Learning with Leaming

Story by Adam Leaming , Ponca City Public Schools/Contributing Writer

irst of all, it feels good to be back with you, the readers! I have missed writing and sharing my thoughts with you, and I have been greatly touched that my absence was even noted! I sincerely appreciate the kind words, notes of encouragement and the fondness of the PC monthly community to encourage me to get back on the saddle and write again.

As you’ve been informed, I’ve undergone a slight career shift where I found myself pivoting from higher education back to my first love, K-12 education. It’s a new role in an all too familiar organization, the Ponca City Public Schools. I don’t know if many people know, it was here with this same organization that I found a passion and elected to pursue education as a career.

Fast forward 19 years, many different positions, and I have now returned but at a more central administrator role with our beloved local school system.

I get asked daily, “How are you liking the new job, Adam?” I typically say, “I’m loving it,” or “it’s been an incredible learning experience!”

But, the bottom line with this new position is it is a big task with a steep learning curve. New processes, new laws, thousands of students and adults, there are a number of continually moving pieces. I went from knowing the ins and outs of my day to day and could even look to the future with a feeling of certainty on how to plan and adjust. Today, I’m lucky to remember the password to even log into my computer. It’s been quite humbling to say the least; answering the 100th question of the day with an, “I don’t know, let me get back with you on that.”

As you can imagine trying to keep track with it all can be quite overwhelming at times. But, a few lessons I’ve learned over the course of my career and reflecting on these instances has given me a new perspective on worry, concern, fear and anxiety, as I ask myself, “What can I control right now?”

A few of the things I’ve personally found helpful when dealing with change and feelings of being overwhelmed is one, I can be honest. Even when I don’t know what’s happening or the answer to a question, I can be forthright. I don’t need to respond with statements alluding that I have a vague understanding, nor do I need to make excuses for my lack of knowledge. I answer truthfully and get to the point.

There are so many things we can control and many I’ve found we can’t control. When I feel like it’s getting too crazy around me, taking a step back reassessing what I can control and consciously setting my intention has helped calm those feelings of being overwhelmed. Thank you Ponca City Monthly for reading my first column in this new role, I’m so happy to be back with you! I can’t wait until next month, or you can keep up with me on Twitter! @adamleaming

Veronica Tarver, a Cookshack employee, is welding a door to be placed on a residential smoker. Tarver is the only female welder working for the company at this time.

“In 2002, we partnered up with a guy out of Kansas City who manufactured a pellet smoker,” Powell said. “We became the first manufacturer of commercial pellet fire smokers in the U.S. Those are marketed under Fast Eddy’s by Cookshack.”

The biggest customer for commercial smokers is Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, a chain restaurant out of Dallas.

“We have some big names out there in the barbecue world using us,” Powell said.

When describing the manufacturing process of the smokers, Powell said he likes to refer to Cookshack as a glorified sheet metal shop.

“We buy stainless steel,” he said. “We just recently purchased a laser cutter, so we now cut that in a laser. It goes to a press brake, and it’s bent. We take pieces of stainless steel, take them into a welding station and weld those up into a box so that it can be a smoker. Most of our products are two-walled, so they have a piece of insulation between the two walls to hold the heat inside of them. Then they go to an assembly area where electrical parts are put together, whether that’s a heating element, control or thermostat. Then into the box and out the door.”

Depending on the size and amount of meat the machine can hold, most cookshack smokers take anywhere from 3-36 hours to assemble. Cookshack will build about 600700 commercial smokers and approximately 4,000 residential units in 2021.

There are many different brands and types of smokers in the industry now. But, according to Powell, what makes Cookshack smokers stand out above the rest is the simplicity and longevity of the machine.

“Probably what makes us different than the rest is the fact that we’ve kept it simple, and we’ve kept it high-quality and long durability,” Powell said. “Most of our competitors build something that falls apart in a few years. We build a product that’s going to last you a lifetime.” The easy use and maintenance of Cookshack smokers are what continues to attract customers, new and returning, to this product.

“Our best salesperson is your neighbor that has one of our smokers,” said Powell. “Easy is what makes a great product. It takes all the guesswork out of it.”

Cookshack smokers can be bought in different ways depending on the type of machine you’re purchasing. For example, if buying for a restaurant, you will go through a dealer who sells restaurant equipment.

“That segment of our business we sell strictly through our restaurant equipment dealers throughout the whole world,” Powell said. “We ship stuff to Europe, Australia and the Pacific Rim all the time.”

There aren’t any in-person retailers selling Cookshack residential smokers at the moment. However, the smokers can be bought online at Cookshack.com or through other big barbecue websites, including bbqguys.com.

Cookshack has been a part of the Ponca City community for over 50 years and will continue to serve the area for years to come. If you’re ever in need or want a smoker, pellet grill or pizza oven, visit Cookshack’s website to find out more information.

Cookshack offers 7 different residential smokers and grills. The SM025 Smokette Elite heats up between 140℉-300℉ and will hold up to 25 pounds of meat at a time.

The deck in Cookshack’s newer facility on Sykes Boulevard has a phenomenal view. Company CEO Stuart Powell one day hopes to have an office here.