Rising to the Challenge: Yaneris Jimenez’s Inspirational Journey at ATR

At one of our busiest facilities located in Birmingham, Alabama—a vibrant Southern city known for its rich history, diverse culture, and thriving arts scene—a remarkable story of dedication, resilience, and unwavering determination unfolds. This story exemplifies the potential for growth and success that lies within each of us, and it centers around a remarkable individual: Yaneris Jimenez.

 

Yaniris Jimenez ATR Employee Spotlight for October 2023Yaneris’ journey with ATR began two years ago when she joined the company as an enthusiastic warehouse associate.   Little did she know that this was just the beginning of a journey that would ultimately provide valuable leadership opportunities within our growing organization.

 

Her career at ATR has been a testament to her unyielding commitment to personal and professional growth. She started in the warehouse, working on deman (scrap disassembly) projects, demonstrating a strong work ethic and attention to detail that quickly caught the eye of her supervisors. With unwavering perseverance, she moved up the ranks, transitioning to inventory management, then to the role of Inventory Lead, and finally, to Warehouse Supervisor.

 

In her current role, Yaneris faces the daily challenges of ensuring her team is processing clients’ assets while adhering to strict R2v3 methodologies. Her optimism is a driving force, as she firmly believes that challenges can be overcome through hard work and teamwork. She approaches her colleagues with warmth and friendliness, always ready to lend a helping hand to those who may be struggling with a task.

 

When asked about what she loves most about working at ATR, Yaneris’ enthusiasm shines through. She enjoys the dynamic nature of her role, from the meticulous organization of inventory to the camaraderie she shares with her coworkers. ATR’s commitment to growth opportunities aligns perfectly with her career aspirations.

 

Yaneris’s impressive journey is not without its share of challenges. One memorable project involved the destruction of over a thousand gaming machines that needed to be processed very quickly as they take up valuable warehouse space. She tackled this colossal task not alone, but as part of a dedicated team, ensuring the job was completed efficiently, promptly and to the clients’ exact specifications.

 

Yaneris Jimenez Employee Spotlight Photo showing ATR associate at home gym.

What makes Yaneris truly exceptional is her unrelenting pursuit of self-improvement. In a surprising and inspiring twist, she opted to learn English and enhance her communication skills, putting herself in a challenging position that ultimately helped her connect more efficiently with her colleagues and supervisors.  When asked about some of her proudest accomplishments, Yaneris admits her inventory skills put her on a short list of associates who enter 400 plus assets per day into our database. These attributes have translated into the remarkable growth opportunities and the beginning of her leadership journey here at ATR.

 

Looking to the future, Yaneris has set ambitious goals for herself, and her long-term goal is to become an entrepreneur, open a gym, and help people improve their lives through a workout routine and better eating habits. She’s already making strides in this direction as an online gym coach, recording her videos at home. What’s truly important to her is making a positive impact on people’s health and well-being.

Her dedication and resilience at work are echoed in her personal life as well, as she enjoys spending her free time with her family, camping, and staying fit through regular workouts. To summarize her journey, Yaneris shares her favorite quote and a piece of advice that has guided her every step of the way: “Keep going because you can do whatever you want to do!” This mantra perfectly encapsulates her relentless pursuit of excellence.

 

Yaneris Jimenez is a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work, dedication, and a belief in one’s own potential. Her optimism, warm-heartedness, and unwavering commitment to her team and ATR have earned her this well-deserved promotion. She is not just a supervisor; she is a true inspiration to us all.

Congratulations, Yaneris, on your remarkable journey at ATR, and here’s to the bright future ahead!

 

 

September 2023, Emily King, Compliance Administrator- Birmingham, AL

Emily King Employee Spotlight – September 2023

Compliance Administrator – Birmingham AL

Photo showing Emily King ATR September 2023 Employee Spotlight RecipientEmily began her journey with ATR on January 30th of 2023  and hasn’t slowed down since day one!  In her role as the site Compliance Administrator, she shares that her position “wears a little bit of a lot of hats, which definitely keeps my day-to-day interesting. From helping onboard new employees, to working on CAPAs (Corrective and Preventive Action) and O&Ts (Objectives and Targets), to the safety meetings, to checking all the small details to prepare for audits…there is always something to do!”

