Alan has worked at ATR for 4 years and is currently a CDL driver in Birmingham, AL. Alan started his career at ATR working in the warehouse and obtained his CDL license 2 years ago. He is a dedicated coworker who never has an issue going on a trip, no matter how far it is.

Alan says he finds peace on the open roads. In fact, Alan’s only complaint is having to drive his truck in the rain and getting it dirty!

Like all good Alabamians, you can find Alan watching The Crimson Tide any Saturday in the Fall. When not watching Alabama Football, Alan and his wife Candee can be found relaxing on the lake trying to catch large mouth bass or in the woods trying to spot a Whitetail deer.

Alan is a dedicated employee that everyone at ATR-Birmingham and the other 7 ATR locations across the country have the fortune of working with.

Way to go Alan!

Robert Triplett has worked for ATR  for 2 years, and was recently promoted to the team lead position in Pontiac (Corporate Headquarters) nine months ago.

Robert is well known for his ongoing efforts to make improvements, and he strives to have all incoming loads completed on time; or beforehand with some enthusiastic help from his awesome team in Pontiac.

Robert always pushes himself harder than he pushes others to get things done, and believes it’s best to lead by example . He is very punctual and doesn’t miss work unless he absolutely has to, and Robert routinely works through emotional and physical pain even when his body may disagree.  Robert is a proud Vietnam veteran; a hero to our country and to our Team.

Thank you for your service on and off the battlefield Robert, and keep up the great work.

Way to go Robert!

Mercedes Martinez is married with 5 beautiful children. Mercedes began her career with ATR on October 19, 2015 as a part time file clerk, transitioned to full time Receptionist for the  Corporate Office in Pontiac, IL.

Mercedes has worked in the shipping department and HR Department (HR Assistant). Mercedes was promoted to the Compliance Coordinator for Pontiac where she tends to stay!

I asked her what she likes to do in her spare time, and after we shared a good laugh on how little time a Mother of 5 actually has, Mercedes shared how much she enjoys cheering on her kids at the many sporting events they’re involved with.

Way to go Mercedes!

Pete Swavely joined the ATR Business Development Team in late 2019. An industry veteran, Pete brings 14+ years of experience to ATR, with extensive expertise in electronics resale and niche recycling markets. Upon entering the industry in 2005, he founded resale operations for a prominent regional electronics recycler, and grew that portion of the business for the next decade before entering into an Outside Sales role in 2014. Pete prides himself on an ability to find solutions for complex and diverse customer needs.
Pete resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and is a native of the beautiful Lehigh Valley. An avid outdoorsman and seeker of novelty, his hobbies include metal detecting, rockhounding, mushroom foraging, and Disc Golf. Pete also enjoys spending time with his young and growing family which just got a little bigger, congratulations Pete!

Frank Brooks joined the ATR team in March of 2020 as the Site manager in Richmond, VA.  Serving over 20 years in the US Navy as an Aircraft Mechanic and Production manager in aviation, Frank brings many years of management experience and technical knowledge to the team. Originally form Dayton, Frank is married with three kids, and graduated from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management. He is currently working on his project management professional certification and attending Boise State in his off time to complete his Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Lourdes knows all about ATR’s culture of growth and opportunity. She started at ATR in September of 2018 as an Asset Specialist where she researched the value of re-marketable assets, managed online postings, and worked with customers to answer questions and resolve any issues. She also spent time learning the sales pipeline (where re-marketable assets from all 8 locations are prepared for resale) and working in the shipping department, before moving to LCDs and being made Team Lead. Noting ATR’s proclivity to hire from within, Lourdes submitted her resume to HR and was offered the position of Asset Recovery Material Supervisor. She credits her hard work and dedication, along with management’s willingness to promote from within, to the success she has enjoyed at ATR.

Lourdes and her wife moved to Pontiac (from Florida) to be closer to family. The affordable cost of living in the area allows her wife to pursue a nursing degree. For them, Pontiac has been “a new beginning to a fresh start to success.

A proud father of 6 beautiful children, Fred was born and raised in Grand Rapids and continues to call the 49507 Cottage Grove area his home.

Fred is a straight-shooter. He will always be there to lend a hand with anything people need help with. He is reliable, punctual, trustworthy, and respectful. Fred works on inventory, runs the baler, drives the forklift, goes out on pick-ups, and does whatever else is needed to help make things go right. He is not afraid of learning new things and stepping outside of his comfort zone. Fred is committed to his job and takes pride in the work that he does.

Fred has been with ATR for almost 2 years and has become an essential component to our team. Fred is an LSU fan and in his free time he enjoys bowling and going out to eat.

Great Job Fred!

Elizabeth Worwood has made major strides in the continual improvement of ATR’s compliance infrastructure, personnel development and expansion this year. Her current position is Corporate Compliance Specialist with an emphasis in Document Control, the development of company procedures, maintenance of records and legal requirements. Liz has been in the electronics recycling industry since January 2016.  Her home base is the ATR site in Salt Lake City. Liz has held various positions but has always been involved with Compliance.  While working for ATR she obtained her Associates Degree of Science in Legal Studies. In culmination of the multitude of contributions this year, Liz received the ATR Presidential award for 2019! Truly a stellar performer!

