Paladin People – Alena Hoyer
Helping Clients from Coast to Coast
Paladin prides itself on its 100% USA-based customer-friendly support. Client Experience Specialist Alena Hoyer is the epitome of that effort.
Alena works closely with her select group of Paladin clients to make sure their stores are running efficiently. It’s a group she eagerly works daily to please.
“I love working with our clients. Everybody I talk to is always super outgoing and friendly. I have a few friendships outside of work with some of them. I can just call and check-in to see how they’re doing. These people are just wonderful to work with!” she explains.
Paladin has clients from coast to coast and Alena sort of turned into the company’s East Coast associate. She was raised in Bend, Oregon, where the company’s customer service is located, but in 2021 moved to Coalmont, Tennessee with her boyfriend Trevor. It was an opportunity to get some land for their animals and to be closer to her mom and Trevor’s parents.
Now, they can fish, ride their side-by-side, quads, or horses – Breeze and Rudy – without leaving home. They’re on 20 acres that features a 2-acre pond. She says her critters which include pooches Dash and Marshmallow, a wolf hybrid that’s creamy-white with a little toasted brown on top, have acclimated well to their new digs surprisingly well.
“The move was a good choice. Tennessee has a lot of rain I didn’t expect. Moving from a dry climate to more humidity was definitely a big change,” she says.
Away from work, Alena admits her life has basically revolved around horses. She was involved in 4-H as a kid and was a good enough equestrian rider at Bend High School to qualify for the state finals more than once. She was also involved in drill team riding and was a member of the Rim Rock Riders, a riding organization in Powell Butte, for many years.
Alena had been with Paladin for over five years before her move to Tennessee. Company management valued her contributions enough to not allow a little thing like 2,300 miles and two time zones stand in the way of her continued good work.
“I like the people and the work environment at Paladin. I wouldn’t change having Charles Owen (Paladin’s chief experience officer) as a boss. He’s great. The fact that they trust me enough to move to Tennessee and keep my job is incredible. It’s funny, Charles says I’m more productive working outside the office than I was working inside it,” she says with a laugh.
Charles says he’s never seen someone who represents the Paladin spirit more than Alena.
“She is an exemplary employee. She is the biggest advocate for her clients and they love her. She’s just a gem to work with,” Charles says.