When asked what she likes the most about what we do here at ATR she responded, “having a degree in Environmental Science, recycling at its very core is something that is important to me. The more times we are able to reuse something or to reduce the amount of material, especially hazardous material, going into the landfill is something to be celebrated. “

Her Project Manager describes Emily as “personable, communicative, patient, quick, knowledgeable, and thorough. Even while she is working on something – she is always spinning several plates – she will take the time to answer my questions to the best of her knowledge. More often than not, she can answer my inquiry, but in those rare cases where she is unsure, she knows exactly where to point me, and she never makes anyone with a concern or question feel like a burden, staff and customers alike.”

When asked why Emily deserves this recognition, he went on to say “Emily has been working at ATR for seven months now, and she has had to learn so much more than is asked of most admins, having taken on the logistics coordination role in Birmingham among picking up the compliance role in a whole new industry. She has a love for compliance, often raising hard-hitting concerns for corporate compliance and the company as a whole. When she sees these concerns, she conducts thorough research and compiles it for others to use and shares it with the company to see what she has found. She has coordinated training for several temps during a period when we had new contracted associates every week.  Since Emily started here, her responsibilities were far larger than her job description, but she not only took it in stride, but excelled. She is OSHA30 certified and had been before she began working at ATR, illustrating her dedication and interest in compliance. I highly recommend that Emily be recognized for her attention to detail in everything that she does. “

Emily is very proud of having earned her degree and explains that it was an incredibly difficult journey as her husband had several major surgeries throughout an entire year.  She shared that “many nights were spent with him in the hospital while completing a paper or a group PowerPoint presentation, all while still working. It would’ve been a lot easier and less stressful to have postponed or taken a leave of absence, but she persevered and not only graduated on time but Emily made the Dean’s list every semester and obtained her OSHA 30 certification in the process as well.”

When not at work she loves to spend time with her husband and their friends and families. I also enjoy painting, reading, playing video games, and doing embroidery.

Emily shared that her ultimate goal professionally in life would to be working in conservation/preservation…something to do with animals in a non-profit; that would be the dream.

When asked to share her favorite quote or piece of advice she responded with this; “Vincent van Gogh is someone of great inspiration to me in many areas of life, and I have a small portion of this quote as a tattoo for a daily reminder:

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.”

It reminds me that when you are operating in love and respect for others, both personally and professionally, you can be proud of the things you have accomplished.”

WOW…you really are an inspiration to all of us Emily.  Congratulations on this well-deserving award, not only for the work you’ve done, but for the person you are!

August 2023, Jessica Ehresman, Operations Support Supervisor- Pensacola, FL

Jessica Ehresman our August 2023 Employee Spotlight

Jessica Ehresman ATRs August 2023 Employee Spotlight RecipientJessica began her career with ATR in May of 2014 as a Customer Service Representative.  She is currently the Operations Support Supervisor and continues to develop her team and her leadership skills.  Jess is a very loyal and dedicated employee and is truly invested in the success of both her team and ATR overall.

Raquel Potts, the on-site HR Specialist in Pensacola shared “Jessica is an outstanding employee and is well deserving of this recognition.  She is always one of the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave each evening.  She has run the Customer Service Department (now Operations Support) through some rough times with the relocation and hiring adjustments, but always has a smile on her face.  She is an amazing person and a great asset to the company.”

Even though she would probably never tell you, Jessica is very proud of her personal growth and the opportunity to build and supervise a successful team.  She started at the same level as most everyone else, and has diligently put in the effort to be able to now lead a team.  Her goal is to move into a Manager position and she loves the challenge of pushing herself to grow, lead and work with her team and co-workers, to solve issues as they come and to be a part of the solution.

Her Manager, Ray Magee, states “she is in the process of hiring and developing a team at the Corporate Office in Pensacola that mimic her abilities and work ethics.  She is focused on building a department that works together to bring a high standard of accurate information, reporting and new service to Customers and all ATR sites.

He also shares “Jessica takes full responsibility to ensure that her department meets our customers, ATR departments and all facilities expectations and needs.  She is consistency determined to meet the goals and timelines that are presented to her.  Also, with her willingness and ability to research and learn operations support Specialist tasks and needs, she has acquired a vast amount of knowledge and developed relationships with all departments within ATR”.