Liz says that she really enjoys her job and the wonderful team she works with. She highly enjoys traveling to the different sites to assist during audits and meeting everyone in person.

Liz is a proud Mom to a 9 year old boy named Quinn. She enjoys spending time with her son. Liz also enjoys camping, fishing and cooking. She is an avid animal lover and currently has 2 cats named Sally and LeStat.

Linda started with ATR in Jan 2013 as the very first San Antonio employee. Linda has held positions as Administrative Assistant, Asset Recovery Supervisor, Corporate Training Coordinator and most recently as Downstream Vendor Compliance Specialist.

Linda had several noteworthy accomplishments this year starting with an all-inclusive Downstream Vendor vetting program which was lauded as “Best Practice” in four annual audits by four separate Auditors!   Linda was also recognized for her contributions in developing the Master Material Flow List by Orion Registrar during the recent Las Vegas certification audit.

Great Job Linda!

Linda enjoys Dart Point Hunting (looking for arrowheads), Wood-burning and numerous other crafts. She also enjoys movies and spending time with her family. Side note; Linda is a gourmet cook that would rival any Food Network Chef.

Hello my name is Yazmin Lopez.

While I’m trying to balance life, work and school, I still find time to have free time. During my free time I enjoy exploring Las Vegas night life as well as it’s outdoor/nature scene. I have only lived in Las Vegas since November of last year so everything is pretty new. Back home in Oxnard , California there was a lot of hiking and outdoor activities that my family and I would do on the weekend. Since I moved here my first job has been at ATR, but before actually being employed here at the end of January, I enrolled in school and still am currently attending. I will be a graduating with my Associates in Computer Network Technology and getting my Comptia Certifications. Since I been here I have taken many roles and responsibilities and have learned so many things. I have used my knowledge, skills and work experiences to help not only my self but also my administrator help facilitate the transition of my co-workers and new employees into their new roles and work area. I currently am the Supervisor at ATR. I  believe I still have much to learn and improve but my hard work and dedication and willingness to teach and help others as well as hear out my co-workers and be their voice will help us excel as a team.

I am 24 years old, I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Born and raised in Grand Haven. I have a 6 year old Labrador/Doberman/Greyhound named Malibar. We love to be outside and hike in the woods, but Mal loves to swim so we go to the beach any chance we get.

I love to learn and am an avid podcast listener. However, I am a busy body and I just can’t sit still, so I usually listen while I do something else. Cleaning the house or crafts projects are some of my favorites. Currently my new hobby is the art of cross-stitch.

Very happy to be a part of the ATR team!!!

William started with ATR on May 1^st, 2019. After moving to Las Vegas from the Seattle area in 2001 he worked in the Casino industry for 12 years as a Pit Boss before moving on to Trade Shows & Conventions.

William has a 5 year old son who loves playing sports, hiking when the weather is cool, and swimming when the weather is hot. Vegas is such a great location as it allows them frequent trips to the beach only 3 ½ hours away.

Fun Fact: William once watched an NBA player lose 4.5 million dollars in 45 minutes playing Baccarat.

Jared joined the ATR New York team in April 2019 and he is the current site Manger for New York.  When asked what his primary objectives were for the New York site his immediate response was to enhance the overall customer experience by improving the facilities operational capabilities and efficiency.

Jared has spent the past 20 years in the Army with 3 years Active Duty and the remaining 17 + years in the Army Reserves.  While serving his country Jared has spent the last 11 years preparing new recruits as a Drill Sergeant and looks forward to working with even more recruits in the years to come!

Fun fact: Home improvement jobs are Jared’s number one hobby and he loves spending time with his family including his 2 1/2 year old son.

Robert or as most know him Bobby started with ATR on the 19th of December 2018 in the maintenance department at HQ. He is a lifelong resident of Pontiac, Il. where he and his wife have six children. Bobby came to ATR from the construction field where he has worked most of his adult life. Bobby has a great attitude, larger than life and is always is a good mood. He is willing to assist any one that needs his help, and with a can do attitude. He will complete any job that is giving to him even if it means seeking outside information to accomplish it!

Fun fact: Bobby was a Livingston County Sheriff for a few years before transitioning  his career to the labor union.

Miguel Martinez , aka (Mike the Gardener) started with ATR 2014 and went to a 1099 employee in 2015 and then back to an ATR employee in 2017.  Miguel is the Maintenance Supervisor located at the HQ in Pontiac, IL.   Not only does Miguel make sure things are functional at HQ, he has traveled to many other ATR sites as well.

His family and friends are what he holds near and dear to his heart, and enjoys spending time with them all.  In his free time Miguel enjoys working on cars, and attending car shows.

