PMG Employee Spotlight with Sonya T.

Sonya is in her 6th year with PMG, currently working as the Accounting Manager.

About me

I grew up in South St. Paul. Things changed with my family when I was 17.  While everyone moved out of state, I stayed in Minnesota. I’ve been on my own ever since. I had my daughter when I was still young (19) and I had to grow up really fast. After that I worked a variety of odd jobs for years. I got married, then divorced, and finally decided to go back to school in my late 20s. That’s how I found my way into accounting which eventually led me here.

What are your main responsibilities in your position?

As the Accounting Manager, I directly manage and oversee the payroll and billing for our team. I’m the main point of contact for accounting questions from both internal and external sources. I also directly oversee all payables and receivables. In addition, I do a lot with end of month reporting and general clean up (of the books). I handle a lot of one-off projects that aren’t “regular” day-to-day tasks. I work alongside other departments for improving and refining current processes as well.

How did you learn about the opportunity with PMG?

I started in 2014. It was kind of a department of one at that time. They were ready to grow and couldn’t find the right person to work with our CFO. I came in as a Staff Accountant and I’ve been here ever since. Now we’re a 5-person department and it’s been really exciting and fulfilling to get to grow personally and professionally, from Staff Accountant to Senior Accountant and now Accounting Manager, while PMG and our Accounting department has grown too!

What do you like most about your job?

I’m never bored. While we have the same tasks to do each week (e.g. process payroll, billing, collections), it is never the same every week. There’s always a new twist to keep things interesting. I really like working with numbers, so I’ve never really disliked any of my accounting jobs. I like that my work in this department lets me work with pretty much every PMG department. It gives me the opportunity to learn a lot and it keeps things interesting. My role creates opportunities to accomplish things that allow me to get the kind of satisfaction that lets me really feel proud of myself every day too. I love that, knowing that I’m good at what I do! That helps me to assist other teams and coworkers to assist them with their roles as well.

What do you like most about working for PMG?

The things PMG does for their employees and the way they treat them! They take care of us. Nothing ever goes unrecognized. They give credit where credit is due. They don’t just appreciate employees, they also SHOW it. In the modern working world, that’s important. It’s awesome that PMG does that, whether it’s employee appreciation events, awards or other forms of recognition. The summer and winter company parties are pretty great too. PMG also supports us in pursuing a great work-life balance. Every employee at PMG had the opportunity to work remotely, long before COVID hit. When my personal life changed, and I chose to move to Florida and they fully supported my transition to a fully remote role. That was a great feeling! I also have the utmost respect for our senior leadership team and their support of our team. This is my forever job. I’m not going anywhere!

What advice would you give to a recent new hire at PMG?

Always be open to thinking outside of the box. While we have processes and procedures in place that are proven out, and they work, that doesn’t mean they can’t be improved or that you can’t be the one to improve them. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake either. The best workers are the ones that can make a mistake AND learn from it. I’m proof of that.

What did you do before coming to PMG?

I did a lot of different things before getting into accounting. I jumped from one job to another whenever I had the opportunity to learn more or stretch myself. The most interesting job I ever had was processing film at Qualex. You put a can of film on a machine that stripped it and loaded it on a light proof reel. Then we’d take them over to the developing department. Pretty much any Kodak film dropped off at any store in the area came to us and we made the magic happen. Then it went back to the customers as memories they’d have for life. It wasn’t going to be what I did for the rest of my life but it was really interesting.

What are some hobbies you do in your free time?

I enjoy going on cruises and vacationing. I like bowling and bingo and live music. I love the beach and the water, anything that gets me sunburned really. I also like to do crossword puzzles, read, and have a nice glass of Gray Goose occasionally (laughs). Since I’ve relocated to Florida, I’ve found I really like doing new things to learn the area and meet new people. Another thing I’ve come to love since moving is Sunday Funday during football season. I’m definitely not a Buccaneers fan just because I’m in Florida now. It’s even more fun to put on my Viking gear to go somewhere to watch the game and support my team, when I’m not necessarily the most common fan there, than it was when I was still in Minnesota.