He goes on to say “In addition to her responsibilities in Operations Support, Jessica is also the Key Account Manager with ATR’s largest customers and has built strong and sound relationships with their key decision makers.  She has built these relationships by representing herself, and ATR, as knowledgeable and professional, working directly with the clients to ensure their expectations are met.”

When she is not working Jess is somewhat of a homebody, as family is her number one priority.  She does enjoy going out and exploring new places and being outdoors with her family and friends.  Jessica if a very loyal and dedicated wife and mother just like she is as an employee.  Jessica is somewhat shy and very humble, but her smile and her laugh also make her fun and someone you just want to hang out with.

One of Jessica’s favorite quotes is “Knowledge is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  Her advise to all ATR employees is to stay positive and work one day at a time with the future in mind.

Congratulations Jessica on this well-deserved recognition!

July 2023 Employee Spotlight is Jon Millirons, Secure IT Destruction Specialist – Pontiac, IL

Photo showing John Millirons sitting on his Harley Davidson Motorcycle near ATR Trailer.Jon “Big Jon” Millirons has been with ATR since March of 2021.  His career with ATR began at the BDI (off-site) facility working on special projects such as maintenance and working on vehicles.

Jon is now at the Pontiac Steel Building doing Secure IT Destruction.  He really enjoys this job and the responsibilities that go along with it.  His favorite part is receiving and processing some of the equipment we get in from our government.  And although he really enjoys Secure IT Destruction it’s also been his greatest challenge.  He says “learning the processes required to handle customers data sanitization needs and fixing or repairing their equipment, took lots of research, questions and notetaking”.  The fact that Jon has done all of that truly shows his determination and dedication to his job.

 

When asked what accomplishment Jon is most proud of, he shared “reorganizing the steel building and ITAR cage in order to be more efficient.  Also fixing the equipment and machines we all relay on every day to do our jobs.”

Jon always has a smile on his face and a positive attitude.  He’s always kind and friendly and has a laugh that’s contagious.

Dan Hendershott, his Site Manager, shared “Jon is being recognized for always going the extra mile to accomplish whatever task he is working on and for always being willing to help others”.   Not only does Jon work in our steel building, he’s always fixing, repairing or updating something in the building – from changing light bulbs to snow removal to electrical work.  He can pretty much “do it all”!

In fact, Dan went on to say that “it’s really hard to pinpoint a specific or special accomplishment that earned Jon this nomination because he takes pride in everything he does, is always giving his all, is continuously trying to improve the process and is just the kind of loyal employee you want to have”.

Jon loves learning how things work and coming up with ways that things can be reused or repurposed in a different way.  When asked if he had a goal here at ATR he answered, “I would like to revolutionize some aspect of electronic recycling, or figure out how to make money off of commodities that we have to pay to get rid of – for example plastic.

When he’s not working Jon enjoys camping, riding his motorcycle and attending motor cycle rallies.  He is very involved in the Central Illinois Chapter of Guardians of the Children which is a public benefit organization whose vision is “to improve the quality of life in our community by educating the public and making them aware of the steps to take in order to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to the reality of child abuse.”

His work with Guardians of the Children holds a special place in his heart and his life – and if you’d like more information about it, he would be happy to inform you!

 

When asked what his favorite quote was, or a piece of advice that he’s like to share Jon said “try to learn something new every day”.  He’s also famous for the saying “right-on”!

Congratulations Jon, for being recognized as our Employee Spotlight of the month and for all you do here at ATR!

June 2023, George DeLoach, Warehouse Associate- Pensacola, FL

June 2023 Employee Spotlight is George DeLoach, Warehouse Associate-Pensacola, FL

George joined the ATR Pensacola team shortly after opening the new Technology Refurbishment Center in October of 2022.  During his tenure George has continuously demonstrated a willingness to challenge himself and others by volunteering to assist with projects both locally and abroad.  During phase 1 of Pensacola’s facility conversion George was directly responsible for removing 1,000’s of pounds of raised floor plates and stands, as well as stacking and palletizing 100’s of desks left over from the previous owners Call Center.

