SunSouth 2011 Employee of the Year
January/February 2012-Volume 6, Edition I
In This Issue Employee of the Month…………..…1 Employee of the Year……………….1 Birthdays……………………….……2 New Hires………………………..….2 Guess Who………………………......2 Employee Announcements………….4
Employee Of the Month
Lisa Whitman – Auburn, AL We would like to congratulate Ms. Lisa Whitman, Admin at the Auburn Location, on being chosen as our employee of the year! Lisa has been with the company for over 7 years! She is dedicated to providing the best in customer support, and helping out in the store wherever she is needed. She has spent time learning the processes of all the departments, and is willing to lend a hand at any time. As always, the employee of the year gets their choice of a paid vacation, or the equal amount in cash. We hope that this is as much a blessing to Lisa, as she is to our company. Thank you Lisa, you certainly set the standard for quality work, quality attitude, and for Providing the Best Service Under the Sun.
Blake Shropshire Congratulations to Blake Shropshire for being chosen as our JanuaryFebruary Employee of the Month! Blake is a Parts Clerk at our Clanton Location. He has been with SunSouth for over 3 years. Blake has always gone above and beyond his job description, and is always willing to help out wherever he is needed. He is well liked by customers and his fellow employees. Thank you Blake for your continued dedication to SunSouth, and for providing the best service under the sun!
January & February Birthdays Dewayne Williams Stephen Hammon Jared Ingle Dave Kleinschnitz Cindy Holmes Bill Fetter David Key Greg Miliner Ben Whitehead Tyler Dunn Melanie Helms James King Ira Henderson Johnny Avirett Brock Harrell Zachary Morris Rusk Still Jimmy Ellis Joe Bailey Judy Rudd Greg Massey Brock Cornett Brett Ennis Robert Kitchens Erik Cyphers Tommie Majure Robert Chandler Marc Holmes Jaime Ogle Grant Fountain Alton Lowry Adam Schieferstein Michelle Day Steve Crews Sue Pridgen Gary Henderson David Martin Larry Simpson Jeff Easterling Wesley Mullinax Patrick Brice Carla Jones Josh Mathews Brian Sullinger Derrick Maddox David Parkman Cindy Key Marty Howard Tina Overstreet Katrina Clancy
Employee Hay Baler Clinic in Auburn
SunSouth employees participated in a company wide square and round baler clinic that was hosted in Auburn this year. Thank you to all the employees that came out for it and helped get everything together! It was a huge success!
Can You Guess Who?
Find Out in the next Edition of the SunSouth Connections Answer from last edition: Drew Shirley
The temptation to time the market during a downturn is so strong that some investors stop contributing to their 401(k) plans in hopes of avoiding losses during the turmoil. But a decision to stop funding your 401(k), even temporarily, can prove to be a costly mistake that may derail plans for a fulfilling retirement. In light of the elimination of many company pension plans and doubts surrounding the stability of the Social Security system, the 401(k) plan is the most significant retirement savings vehicle for many workers. But to fully leverage its power, it is important to stay the course and continue to contribute — in good times and bad. One variable frequently overlooked by investors who stop contributing to their 401(k) during a downturn is the money that will be lost in matching contributions that are paid by many companies. When you stop contributing to your plan, you lose this match, which in some cases can be as much as a dollar for every dollar you invest — an immediate 100 percent return on your investment. By continuing to contribute toward your 401(k) plan during a downturn, you will also be able to take advantage of attractive market prices. Because 401(k) investments are deducted from your paycheck at regular intervals, the vehicle enables you to use the principles of dollar-cost averaging. During periods of extended market volatility, there is often an opportunity to invest when prices are low. Therefore, by sitting tight and maintaining your 401(k) contributions, there’s a good chance you might pick up some bargains for your plan’s portfolio. Of course, a periodic investment plan such as dollar-cost averaging does not assure a profit or protect against a loss in declining markets. If you’re not happy with your recent 401(k) performance, it may be time to take a closer look at your plan’s asset allocation. Most companies that offer 401(k) plans provide employees with a wide range of investment options, but many employees fail to take advantage of this selection and concentrate the bulk of their accounts in just one or two of the choices available. Diversification is the key to long-term 401(k) investment returns. By allocating your assets into different types of holdings, including stock funds, bond funds, balanced funds, and in some cases international funds, you can often offset declines that may occur in any one sector of the market. To determine which allocation mix is best suited to your financial objectives, it’s important to consider risk tolerance and proximity to retirement. Typically, as workers get closer to retirement, a more conservative allocation strategy is favored in an attempt to shield the savings from sudden market drops. But there are many factors that could influence your decision. For assistance with asset allocation, you should talk with a professional financial advisor. There’s no question that contributing to a 401(k) during a volatile market can try the patience of even the most experienced investors. But by trying to time the market, you could miss out on significant gains. By staying the course and continuing to fund your plan, you can position yourself to reap the rewards of any future rebound in the market.