Gearld Zeller started with ATR in 2014 as a technician repairing computers to be sold into the secondary market for ATR.  He grew his skills to achieve a position with the internal technicians where he now monitors, repairs and upgrades internal ATR infrastructure to ensure ATR stays online.

While Gerald loves to work for ATR on the internal infrastructure, in his free time he loves to to take his boat out on the river in the summer.  Gerald does a little knee boarding or just go for a nice ride. In the winter months he reads and watches educational programs, but football supersedes any of those things. Gerald is a die hard Green Bay Packers fan, so he catches a lot of flack about not rooting for the Bears.

Nikia has been working at ATR for almost 1 year. Nikia works as Site Administrator for our facility in Birmingham, AL. She graduated from A. H. Parker high school in 2011 with a honors diploma and graduated from Benedict College in 2015 with a Magna Cum Laude diploma. After graduating from Benedict College she started school at Virginia College and obtained her HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) certification and graduated in 2016 with a honors diploma. Nikia likes to have fun but also likes getting the job done. In her spare time she likes to play basketball and watch football, spend time with her family, and relax whenever she has the time. Nikia says she has learned a lot while being an employee here at ATR and looks forward to continued growth within the company.

Joshua started as a temp with ATR in July 2017 working in the warehouse. His hard work was quickly recognized and Joshua was hired as the Administrator for the Grand Rapids office. Josh is a driven, detailed person who istrives to get the job done correctly and on schedule. He is also a team player that is always willing to pitch in to help co-workers when needed.

Joshua was recognized by his co-workers in 2018 with the Very Important Peer Award in Grand Rapids and runner-up for the President’s Award issued by our Corporate Office.

When not at work, Joshua attends Grand Rapids Community College and spends as much time as possible with his son, Wyatt.

Doug Timmerman has been with ATR over 3 years he currently works in our shipping department. Doug started in the warehouse and performed several different job functions moving to shipping 2 years ago. Doug completes shipping for all retail packages and assists with wholesale as well. Doug is a native to the Pontiac IL area. Doug is always willing to answer questions and to ship last minute packages. He always has a smile on his face and is a great asset to the ATR team.  Outside of work Doug enjoys music going to concerts and playing Guitar in his own band.

Eric has been working at ATR over 2 years in the warehouse at our NY facility. Eric works primarily on the de-manufacture line but also does whatever task that may be assigned to him. He is very helpful with training new employees in the warehouse as well as completing general warehouse work, unloading trucks, going out with the driver to customer pickups & daily inspections. Eric Is the go to guy for any questions or help when the warehouse supervisor is not available. Eric has always been a great team player and has great attendance, making Eric an ideal employee. Eric has been married for 17 years and has a daughter. Outside of work you would find Eric in his garage working on anything with a motor and does home repairs.

Vicki McBeath has been with ATR for just a little over  10 months  as the front desk receptionist . Vicki  always has a smile on her face ready to greet the employees and customers as they walk through the front door. She is always  a  great help to anyone who ask ‘s for her assistance. Vicki is an amazing person to work with no matter the day or time she is just a great person all together!  Vicki was born & raised in Pontiac.  She worked at Interlake for 29 years before a job elimination.  Vicki also worked at Futures Unlimited for 8 years before joining the ATR team.  Vicki is very active in her church she loves to help out with the food pantry.  Vicki loves to go to garage sales and find those hidden treasures.  Vicki says 1 mans junk is another man’s treasure.  Family is very important to Vicki she has many social gatherings with her family.  Vicki also loves to get in her car with Dick and just start driving and not sure where she is heading but make ever trip an adventure.

Joe has been with ATR for 7 years as the Logistics supervisor.  Joe has over 20+ years in logistics and warehousing. Joe is a huge LA Rams Fan and loves to talk about his team.  Joe is always willing to go the extra mile for ATR.  Joe comes in on weekends to make sure the fleet of trucks are plugged in and ready to go for Monday.  Joe Lives in Pontiac with his wife and 2 boys and his dog Peanut.  In the summer Joe is watching his White Soxs loose and complaining  about the cubs winning.  Joe is a diehard south side fan.  Joe also loves watching superhero movies.

Ray is a native of the Western New York area and started work for ATR in August of 2015. Ray brings with him over 25 years of warehouse experience. Ray started in the warehouse entering inventory; helped start up of our demanufacturing line then was promoted to warehouse supervisor in February 2016. Ray has since taken over all duties of the warehouse. Ray is responsible for all incoming & outgoing loads, organization and inspections of the warehouse, overseeing all warehouse employees to make sure procedures are followed and training is up to date.

Outside of work, Ray has 3 children, 5 grandchildren with a 6^th due any day. Ray spends his time bowling in two leagues as well as spending time at his grandson’s hockey games. He is an avid Buffalo Bills & Sabers fan.