Additionally, George recently volunteered to be part of an 11-person team that assembled from five different ATR facilities to prepare and ship 1,248 illegal gambling machines.  This project filled 12 semis, seven box trucks and took over four 12+ hour days, in hot humid conditions.  George also spends a considerable amount of time manually unloading and repacking shipments while the shipping dock is under construction, thank you George!

 

Keric Allen, his site manager, describes him as “the “go-to” warehouse team member who does not hesitate to take on any task regardless of the size or complexity. A majority of the time George has an extremely quite professional demeanor, but he will light up instantly when you ask him how his granddaughter is doing and what he has planned to do with her over the weekend. ATR Pensacola is fortunate to have such an amazing team member!’

George is a quiet and humble family man and a very hard worker.  In fact, he wanted to “give his nomination to another employee.”  He is obviously willing to just work and be in the background making a difference each day.  What he has enjoyed most about working at ATR is learning a wide range of different jobs, which has made him invaluable to his team.

When not at ATR he enjoys fishing, hunting, and spending time with his family.    His goal is to someday purchase a second home with 4 acres of land – I’m sure to do some hunting!  George believes that there are no limits to what you can do, and he hopes to inspires others to step outside their comfort zone and take on new challenges.

His best piece of advice is, “if not sure…ask!”.

Congratulations George and thank you for all that you do.

May 2023 Employee Spotlight is Tony Bass from our Warehouse Team in Las Vegas NV

Congratulations to Tony Bass our May 2023 Employee Spotlight RecipientTony has been with ATR since August of 2022 in the Warehouse in our Las Vegas site.  He is currently in de-manufacturing and enjoys destroying materials that can be recycled.  He really lists seeing all of the equipment that comes into the facility daily and enjoys his co-workers.

One of the challenges he faces here at ATR is meeting all of the specific deadlines for different projects but he is proud that the team really pulls together and everyone does their part to make sure those deadlines are met.

Tony is a quiet guy who brings a sense of calm to the work environment – which the facility needs.  He is conscientious, always on time, stays focused on the task at hand and is a positive contributor to the success of the site on a daily basis.

His site Manager, George Gray shared, “Tony is liked and respected by everyone on his team.  He can be counted on to do whatever it takes each day to finish his work and is always willing to step up and lend a hand to anyone on the team who needs help.  He is capable of efficiently de-manufacturing any item put before him and quickly assessed the material, transferring it to the appropriate commodity”.

George goes on to say, “as many of our customers are outside our geographical area, Tony has volunteered to assist our drivers in multiple pick-ups that extend his hours.  He is polite and hardworking, providing excellent customer service.   Additionally, Tony has learned how to safely wrap and store our batteries for safe transport.  With the highest risk in our site being the safe handling and disposal of batteries, his willingness to accept this responsibility makes it clearly evident as to his outstanding value and importance and dedication to our Las Vegas site and ATR”.

When not at ATR Tony enjoys spending time with his children and family.  He is very proud that he has been able to provide a new home for them and is very proud that his children have their own money from universities for their education!  In fact, one of his best pieces of advice is; “Put your money in something that will help you in the future”.

It sounds like that’s exactly what he did.

Thanks for your continued hard work, your team focus, and for always ensuring that the job gets done Tony!

Congratulations!

Brett Bennet ATR Employee Spotlight recipient for April 2023Brett has been with ATR since he graduated in August of 2014.  During those 9+ years he has worked in many positions such as shipping, asset recovery, inventory, MRSF and de-manufacturing.  Brett is currently the Warehouse Supervisor and says “he does his best to help his employees as much as he can”.  He does everything from loading and unloading trucks, tasking the team according to deadlines, doing hands on training and whatever else comes up in a day.  He is also involved in the Safety and Compliance team and the ICAPA meetings.

 

His Site Manager, Dan Hendershott, says;

“Brett is a very loyal and dependable person.  He is always willing to go the extra mile and do whatever he can do to get the job done.  He truly cares about the success of his team and of ATR”.

 

Brett really likes the fact that what we do here at ATR keeps this type of equipment out of our landfills – and he enjoys the people he works with!