Where is the best place you’ve traveled and why?

My very first cruise in 2018. Three friends and I went on a Caribbean cruise. We hit the Grand Cayman Islands, Mexico, and some other places. It was phenomenal! Also, it was the first time I took a full, week-long vacation since I started at PMG. And, it was the first time I’d been completely disconnected from everything since I first got a smartphone. Great moments, great memories, great fun…I loved that trip.

What celebrity/inspirational person do you admire the most?

Some of the young people in my life talked me into getting a TikTok account recently. I’ve found some people on there that are all about spreading positivity and I LOVE that! It’s something I’ve needed since the pandemic so when I go to their stuff I always smile. Some of my favorites are eddudez, JT_Laybourne, and scottdhenry.

What did you want to be when growing up?

I wanted to be a veterinarian. I’ve always loved animals and I thought that would be great. As I got older, I realized I’d have to go to as much school as doctors do. That seemed like too much work at the time. Then I took an accounting course in high school and fell in love with numbers. Eventually I ended up doing 8 years of night school anyway, while working full time, to get where I am now. Life is funny like that.

You’re happiest when…

I am in the water, or at the beach, with a drink in hand and music in the air. Alone or with friends, that is my happy place.

What’s your favorite restaurant and the must order there?

Since the COVID pandemic hit it’s really any place that supports Door Dash. I’m a wing girl. And spinach artichoke dip! But my go-to place is the local bowling alley. I’m comfortable going there by myself, even as a person new to the area, and I like that. Pretty much anywhere I go here has a table on the beach where I can watch the sun set over the Gulf. That’s what I moved to Florida for so they’re all good really.

What animal best describes you at work?

According to DeAnn (our CFO), I’m a bulldog because of the collections work I have to do for us, but I don’t know about that. I’d say a cougar and not just because of my age! I feel they’re fearless animals and they get what they go after regardless of what it takes.

A reader of my How It’s Made articles (find them here!) recently requested that I write an article about recycling. She, and many others she knows, find themselves wondering, “Can I recycle this? What can I recycle and what can’t I recycle?” With National Recycling Day coming up, (November 15, 2020) I thought the timing was perfect to share what is and isn’t recyclable.

Q: What Can I Recycle? What Can’t I Recycle?

A: In general, plastic, glass, metal, and paper products can be recycled. However, and this is important – there are many sub-categories of plastic, glass, metal and paper products that can’t be recycled. Additionally, what you can recycle depends upon the state you reside in. Click here to find a list of items that are accepted or unaccepted in your state. Read on for general rules of thumb, though!

Plastic

There are seven different types of plastic and not all of them are recyclable. If you take a look at the bottom of your nearest plastic bottle, you’ll find a triangle of arrows. The number inside the triangle is assigned to the type of plastic (or resin) your bottle is produced from. As an example, Minnesota only accepts items that have a 1, 2, or 5 inside the triangle. With a quick Google search, you can find the resins that your state recycles.

[av_image src=’https://www.pmgservices.com/content/uploads/2020/10/Plastic-Resins.jpg’ attachment=’8537′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ animation=’no-animation’ link=” target=” styling=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” custom_class=”][/av_image]

You can find the commonly questioned items below:

What Isn’t Recyclable

• Plastic Bags, Bubble Wrap, Plastic Wrap, Plastic Food Wrap
  • Although not recyclable in your general recycling facility, you can bring these items to an approved store drop-off location. Plug your zip code in here to find one near you!
• Hangers
• Toys or Beach Balls
• Plastic Utensils
• Six-Pack Rings
• Personal Hygiene Containers (i.e. toothpaste tubes, antiperspirant containers)
• Ziploc® Bags
• Plastic Buckets

Glass

With glass, there is a general rule of thumb to follow. Only glass that stored food or beverages can be recycled. Windows, vases, light bulbs, and drinking glasses are not recyclable because of the way in which they’re made and their melting points.