Lindsey is a Richmond native who started with ATR in May 2017. He has taken a leading role in the warehouse in his short time with us. Lindsey was critical in eliminating a six month back log by processing over 1000 items in the database. He conducted the warehouse weight down and training our new personnel. When you ask Lindsey to compete a task you can expect him to repeat his instructions back to you to get the nod of approval, then go, and get it done.

Lindsey is married with four children and enjoys trash talking the Packers (his wifes team) and winning big money at the Casinos. He also loves traveling with his family down in Virginia’s pristine beaches, Washington D.C and Atlanta.

This month’s submission comes from a long line of excellence! Adrian Mata has been a full time employee for approximately 4 months. Since he has been here he has quickly learned the warehouse processes, procedures and equipment. He’s immediately became an expert in shipment preparation and materials loading/unloading. Additionally, Adrian developed a system to track and identify the contents of each gaylord loaded with LCD’s facilitating sales and greater customer satisfaction. Adrian also stepped up to become our newest box truck driver and asset pick-up agent. Additionally he is becoming our latest GSA qualified driver filling a vital role in daily operations. Adrian’s dedication and willingness to take on new tasks, responsibilities and tackle problems has earned him the October Spotlight for San Antonio.

The San Antonio Team greatly appreciates the efforts of Mr. Mata and submits him as our Spotlight Candidate for October 2017. Great job Adrian!

Jay came to ATR in 2014 as a entry level technician. Jay has achieved a A+Certification as well as some Cisco training on basic functionality. Jay helps aid in the repair of all the Pontiac and Remote sites internal IT issues from laptops, desktops, printers and much more. With Jay’s passion for electronics he has pushed himself to achieve in areas he is not fluent with to be successful.

When not at ATR he has a passion for cars and works on his dad’s drag car, also works on his dad’s farm, fishing and also loves Netflix.

John Gallup started with ATR in 2015 as a CDL Driver. He is always respectful and a great motivator for coworkers.

Due to his pleasant positive attitude, he has received many compliments from our customers. He is always willing to fill in any way he can to contribute to the success of ATR.

He is very meticulous when caring for ATR vehicles he is possession of. I have heard it said many times by many different employees that John is very trustworthy honest and hard working. He is the go to for many questions. (And he brings in the most amazing tomatoes to share.)

His dedication and commitment combined with his positive attitude helps add to the success of ATR and continued customer service.

Before coming to ATR John owned a bus company in Arizona. John is Married with 2 kids and 7 grand children.

Tom Stinger has been a valuable employee here at the SLC Utah site for over a year. He was hired on as a maintenance employee and has transitioned into many different positions within the company. He is always willing to step up and do what is needed to get the job done. He currently splits his time between driving the forklift, maintaining equipment, training, sorting material, and organizing the warehouse while still accomplishing all of his daily tasks

In his free time he enjoys time with his girlfriend learning her Ecuadorian culture. He also enjoys spending time outdoors in the beautiful state of Utah, live music, and watching Independent films.

Andres “The Machine” Aguirre is an exemplary two year employee of ATR. A Veteran of the US Army and US Postal Service, he began his journey with ATR in 2015 quickly became a DEMAN expert. He became known as “The Machine” due to his relentless work ethic and razor sharp focus. His reputation was made evident this month demonstrating his high flexibility in the warehouse when tasked to prep and then re-prep 18 gaylords of LCD Monitors to provide product sizes. This quick and accurate effort satisfied customer requirements guaranteeing a short turn sale worth over $9,500. Additionally, Andres demanufactured, sorted and prepped 7,600 lbs of circuit boards solidifying a sale worth $20,461.

The San Antonio Team greatly appreciates the efforts of Mr. Aguirre and submits him as our Spotlight Candidate for June 2017.

Alan McCabe is our Team Leader at the Birmingham, AL facility. He began his time at ATR June 13, 2016 as an Inventory Specialist in processing equipment. He has enjoyed learning more about the technological components we receive from our many customers. As the Team Leader, he enjoys the fast pace and varied job responsibilities necessary in being successful in his role. He likes increasing the efficiency of his team and working through others to get the job done. Prior to his service with ATR, he worked for an Armored Car Service for 10 years. In his spare time he enjoys hunting and target shooting. He enjoys spending time with his wife, family, and 2 dogs, Scruffee and Sassee.

Linda Fischer is our Training Supervisor and arranges our Corporate Travel. She began working for ATR in January of 2013 at the then newly opened San Antonio facility. As business picked up, additional team members were brought on board. She is proud of having assisted in opening that facility and is a team player. She has always been into recycling, and as a young adult picked up trash and carried it out of the back woods in national and state parks across the country.

Outside of work, Linda enjoys quiet time with her husband and keeps him well feed on homemade cuisine from tips and tricks she learns from the cooking channel. Linda has one Son that served time in the Air Force and is a Great Grand Mother.