When he’s not at work he likes to spend his free time with his family and friends, along with playing Dungeons and Dragons, listening to audio books and drawing.  He has been obsessed with the mid-evil times most of his life, and enjoys making armor and weapons out of cardboard.  He would one day like to be a master blacksmith and forge real weapons and armor.  One of the things he is most proud of, besides his family, is quitting smoking!

One of Bretts favorite quotes is “worrying only makes you suffer twice”.  Great advice Brett!

Congratulations on being selected for this month’s Employee Spotlight and keep up the great work!

March 2023, Michael Garner, Asset Renewal Group Team Lead Pensacola, FL

Photo showing Michael

Michael Garner, ATR employee Spotlight recipient for March 2023

Michael was one of the very first employees hired for our new Corporate Office in Pensacola Florida!  He has been with ATR for 6 months, and is currently the Line Tech Lead.  He is responsible for leading the team of line techs which involves prioritizing the workload, ensuring deadlines are met, problem solving and keeping them all on task.

When asked what he likes the most about working for ATR he shared “ I enjoy the atmosphere and the variety of work, I’m never stuck doing one thing”.  He also shared that he is most proud of how they’ve been able to create such a winning team in such a short time.  Notice that Michael stated “they’ve created”, which goes to show that he is truly a team player and he acknowledges the contributions of each team member.

His Site Manager, Keric Allen, describes him by saying; “Michael is a quiet professional who will take on any challenge head on with a “can do” attitude and deliver results!”  He goes on to share;

“Since Michael arrived at ATR Pensacola, he has distinguished himself through his professionalism, work ethic and positive attitude. Fittingly, he was selected and promoted to Lead Line Tech after only two weeks of working at ATR Pensacola. When asked to do something or adapt quickly to an order change, cancellation or unique request, Michael will quickly respond “I’ll get right on that” or “that’s not a problem”.  Much has been asked of Michael over the last three and a half months and he has consistently risen to the occasion. ATR expects great things from Michael and we are fortunate to have him on our team!”

We asked Michael to share some of the challenges he has faced here at ATR and how he overcame them.  He shared “When the first few line techs at the Pensacola site were onboarded, it was pretty chaotic. Fairly quickly, the team and I put our heads together to come up with a system that works for us and that we still use 6 months later!  I’m always up to take on a challenge and adopt unconventional strategies to get the job done.”

And “get the job done” he did!  Keric shared;

“Over the last 3 months Michael has had to quickly learn all things ATR G4 wholesale from the ground up while leading his team in the receiving, de-manufacturing, programming, testing, cleaning, and packaging of over 12,000 laptops & 1,000’s of ancillary components. This was no small task given these 12,000 laptops required the removal of over 25,000 stickers, 96,000 screws, and gallons of goo gone, alcohol, and Windex! Faced with these challenges, Michael’s team was never short on laughter or hard work and under his leadership, the “Conference Room Laptop Crew” has grown into a well-oiled laptop team machine”.

Outside of his busy work schedule Michael enjoys spending his time reading or working on art, and working out on the weekends.  He also has a big goal to save up enough to purchase some land!

When asked to share one of his favorite quotes Michael replied with;

“Never skimp on a good mattress and a good pair of boots. If you’re not in one, you’re in the other.”

His quiet, logical sense of humor is one of his many attributes.

Let’s thank Michael for all of his hard work and congratulate him on his well-deserved nomination and selection for this months “Employee Spotlight”!

 

 

February 2023, Richard Garcia, Warehouse Associate, San Antonio, TX

Photo showing Richard Garcia who is our employee spotlight recipient for February 2023.

 

Richard recently celebrated his 5-year milestone with ATR.  He was nominated by his Site Manager, Caleb Robinson, for his hard work and dedication.  Caleb had this to say about Richard, “Richard is a huge part of the ATR San Antonio team, and does not hesitate to share the knowledge he has learned over his 5 years of service, with his teammates and his leadership team.  As the new Site Manager, I will be looking to Richard to help train new employees that join the team in the future, specifically in our DE manufacturing process.  Richard cares about the safety of everyone at our building by acting as our onsite EHS representative.”

 

Caleb went on to say “I recently had the opportunity to work closely with Richard as he trained his new Site Manager on the de-manufacturing process within the SA facility with a hands-on training session.  Watching how productive Richard can be with any task you give him is very impressive.”

