Leading the Way, Recycling Style 

Pirkle introduced himself and described what Mid America Paper Recycling is all about “Our brand identity is growing the worth of your paper waste, and helping our customers grow the value of the waste they generate more in more economical and efficient ways,” he said.

Ameen asked him what some of the best things are about being Mid America’s president, to which Pirkle replied, “We have the opportunity to set the recycling mission, vision and strategy for the company and executive them.” He followed with an analogy about his past experiences as an athlete, learning from his coaches who tried to expand his horizons and challenge him to do more, focusing on what he wanted to achieve in his future careers. 

“To see our employees follow through on their missions and execute their wins and successes are the most important things for me,” he said. “That’s the most gratifying thing. Leading a team and facing the challenges on the road ahead is most rewarding. ”

Pirkle emphasizes that CEOs must clearly communicate all the time, which is difficult, but essential so that everyone is on board with what’s expected. 

“Setting goals on how to move forward is and continuing to reinforce process steps is where the challenges come in” he added. I have based my career off two philosophies: one is continuous improvement, which basically is about finding a key for every lock, and one is about continuing to build your resume even if you’re not transitioning into a new role. Continually adding your achievements to your resume while you’re growing, learning, and benefitting from the work you do each day is a beneficial tool. If I can impress the importance of that, it would be wonderful for our employees and for me.”

How does Pirkle celebrate wins and accomplishments? “Right now, with the COVID-19 situation, we host events that are doable and find creative ways to acknowledge and celebrate and have some fun. It is so important.”