SunSouth Would like to Welcome these New Employees! Carrollton Jon Denney Willis Huckeba Kim Taylor James Spruill Greg Parrish David Hodnett Buna Brooks David Norton
Demopolis Patrick Bice
Tuscaloosa Caylon Latham
You can review your accounts and make changes via www.mcak.com or by calling 1.800.972.4015 or 1.800.442.4015
Christmas Time at SunSouth As a company, SunSouth employees know its Christmas time when “Pictures with Santa” day rolls around. As in previous years, many of our stores had amazing turn outs for this event! “Pictures with Santa” is a great way for us to get involved with our local communities! Thank you to all the employees and family that helped make this another successful year.
Family Activities Gail Howard of the Blakely store coached the 7 & 8 year old (Early County C-Team) cheer squad this fall during football season. They went on to a cheer competition on Oct 29th and won 2nd place! Great Job Girls!
Miss Libby Parkman had the opportunity to meet one very special person, Aubie! Libby is the daughter of Drew Parkman, Salesman of the Columbus store! Go Tigers!
Kim Walker’s Peanut Butter Cake Cake 1 box yellow cake mix (Kim prefers Duncan Hines) 3 eggs 1 1/3 cup water 1/3 cup oil ½ cup peanut butter (Kim prefers “Jif Natural”)
Icing 1 8 ounce cream cheese, softened 1 stick butter, softened 1 box confectioners sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup peanut butter 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions Mix cake according to box directions. Add peanut butter and mix in well. Bake according to box directions. (I bake in 4 layers, 325 degrees, 14 minutes.) Beat cream cheese and butter. Add sifted confectioners sugar about ½ box at a time. Add vanilla and peanut butter. Add only enough milk as needed to make icing creamier. Ice cooled cake.
SunSouth Locations: Dothan, AL 168 Ross Clark Circle • 334.794.0691 800.794.0691 • 334.793.1774
Abbeville, AL 809 Columbia Road • 334.585.5525 800.756.5631 • 877.862.9274
Andalusia, AL 16607 US Hwy 84 • 334.222.3294 334.222.3358
Blakely, GA 6675 Chancey Mill Road • 229.723.3595 800.533.2591 • 229.723.3530
Brundidge, AL 8285 Hwy 231 • 334.735.2383 334.566.2227 • 334.735.3515
Columbus, GA 30 Parkman Avenue • 706.837.0024 706.837.0634
Donalsonville, GA 5211 Hwy 39 • 229.524-2449 • 229.524.6660
LaGrange, GA 3452 Hogansville Road • 706.837.0024 • 706.837.0634
Montgomery, AL 1975 Forbes Drive • 334.834.6340 800.489.6340 • 334.834.6360
Auburn, AL 1780 East Glenn Avenue • 334.502.2488 • 334.502.2860
Samson, AL 3 West Main Street • 334.898.7156 334.898.7484
Clanton, AL 1009 7th Street • 205.755.0475 205.755.7227
Carrollton, GA 2904 Hwy 27 South•770.838.9696 770.834.6908
Demopolis, AL 2660 1181 Macnamara Road• 334.289.5966 334.289.1820
Tuscaloosa, AL 3610 Skyland Boulevard E. • 205.556.7700 205.556.7009