 

Richard enjoys his job in the demand area and takes pride in the teamwork that he and his co-workers show.  He’s proud of what they continue to accomplish, even though they do face challenges often.  Richards says “what’s inside the computers surprises him more and more”, and that’s part of the challenge.  He likes learning and wants to learn more about the mother boars and other part of the equipment he comes in contact with on a daily basis.

 

Outside of work Richard enjoys spending time with his family and is a softball fan!

 

Thank you, Richard for your hard work, loyalty and dedication to your team, the SA site and ATR!

 

Congratulations Richard!!!

 

January 2023, Scott Cochran, Box Truck Driver, Pontiac, IL

Photo showing Scott Cochran standing near ATR truck

Scott Cochran has seen many changes since joining ATR way back on May 9, 2011 at our Pontiac IL location as a warehouse associate.  There are very few jobs Scott hasn’t done over years but he’s been most successful interacting with customers as one of our most decorated Class C drivers.  Although Scott held various positions before joining ATR he’s gained many years of knowledge in customer service, vehicle maintenance and most recently forward and reverse logistics.

I have had the pleasure of congratulating Scott quite a few times over the years when he received a glowing review from one of the many customers Scott regularly interacts with.   It’s no surprise when we asked Scott what accomplishment he was most proud of, he stated making his customers feel like they are important, and providing the very best customer service possible.  He’s also very proud of perfectly executing a growing number of challenging pick-ups that were resource intensive, and showcased his ability to adapt very quickly to virtually any situation that arose.

Ray Magee, ATR’s Director of Client Services added, “Scott is dedicated and takes pride in his work and equipment.  Because of Scott’s tenure, professionalism and dedication, I am confident that ATR’s clients are always taken care of at the highest level.  He has received many compliments from clients through his years of service.”

Dan Hendershott ATR’s Regional Operations Manager and Scott’s immediate supervisor wrote, “I would describe Scott as outgoing and willing to help anywhere.  He provides great customer service and always puts our customers first.  Scott is willing to travel on short notice and willing to help out at other ATR facilities when needed.

Scott has certainly earned the respect of his peers so what does Scott have planned for the future?  Spoiler alert, Scott loves to travel…South that is!  He’s hoping to eventually move to a warmer climate and be done with the cold Illinois winters and relentless snow, we’re with you there Scott!

Congratulations Scott!

 

December 2022 Spotlight, Brad Strobel, Site Supervisor, Tonawanda (Buffalo) NY

Brad Strobel ATR Employee Spotlight recipent for December 2022Brad Strobel joined ATR in November 2021 as warehouse associate with a wide range of technical experience which has helped him advance to a Site Supervisory role.  Before joining ATR Brad was pursuing a career in the medical field but later realized the health care industry wasn’t a good fit and he began transitioning into technical jobs.  He found success at a well known tractor dealership where he lead the effort to clean up their RIMM’s system which paved the way to becoming their Service Manager.

Brad prides himself on staying informed and enjoys reading books from his vast collection of nearly 400 publications that make up his personal library.  His goals are not limited to just literary work either.  When asked what he has planned for the future he responded with, “I want to better myself and help those around me to do the same and I want to show my gratitude when ever and where ever it’s needed.”

We couldn’t agree more, thank you Brad for joining our team and helping your site land the upcoming Erie County contract, great job!

When not at work Brad enjoys playing Lacrosse, in fact Brad helped manage his Middle and High school Lacrosse teams and modified learning gym classes.  Clearly Brad Strobel is someone who isn’t afraid to step up and help where it is needed most.

Congratulations Brad!

 

November 2022 Spotlight, Paulina Espinosa de los Monteros , General Manager, Western Region USA

Paulina Espinosa de los Monteros joined ATR July 16, 2018 and has recently been promoted from Sales Manager to our Western General Manager! She is currently located at the San Antonio Texas location.

Pauline earned her Undergraduate in Biology and completed her MBA this Spring in Business Administration.

She is very determined, dedicated, and passionate about her job and what ATR does, stands for and believes in.  Her drive to learn operations, her leadership skills, and her work ethic made her the perfect candidate for this new position.

She is a very strong asset to our Management Team!

