Juggling & Fishing
For Matt, every day on the job is a juggling act. He manages two sites about 45 minutes apart. He has a crew of 70 associates who speak 5 different languages. And he is getting ready to work through a serious equipment upgrade at his largest site. Just getting to work can be a chore, with an average one-way commute of 90 minutes.
Matt started his recycling career as a metal sorter at a Leadpoint site near Tacoma. Over the next 5 years, he moved to the dock and gradually worked his way up to operating heavy equipment and working in the scale house. When he was ready for his next move, Matt earned the onsite role at Rabanco in Seattle.
“Getting in here at Rabanco and seeing how everything operates is pretty impressive,” Matt said. “The main site is good-sized, and we’ve built a good relationship with our customer. We both have the same goal; to get a better product, safely, every shift, every day.”
The team is strong, too, and is getting better and better. “The work full time, guaranteed and essential,” he says, “because garbage will always be there.”
Away from the plant, Matt finds peace of mind at the end of a fishing line. “I fish on the weekends as much as I can. I like fly fishing, fishing from the shore or from a friend’s boat. I grew up fishing. I keep some to eat and give a lot away.”