Vanessa Rockwell is our Employee Spotlight for November 2016, she is a very dedicated Asset Recovery employee in the Salt Lake City/Tooele ATR location. She is known for going above and beyond to take care of all her e-Bay customers, and helps them get exactly what they are looking for. Vanessa recently won a contest we ran between all of our Asset Recovery employees at all of our sites by achieving the highest total sales in a 48 hour period.

She is a pleasure to work with, and her co-workers all respect and appreciate her hard work. She is a very hard-worker, she works two jobs to support herself and her 3 children. Vanessa loves spending time outdoors and watching her kids play sports. She has been a key aspect in helping to grow our e-Bay sales.
We appreciate all your hard-work, thanks for everything you do Vanessa!

Preston Schultz is one of our most hard-working Tech Assistants in the new Salt Lake City ATR location. Preston interviewed for a Warehouse position but his knowledge of Technology stood out from the very beginning. He loves the fast paced environment and always having something new and exciting to work on. He feels like he is building a great wealth of knowledge to do his job better every day! Preston loves the people he works with; he really enjoys what he does here. He is always willing and able to help out in the warehouse when needed also.

In his life outside of work he is a true family man. He has a lovely wife, two children, and a baby girl on the way! Thank-you Preston for all of your hard work!

Brittany worked in Asset Recovery for a year and a half prior to transferring to our newly developed Customer Service Department . One of Brittany’s favorite experiences while working at ATR is learning that stepping out of your comfort zone can help you achieve much more in any position you may hold. While in Asset recovery, Brittany found enjoyment in making sales and, especially in wholesale. She also enjoys attending the company Christmas Party every year. Brittany attended IVCC college for a year and a half. While there, she studied forensic science and earned a certificate in criminal justice. In Brittany’s spare time she enjoys fishing and attending concerts, but is not opposed to a relaxing night at home. Brittany also enjoys spending time with her friends and family. Brittany has two sons: Landyn (2 years old) and Zander (1 year old). With Landyn and Zander only 10 months apart they make sure to keep her on her toes at all times! She wouldn’t have it any other way as her boys are her world. She also has a very sweet 1 year old boxer/pit mix puppy named Asher.

James Johnson III is the site manager of our Grand Rapids Michigan facility. He has been with ATR for going on 8 months now. James has several years of managerial expertise. He brings a wealth of knowledge and teamwork to our staff. His favorite experience thus far at ATR is getting through our External R2 audit with 0 non-conformance through working hard as a team. We proudly congratulate him for that! In his spare time he enjoys hunting, fishing, and being on the water. James also secretly writes poetry, with 200 poems written so far. James has several pets including his purebred German Rottweiler, several Peacocks, Exotic Pheasants and show quality chickens. His goal is to educate people on the toxins that are in the Great Lakes and what we can do to prevent these toxins from continuing to pollute our waters.

Donna Comens has worked at our Pontiac, IL location 5 years on July 25th. Her current position held is Customer Service Manager, though she has had several management positions, here at corporate. Some of Donna’s favorite things about working for ATR is getting the opportunity to travel to places like Niagara Falls and the River Walk in San Antonio. She loves being part of a Management Team, that has helped grow ATR from 2 sites to now 7, in a few short years. Donna is a wonderful role model, mentor, and coach to the teams she has led over the years. Donna has a way with her spunky self that can bring anybody out of their shell, and she will push them to their full potential. “Knowing you have helped in some small way to mold them into productive employees that have the confidence to conquer whatever is put in front of them, Well that is just the Best!”

Donna has been married to her absolute best friend Mike for 7 years, and loves to spend time with her family every chance she gets. Some of her hobbies are Nascar and the Broncos when they go to the Superbowl! She did successfully graduate with honors at the School of Hard Knocks . LOL! She has two absolutely beautiful dogs, her sweet Shiatsu named Bella, and her naughty little toy poodle, Fred.

Kim Mislich is the Receptionist at our Pontiac, IL location. She came to ATR in April 2016 with a background in sales and joined the Asset Recovery team. She decided to move to the receptionist position when it opened up last month. She enjoys being at the front desk, and is looking forward to being involved in planning more events for employees to enjoy.

Kim loves spending her free time with family and friends. She moved back to this area in order to be close to her mom, brother, children and grandchildren. She loves traveling, spending time outdoors, and entertaining at home. Her hobbies include exercise like yoga, walking, and bicycling; as well as riding motorcycles and fishing. She attended Lincoln College and earned her degree in Travel & Tourism.

Kim does a great job working with customers at the front desk and we truly appreciate all of her hard work!

Barbara Smith works at our Pontiac, IL location, and has been working here for one month. She is an Administrative Assistant, and handles Accounts Payable & Receivable. She helps out where needed in the office, and has been very quick in learning the many facets of her new position. She has loved getting to know everyone here at ATR, and states “Their willingness to help me learn about the company and the support I have received has been incredible.”

Barbara is always on the go, and enjoys traveling and attending events in her spare time. She has a daughter in San Francisco, and a son in Denver. They love to meet up in different cities for quick family trips. She is a big supporter of the Denver Broncos, and an avid sports fan in general. She can never get enough of watching games!