Outside of her busy work schedule Paulina loves reading, traveling, many outdoor activities and spending time with her husband Gerardo and their dog Arya. They will soon have a beautiful new addition to their family with their first child due in April of 2023!

Congratulations Paulina!

 

October 2022 Spotlight, Hanna Cuplin, Compliance/Administrative Assistant, Las Vegas,NV

Hanna Cuplin ATR Employee Spotlight October 2022

Hanna Cuplin joined our Las Vegas team in April of 2022 as our local Compliance and Administrative associate after working on the Las Vegas strip in the e-Sports field.

Hanna is an expert when it comes to paying attention to the details. She thoroughly checks the ID’s of all of our visitors. She verifies all customer load paperwork is accurate, providing a smooth experience for our drivers for pickup. Most importantly, she guides the Las Vegas team in all matters of compliance, ensuring we maintain all regulatory and administrative requirements, ensuring our customer’s needs are fully met while fulfilling our goal to responsibly reduce, reuse and recycle responsibly.

When not at work Hanna enjoys reading, video games and hiking, enjoying the great desert landscapes the Las Vegas Valley offers, and she looks forward to completing her associate degree after next semester, graduating in May.

When we asked her supervisor George Gray to provide some feedback on Hanna’s demeanor, he responded with;

” Our Company and the world need more Hannas. Her professional performance and outstanding demeanor directly contribute to the success of the Las Vegas site”.

Congratulations Hanna!

February 2022 Spotlight, Dustin Pike, Warehouse Associate, Grand Rapids, MI

Dustin Pike joined the ATR in April of 2021 during the height of the global COVID lockdowns.  Dustin brought with him years of warehouse and commercial driving experience as well as a strong desire to enrich his career.   Dustin recently shared with us he had undergone weight loss surgery just 6 months before starting his new job at ATR.  Since that time Dustin has lost an additional 80 pounds!  Way to go Dustin!

Photograph showing Dustin Pike, ATR Employee Spotlight recipient for February 2022 Dustin is a “lead by example” kind of guy, in fact, Dustin arrives to work each day 30-45 minutes early to open the main gate for the rest of the crew, and during the winter months he even shovels the walkways and salts them, so nobody slips and falls.    Thank you Dustin, we all appreciate your willingness to look out for your team.

Dustin Pike’s willingness to help doesn’t stop with the morning routine either.  The main warehouse furnace recently malfunctioned over the weekend and Dustin stepped up and offered to check the building twice a day until the repairs could be completed on Monday.

When he’s not training to become our back up driver, Dustin enjoys some down time taking in local car shows, races.  And of course, as a true Michigander he enjoys camping, fishing, cooking and travel.    Although Dustin enjoys all these activities, he and his wife Rachel will soon have something even more important in their lives…yes folks, you heard it here first, the Pikes are expecting their first child in the fall!   Congratulations to Dustin and Rachel!

It’s no wonder Dustin had a huge smile on his face when I took this picture.  In the past year he’s lost 80 pounds, bought his first house, advanced his career at ATR and now he’s an expectant father, clearly Dustin is a busy guy!

November 2021 Spotlight, Angela Sullivan-Shoop, Customer Service Manager, Pontiac, IL

Angela Sullivan-Shoop joined the ATR Customer Service Team in the Summer of 2021.  She brings 20+ years of experience in the customer service field. She’s had positions with Edward Jones in both St. Louis, MO & Tempe, AZ.

She was also a Project Manager for a firm in NYC. After years of experience, she decided to move back to Illinois, her home State. She then worked with Country Financial and the Illinois Farm Bureau for several years. Here at ATR, she’s the Customer Service Manager, and leads a team of 4 outstanding team members.

Working with a diverse background of clients has enabled her to lead the team with a unique perspective. Empowering other women to do their best, is a personal and professional goal.

Angela lives in Lexington, IL with her husband Michael and has 3 spoiled pets. Time with family and friends is a priority, but she prefers time in her Art room creating original pieces for them. Her medium is graphite pencil, colored pencil, and recently acrylic painting.

July 2021 Spotlight, Cristina Rodriguez, Operations Supervisor, San Antonio TX

Cristina Rodriguez ATR July Employee Spotlight

Cristina’s first day was on February 4th 2019, since then, she has demonstrated her work ethics and her ability to excel on every position that she has worked. She started in our de-manufacture department, then she was moved to the tech-recovery department, then to our wholesale department, and recently, she was promoted to Site Supervisor.

