he has 16 reports). A firm believer in process and organization, he says if he’s learned one thing working at Ethan Allen, it’s “Follow procedures, and things will get done!”