In her short time here, Barbara has been a great asset to ATR; her experiences and input have earned her the Employee Spotlight for this month!

Jill Maroon works at our Pontiac, IL location, and she started here in April of 2015. Her first job was very unique; she joined our team as a judge during the One Million Pound Challenge. Then, she worked in the warehouse, sold wholesale for Asset Recovery and now is a part of our Customer Service Representative team.

In her spare time, Jill loves being an assistant coach for her daughter’s Little Miss Softball League. Jill has two daughters, Navaeh (8) and Amilya (1), she also has a boxer named, Bullet. She attended Kaskaskia Community College where she obtained a certificate in Criminal Justice. Jill participated with ATR in walking in the Thresherman’s Reunion Parade; it was a nice way to get her family involved! Also, she has worked some of our E-Waste Drives and those are a great way to learn new aspects of our business and help our local communities!

Paul Kridner is an Asset Recovery Specialist at our Pontiac, IL site. In Asset Recovery, Paul sells equipment either retail or wholesale. He joined ATR back in November of 2014. Paul said that he enjoys working our E-waste Drive events because it’s interesting to learn about all the different equipment while also keeping the environment clean.

When Paul isn’t busy keeping the environment clean, he is usually hanging out with friends, playing video games or watching movies. He can also be a little artsy since he paints. Paul has his motorcycle license, and can been seen cruising around town on his moped. Also, he is currently attending Heartland Community College to obtain his Associates Degree. Paul already had one cat named Panther, but recently he rescued a small kitten and named him Sunnie. Paul is a very hard worker and he’s a great part of our team!

Ellis Gonzalez is the Administrative Assistant/Logistics Coordinator at our San Antonio, TX site. He joined our team back in March of 2015. Ellis really enjoyed being a part of ATR breaking the Guinness Book World Record for Most Residential Pounds Collected in One Week. He liked being able to assist on some pickups and being able to see a different part of what we do as a company.

Ellis is a very active volunteer within his church. When he’s not volunteering, his three sons keep him busy with their sporting events. He also enjoys watching sports, mainly baseball; he is a Texas Rangers fan. Ellis is currently pursuing a degree in Sports Science from the United States Sports Academy. He served in the Marine Corps for 23 and retired with the rank of Master Sergeant. Ellis even has an English Bulldog named Maggie to represent the Marine Corps since the Bulldog is their mascot.

Nick Lee is our Business Development Manager at our Birmingham, AL site. As a BDM, Nick manages the business accounts that the Birmingham site has. He has only been at ATR for a year and a half but has made great progress in our business! Nick said that he enjoys working with his clients and building strong business relationships.

When he’s not at work, Nick likes to catch up with friends and try out new restaurants. He also enjoys hiking, traveling and gardening. Nick attended University of Alabama, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. An interesting fact about him is that he was born and raised in Alabama but does NOT like grits. Nick is a very hard worker and ATR really enjoys having him be a part of our team!

Daniel Kleeman is the Administrative Assistant/Warehouse Worker at our Peoria, IL site. Daniel has been at ATR for just slightly over a year. He said that he really enjoyed meeting all of the other employees at our Christmas party last year, and that it was a good chance to get to know everyone in a more relaxed setting.

When he’s not at work, Daniel likes to practice his many hobbies, such as playing computer games, reading up on politics, writing or practicing his archery. He has two dogs named Skippy and Squirt. Daniel is very proud to be the seventh son of a World War II veteran, Hubert Kleeman. Also, he attended Illinois State University, and graduated with an English degree.

Melissa Cruz is our Business Development Assistant/Human Resources Assistant at our Pontiac, IL location. She began working at ATR back in September of 2014. Melissa said that she likes learning about the Electronic Business, and working with a great group of individuals. She is proud to work for a company that takes our environment so serious and makes it a better place for our children to live.

Outside of work, Melissa likes to watch NASCAR races and regularly attends the stock car races at the Fairbury American Legion Speedway. When she’s not watching racing, Melissa likes to garden, cook, cross stitch and read. She recently moved back up to Illinois from Texas so she is trying to spend a lot of time with family to make up for lost time. She has two wonderful children, and hopes that one day they will also be able to move to Illinois from Texas. Melissa served 5 and a half years in the US Army, and has a BBA in Healthcare Management and went to AIU based out of Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Tiffany Houseman is our Administrative Assistant at our Grand Rapids, MI facility. She joined the ATR team last April. Tiffany enjoys working at ATR because she said everyday is a new adventure, a new learning experience, and a new opportunity for growth!

Outside of work, Tiffany loves to go to rodeos, go horseback riding and spend time with her three children. An interesting fact about Tiffany is that she graduated from high school with a class of 5 people; 4 of them had gone to school together from Kindergarten through 12^th grade. Tiffany will be participating in the Out of the Darkness Walk in Grand Rapids with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in honor of her brother who passed away. She attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College, where she got her Associates Degree in Psychology and completed a semester at Western Michigan University. Tiffany has quite the array of animals; she has a mare Paint horse, Shepherd/Lab mix dog and a rabbit. Tiffany is a very hard worker and ATR is happy to have her!

