At Airways, one of the things that defines us as a group is our collective desire to help – help our customers achieve their shipping goals, help our vendors to maintain vibrancy in their businesses as they help us operationally, and help our sales agents in providing all of the services essential to their clients – thus making the wheels of the company turn for us all.
As alike as we are in our collective business goals at Airways, we are proud of the diversity of the individuals who make up our company. From so many backgrounds and outside interests, the organization is stronger because of it.
Recently, we sat down with Albert Kirk – another of our Domestic Operations Managers who has been with the company since January 16, 2006. Here is our interview:
AF: You have been in operations for a long time. Give us a rundown of your time here so far.
AK: I started on night operations, and was there for 1 year before moving to days in January of 2007 where I have been for the last 10 years. As a domestic operator, the job is fast paced most days – quoting shipments, booking orders, and providing customer service to the agents and customers that make Airways what it is. There isn’t a dull day. Each shipment requires attention from the time it’s booked to the time it’s invoiced.
AF: I know you were born and raised in Arkansas but now reside in Oklahoma. Can you share what circumstances took you across the border?
AK: I moved to Oklahoma in 2009 after I got married. My wife, Tashina grew up in Colcord, OK and didn’t have interest in moving to Arkansas. We bought a house close to Siloam Springs because it wouldn’t cause me to drive any further (to work) than where I lived in Arkansas. We have now built a new house in Colcord to be more comfortable with the 4 kids.
AF: Wow, 4 kids! Boys and girls? What are their ages? Is the house still under construction, or have you already moved in?
AK: We have 2 boys and twin girls. Logan is 7, Eli is 5, and Kaylynn and Rylee are 3. We completed construction on our house in December 2016 and moved in 2 weeks before Christmas.
AF: I know you’re into gardening. How big is your garden and what crops do you grow? Are there any other farming projects (livestock, etc.) that you do?
AK: I do enjoy gardening. It’s a hobby that I hope one day my kids will appreciate and grow to love as much as I do. This is a first-year garden, and is approximately 25’x60′, I plant the basics – squash, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, corn, onions, watermelon, and cantaloupe. I am trying my luck with brussels sprouts this year. At this time, I am not involved with many farming projects. From time to time I will help my Father in law with his beef cattle. I am hoping by this fall we will have our fence fixed and able to get a few cattle of our own to raise; primarily for beef, but we are also discussing getting a milk cow for fresh milk. I enjoy farming and would one day like to transition into it has a full-time profession.
AF: So farming’s on the bucket list, that’s cool. What else is on your someday dream list? Any travel, vacations or other activities that spring to mind?
AK: I am a pretty simple guy. I like to stay at home most of the time. I’m not a big traveler. No trips are planned in the immediate future. I enjoy woodworking. I have repaired and restored cedar chests, the oldest of which was built in 1951 by my wife’s grandfather when he was a Junior in high school. I typically mill my own lumber for my projects. I have built custom cedar furniture for a few family friends. I hope that this fall I will be able to get back into doing that.
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