Her organization and structure motivates people who work around her to do better. She is a natural leader. “Cristina has a no-nonsense approach” – One of her coworkers said, Cristina is reserved, very responsible, and dependable”.

Cristina loves to spend time outdoors with her husband, especially when they go on a motorcycle road trip.

May 2021 Spotlight, Arturo De La Rosa, Operations Manager, Las Vegas NV

Picture showing ATR Operations Manager for Las Vegas, this person's name is Arturo De La Rosa

Arturo De La Rosa a proud native of Texas but currently residing in Las Vegas NV where he joined the ATR management team in 2021.

Arturo is a 6 year Marine veteran and just recently graduated from ATI where he completed 720 hours of training to become a licensed electrician.

Arturo previously worked at Republic Services in their MRF (material recycling center) which is the largest facility in the US. While working at the MRF Arturo oversaw the production line and worked in maintenance. Additionally Arturo has 27 years production and warehouse experience he plans to utilize in Las Vegas.

When not working hard to protect the environment, Arturo enjoys spending time with his family and is the proud father of a 21 year son. Arturo also enjoys playing softball and golf in his down time.

Arturo welcomes the opportunity to help the Las Vegas team expand their coverage areas and service offerings in the Western US region and he’s grateful to be working with a company like ATR where his skills and knowledge can have the greatest impact.

March 2021 Spotlight, Romeo (Romey) De La Cruz, Warehouse Operations, Las Vegas NV

ATR March Employee Spotlight recipient is Romeo De La Cruz from Las Vegas, this picture shows Rommy going for a nature hike

Romeo, known as Romey around the site, has been working at the Las Vegas facility since April 2019 when he joined our team as a temporary associate.

Romey is an expert at finding valuable items as he sorts through bins of unwanted electronics.  His sharp eye has helped us identify some awesome antique treasures which help generate revenue for the facility.

In addition to having an “Eagle Eye”, Romey is also one of the fastest associates we have for equipment disassembly and inventory control. In fact, he recently won a contest in the  warehouse for fastest processing times, and not just once but twice!!  Way to go Romey!!

Romey is well known as a “team player”,  everyone agrees he’s always willing to help out coworkers in need by offering tools, and assistance to make each job run as smooth as possible.

When asked what he would like to share about his experience at ATR he said;

“I’m always EAGER to learn more”.

Romey is also known for bringing in amazing goodies to our potluck events including his legendary CHEESECAKE, YUM! Outside of work he likes to go camping, and play chess.

February 2021 Spotlight, Courtney Stephans, Compliance Coordinator and Administrative Assistant, Salt Lake City UT

Courtney Stephans ATR February 2021 Employee Spotlight

Courtney has been with ATR for just over 1 year, and currently works as the regional Administrative Assistant in Salt Lake City UT.  Courtney is also part of our Corporate Compliance Team.  This very important group ensures that all our facilities remain in good standings, and our staff receive the most up-to-date training available.

In addition to her important duties in SLC, Courtney is also a newlywed! She’s an animal lover, and graduated at the top of her high school class, valedictorian.

Courtney always has a smile… even during annual audits! She loves singing with her family, and is a huge fan of the show, “Friends”.

January 2021 Spotlight, Laura Kokanovich, Compliance Coordinator Tonawanda, NY

ATR January 2021 Employee Spotlight on Laura Kokanovich

Laura has been with ATR for a little over 5 years, starting back in June of 2015.  She started off in asset recovery, listing items in our pipeline.   Currently she serves as NY’s Compliance Coordinator for the last 4 years.  Here she has excelled in maintaining her Site’s compliance and operational procedures, which adhere to our Internal Management System.   Laura is very knowledgeable to ATR’s regulations and has always been a key asset in audits, researching OSHA guidelines, R2 Standards and assisting other to assure ATR NY’s success.

In Laura’s spare time she enjoys time in the outdoors, by going camping, numerous outdoor activities, and attending concerts, in which she does miss due to the World’s current situation.

Want to see more Employee Spotlights from days gone by?  Click here to visit the archives.