Jason Lewis is one of our very hard working Warehouse members. He started working at ATR 10 months ago with his two brothers, Eric and Ryan. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family. He has two daughters who are 9 and 12 and two dogs named Nick and Coco. Jason also hunts fishes and cheers on the Dallas Cowboys.

Jeremy Fracaro is a Wholesale Specialist at the Pontiac, IL Corporate location. He began his career with ATR back in September of 2014 as a Warehouse worker, but quickly switched departments and went into Asset Recovery. Now that he is a Wholesale Specialist, Jeremy is able to sell items that we receive in bulk quantities. This is a very important part of our business since we are an Asset Recovery company! Jeremy said that he really enjoys our Christmas parties, because he thinks it’s a fantastic way to show appreciation for all the hard work that everyone does throughout the year!

In the evenings, Jeremy plays on a slow pitch softball league, and likes to go four wheeling on the weekends. He is also a self proclaimed fantasy football expert and participates in a league with a few others from ATR. He is the new proud owner of a bunny named Felicia, which his girlfriend randomly brought home one day!

Thank you Jeremy for all of the time and effort that you put in to making ATR such a success!

Ashlyn Layton is the Office/Warehouse support at our Birmingham, AL facility. She does everything from processing equipment in the warehouse to taking care of the Administrative responsibilities in the office. Ashlyn began her career with ATR back in September of 2014. In such a short time she has helped the Birmingham office become very successful! In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family. She also enjoys photography and reading books. Ashlyn received her degree in Criminal Justice from ITT Technical Institute. She also has a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Wall-e! Thank you Ashlyn for all of your hard work!

Jeremy VanDyke is the Asset Recovery Specialist at our Grand Rapids site. He has worked with ATR for about a year now. He said that he enjoys fixing our vintage arcade/gaming and audio systems that we receive to sell. When he’s not selling or fixing equipment at ATR he enjoys reading books and traveling around Michigan with his wife. Also, he has traveled through 5 countries! Sometimes he will spend time at the shooting range with his friends or go fishing with his family. Jeremy attended college at Grand Rapids Community College for electrical.

Elise Comens became the new Receptionist at our Pontiac, IL location back in February of 2015. She said that she loves learning new things and so far every day at ATR has been a learning experience! And that everyone has been super nice and helpful about explaining new things! Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her son; they like to play games, watch movies and read books together. They’re waiting for the weather to warm up to be able to play outside and go camping! She also enjoys baking, reading and making tie-dye!

Dan Hendershott is the Site Supervisor at our Peoria, IL location. He has been a part of ATR for almost 6 years now! He started as one of the warehouse workers and then became the Warehouse Team Lead at the Pontiac location before transferring to the Peoria site. Dan is a big Chicago Cubs fan so he said that he really enjoys when Ken and Barb give tickets out for the home games to their employees. He also said that he tries to watch every Cubs game that he can in his spare time.

Craig Carpenter has been picked to be the ATR Employee in the Spotlight for the month of March! He joined our team to work in our warehouse at our new Buffalo, NY location, but he’s a jack of all trades. Since starting at ATR back in October of 2014 he has set up and organized the warehouse, built our secure cage area, set up the hard drive wiping station, installed cameras, repaired company vehicles and inventoried items into our database. When asked what he has really enjoyed about ATR so far Craig said that he really liked meeting the owners, Ken and Barb at the New York Christmas party!

In his life outside of ATR Craig is happily married to his wife, Lynnette for 25 years. He has a daughter named Aimee and just found out the he will be a grandfather in August! While growing up Craig would help his father with electrical work and fix up cars. Right now he’s working on repairing a 1959 Chevy pickup. He was in the Air Force and trained as an Avionic Sensor System Specialist where he worked on cameras and radar systems for F-4 Phantom reconnaissance jets. He also completed the Supervisory Studies program at Cornell and has a welding certificate. He has three cats Dale, named after Dale Earnhardt, Neville, named after Neville Longbottom and Sneakers. Craig is a very hard worker and ATR really enjoys having him as a part of our team!

Nadia Aguirre is the Asset Recovery Coordinator at our San Antonio site. She has been a part of our team since May of 2013! She really enjoys helping the guys around the warehouse. When she’s not at work she spends a lot of time with her family. Her hobbies are reading, watching sports, going to the gym and playing computer/video games. And she attended San Antonio College. Nadia helps make ATR successful everyday!

Jay Dronenberg is the Computer Technician at the Pontiac, IL site. He began his career with ATR back in April 2014. He enjoys being able to take computers apart and being able to build new ones.