Metal

You can recycle aluminum cans (soda or beer cans) and soup cans (with labels on). Aluminum foil is not recyclable. Aerosol cans can be recycled in certain communities if they don’t or haven’t contained hazardous materials or chemicals. Check with your city or state to find out if they accept aerosol cans.

Lastly, scrap metal (metal furniture, bikes, car components, metal tubing/pipe, etc.) isn’t recyclable unless you take it to a specific metal recycling facility.

Paper

Then there are paper products. It’s everywhere. Newspaper, food containers, paper towels, napkins, mail, cardboard, magazines, and so much more. When it comes to paper, follow these best practices:

What Is Recyclable

• Soda/beer boxes, butter boxes
• Clean cardboard
• Paper grocery bags
• Newspapers and magazines
• Printer or office paper, including shredded paper
• General mail including those with the plastic address windows, staples, or paper clips

What Isn’t Recyclable

• Anything dirty in nature (i.e. greasy pizza boxes, to go containers, paper plates or paper towels)
  • This is only recyclable if you take it to an organics recycling facility, which is not your typical facility.
• Egg Cartons, Paper Towel or Toilet Paper Rolls
  • The material for these has already been recycled and the fiber is too short to recycle again.
• Coated Food Boxes/Tetra Pak Containers
  • Juice cartons, milk cartons, and frozen food cartons are coated to protect food that is raw or unwrapped. In the past, the coating would contaminate the recycling equipment. However, significant advances have been made for these materials. Check with your city or state to determine if they utilize equipment capable of recycling coated food boxes.
• Padded Envelopes
  • Padded envelopes are are not recyclable unless made from 100% paper. You can’t recycle an envelope padded with what looks like bubble wrap or plastic unless you separate the two materials.

In next month’s article, we will take an in-depth look at what happens in a recycling facility from incoming material to final product and all the processes in between.

Before then, take a look at the links below:

• This website gives an in-depth look at the recyclability of anything from candles, greeting cards, car seats, electronics, jewelry, paint, shingles, and rubber products.
• Click here to learn the history of recycling in America
• Click this link for 11 facts about recycling

See you next month!

Kim Mooney – Technical Manager & Coach 

We’re on a mission to improve break time for the American workforce one lunchbox at a time. From the shop to the warehouse to the field, production is powered by people who are fueled by food. And we’re sure most of us would appreciate something better in our brown bags. If you missed last month’s lunchbox hack, check it out on our blog page now. But, if you liked what you learned (or you’re just tired of the same old same old), read on to harvest the fruits of our (admittedly delicious) labor.

Tip

Good nutrition in your daily caloric intake is key but it won’t go far without proper hydration too! Most of us need to drink more water than we currently do. Some studies suggest that the typical adult male should consume as much as 125 ounces of fluids daily (slightly less for females). However, the old standby of drinking eight cups (8 oz.) of water each still serves most people well. Regardless, many of us still need to increase our daily water intake greatly. If you’re one of those that just can’t keep track, try using a water jug like this one from Igloo. Then you can start the day already knowing you’ll drink enough without needing to refill even once.

Trick

Bento boxes are great for separating lunch items to preserve freshness and prevent sogginess. But they can get expensive. Many people in the trades consider them too trendy or fancy for their own lunchbox too. If you’d like to reap the benefits of a bento box, without making it obvious, consider trying this life hack. All you need is a large ice cube tray, a sealed container and, voila, instant bento box!

Recipe

Is your midday menu getting stale? To mix it up, try this Homemade Hot Pocket recipe for something fun that is still easy to cook and reheat. They’re simple to pre-make in bulk and, if you make them flat rather than rounded, you’ll even be able to use a toaster to reheat them instead of a microwave. That way you get a crispy crunch to go with your healthy (guilt-free) lunch!

Josh Erickson, ReTool & Technical Solutions Associate