Mary Zech
Estimating Department – Saint Joseph, Michigan
At Walsworth, I am the Estimating Coordinator in Saint Joseph, Michigan. I am the liaison between the estimators and sales reps, which means I process quote requests and prepare them for the estimators and then send out completed quotes once they are done, maintain our files, and do weekly and monthly estimating reports. This is the only title I have held at Walsworth, and I am happy in this position.
Daily, I print quote requests, pull previous quotes for revisions or references, and prepare the requests for the estimators to work on. After they complete the quotes, they give them to me to send to the sales reps, who send them to prospects and customers, and I file everything back where it belongs.
July 2, 2022, will be my four-year anniversary at Walsworth. Prior to coming here I had no previous printing experience.
For many years, I had been interested in publishing and wanted to be an Editor. In 2000 I was accepted into the famed Radcliffe Publishing Course for an intensive six-week summer program. The Radcliffe Publishing Course was established in 1947 at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Mass. In 1999, Radcliffe formally merged with Harvard University to create the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study—a major center for interdisciplinary research. They have now relocated to Columbia School of Journalism.
After working in Chicago for 11 years and commuting three hours each way from my house in Michigan for six years, my position there was terminated, and I was lucky and thrilled to find an opening at Walsworth, just 3 miles from home. I laughed on my first morning, when it only took me 6 minutes to get to work!
It still amazes me every time I walk through the plant and see the enormous rolls of paper and the speed of the machines. I feel very proud about some of the material we have printed for prestigious colleges and awards shows. I love that every day I have the same routine, but with different customers, prospects and materials, so my work is always fresh and different, too.
If I had a personalized mug at work, maybe it would say “Please Recycle” or “Be Kind to Animals” because I am passionate about those things. “Have courage and be kind” is also a phrase that struck me from the movie Cinderella.
I have a dog, Hazel, who is a Black Lab/Rottweiler mix, and two cats, Sophie and Molly, who are all rescues.
My co-workers have great senses of humor and make it a pleasant environment to work in. I like that my job is always busy, but not stressful. I enjoy keeping up with the pace and getting everything done and leaving with a clean desk every day.
A fun fact about me is I taught myself French well enough to get a job at the French Consulate and the French Library in Boston, where I lived for four years.
When I’m not at work, I have volunteered for Therapeutic Equestrian Center and United Way to help my community and am a member of the American Legion Auxiliary in my parents’ nearby hometown. I also donate to ASPCA and sponsor a child in Ghana through Compassion International.
I enjoy playing tennis, riding my bike, going for walks, snow skiing, horseback riding, hiking and traveling.
Our company picnics stand out in my mind as fun times when we get to meet and spend time with people from other departments in a casual, relaxed, atmosphere with fun games and great prizes.
Walsworth gives me financial stability and opportunities to learn new skills that I will carry with me into my future. I have made new friends and acquaintances through work, which makes me feel like a stronger member of my community, especially since working 100 miles from home for so many years and feeling like I didn’t know many local people.