Even in his spare time Jay has a computer repair business and is studying to become A+ certified. He also likes to go fishing, ride four wheelers and help out on his family’s farm. On the weekends in the summertime he watches his dad drag race his ’72 Nova. Last September Jay and his girlfriend adopted a Boxer mix puppy named Marley from the local humane society. Jay said that his favorite moment at ATR was the employee appreciation picnic that was held over the summer.

Heather Long is the Team Lead at our Birmingham, AL location. She has been with the company since February 2014 and was hired on as the office/warehouse support but became the Team Lead in September. She enjoys being able to educate people on the hows/whys of recycling, the impact on the environment, why we do things a certain way, how different elements can affect the environment and people.

When she’s not at work, Heather really likes to read. Typically she can finish two books a week. In December she will celebrate her 8 year wedding anniversary with her husband who she met when she was in the Navy and she has a 4 year old son. She married into Alabama football, Roll Tide! But attended Oklahoma State University and Coastline Community College and has a degree in Business Administration. She also has a Miniature Schnauzer named Tucker and a fish named Rocco.

Peggy Walkley is the Administrative Assistant for our Grand Rapids, MI branch. She started with ATR back in June. When asked what Peggy likes about ATR she said that she would definitely not call her job boring, there’s always something new going on. She also likes working with intelligent people who are easy to get along with and can make her laugh!

When she’s not at work, Peggy likes reading and watching movies/TV shows about Science Fiction and Fantasy and gaming. Some interesting facts about her are that she was in the Army Reserves and was adopted. Peggy has three cats named Jewel, Rocky and Cory. She is currently in her last quarter at ITT Technical Institute for her Associates in Network Systems Administration. After she gets that she plans to continue at ITT for a Bachelors in Information Security.

Jashad Bishop works at the San Antonio, TX location as a driver/warehouse worker. He started with the company back in July of 2013. His coworker, Maria Prindle calls him the King of Dis-assembly; she said that he can take anything apart! Bishop is a writer and enjoys writing poems about his son Zion. When he’s not working, he likes to shop and work out to stay fit. He is a track scholar and attended college in Austin at HBCU. Bishop said that he likes when ATR has company get together s like the Christmas party because it shows employee appreciation.

Annie Harpenau is the Asset Recovery eCommerce Specialist. She handles the eBay and Amazon sales, Employee Buyback program, Small Wholesale, Donations, the online Retail store, ATR Auction, some social networking and developed the program for selling laptops in Habitat Restores. In November Annie will have been working at ATR for 4 years. Annie really enjoys doing the Employee Buyback program and working with the Habitat for Humanity Restores. Her favorite experience with ATR is definitely the annual Christmas party!

In her spare time Annie does different crafts. She upcycles vintage wood pieces, builds dollhouses and makes shelves. She has built quite the collection of pink tools for her projects, even her drill is pink! Her dad and brother built Annie’s low-rider pickup truck that she plans to paint green. She holds an Associate’s Degree from Heartland Community College, where she studied Accounting and Psychology. She has two cats and two children, Noah and Tristan who are 6 and 8. Annie is getting married October 31, 2015 and having a Halloween themed wedding!

Maria Prindle is the San Antonio Site Supervisor. She has been a part of the ATR team since January 25, 2013. Maria started out working at our Grand Rapids, MI facility but took the opportunity to express her strength as a leader when San Antonio was looking for a manager and someone with computer experience. Plus she wanted to take advantage of the warmer climate! She said that her favorite part of working at ATR is teaching her team new things, she likes to see them enjoy learning new tasks. Personally, Maria likes to work on and fix electronics.

In her spare time, Maria likes to fish and watch sports. Although she no longer lives in Michigan she remains a fan of the Detroit Tigers. She loves the San Antonio Spurs and believes that they took the championship this year because she is now a resident! Maria considers herself to be a Sci-Fi junkie, even naming her two cats Luke and Leigha. She is a mother of 4 and grandmother to 8 beautiful grandchildren. In June her son welcomed a baby boy named Emmet and in September she will be getting another granddaughter. Maria attended Grand Rapids Community College and graduated top of her class in Computer Support Technology. Maria said “I like working for ATR, they care for the health and safety of their employees as well as keeping us happy.”

Laurie Benningfield joined the ATR team back in August 2012. She was hired on as the receptionist and 9 months later became a Logistics Coordinator. She helps schedule trucks in and out of all of our facilities. You can also find her helping out around the office whenever needed, doing database work or helping make ATR a safer workplace by contributing to our Safety Committee.

Before coming to ATR Laurie managed a restaurant and worked with special needs students at her local high school. In July Laurie and her husband will celebrate their 17^th wedding anniversary. She has a daughter who will be attending Emmaus Bible College this fall and a son who will be a sophomore in high school and a 3 year old Pug named Frankie. Laurie is a very active member in her church, New Beginnings Christian Fellowship. She helps with secretarial/database work, as well as helping organize the Summer Sports Camp. Her favorite sports teams are the Bears, Cubs and she likes NASCAR. In her spare time she enjoys reading, fishing, gardening and spending time with her family.