Day in the Life: Colton
It’s Monday morning, 8am sharp, and the warehouse garage door rolls open with a hard day’s work in view for our warehouse staff. A single Air Pod plays low beats of hip hop and R&B to fuel the morning productivity – Colton starts his day by shipping out materials that had been waiting for quality checks before being packed and labeled. Coming back from the holiday weekend, there were more shipments than usual, but each package is still handled with care and attention.
“We start off shipping, [picking tickets] that were done [the day before], then we work on the picking tickets as they come in,” Colton explains, describing the flow of day-to-day operations.
As the functional parts of the warehouse begin to move smoothly between the team of two, other tasks emerge and are tackled without hesitation. Taylor and Luke back their truck in, and Colton steps in to help load the Bison cabinet and AMI system antenna so they can head out for their next installation. With that complete, it’s on to the next warehouse task.
That day, a total of fifteen shipments needed to be prepped and ready before FedEx arrives for the afternoon pick up. In between, Colton pulls products according to incoming picking tickets from customer service. One of those tickets is for two hundred Sonata Ultrasonic Residential Meters bound for the City of Sherman. These newer meters – featuring 4G capabilities – require careful programming to meet the distinct needs of each utility partner.
The process begins by scanning each individual meter into the ARAD Programming Software, then setting the frequencies for AMI or AMR, adjusting the gear ratios, and configuring meteorological parameters. After setup, Colton runs a full suite of tests to ensure every meter is accurately tailored to each specification. “Knowing solutions in case programming doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to is important to make sure we’re getting the job done right,” Colton says, speaking to the occasional programming challenges and how he addresses them.
Colton has been a warehouse associate for just over a year and has shown remarkable growth in his role – adapting quickly, picking up industry knowledge, and mastering product handling. “I’ve learned a lot about all different types of meters, and their uses, and how the water industry works,” he shares.
Looking ahead, Colton sees opportunities for continued growth in the company. With a strong work ethic and a supportive team around him, he says confidently that “it’s a great place to work,” and he’s excited about where the journey might lead next.