goTRG is made up of more than 2,000 diverse teammates across the globe operating under one vision: to revolutionize returns. With experts in every field from software and engineering to eCommerce and supply chain, we want to highlight the skilled teammates who elevate this company's mission every day. So each month, we'll hand over the metaphorical mic to a new goTRG teammate so you can better understand who we are and how we continually evolve as leaders in the industry.
Edwin Quinones found goTRG in 2014. Before joining the team, he worked at a Walmart Distribution Center and was looking for a chance to elevate his career. goTRG's Assistant Manager role in Rogers, Arkansas, was precisely the position he wanted. Over the years, Edwin remains just as committed to the team as he strives to continually set new precedents for the organization.
General Manager
Over to you, Edwin…
I’m writing this article on December 23rd–one day before the holiday madness that starts every year on Black Friday will abruptly end. You might think I'm looking forward to the calm after the peak season storm, but I thrive in the madness. So, as my Rogers Arkansas Team and I ship out the last remaining computers, tablets, and monitors for the year, I'm reminded of what an excellent 7-and-a-half-year ride it's been!
When I first started as the assistant manager in 2014, I helped oversee a small team of 15 people. At the time, we mainly focused on Apple iOS devices and computers on a much smaller scale. Adam Ziegler, SVP of Operations, was my mentor from day one, ensuring that our tiny yet rapidly growing facility kept up with the speed of demand.
I'll never forget Adam's visits in the early days with Sender Shamiss, our CEO. I was continually impressed by their vast knowledge of the industry, their ideas for growth, and how they always took the time to thoroughly walk the floor and commend our team's efforts. Those visits left me energized, and continue to do so today as the Rogers facility consistently improves.
Every year since I started, Rogers has received more and more products to inspect, repair, repackage, and resell. As a result, our team has expanded, and I've had the opportunity to grow professionally alongside them. Within a couple of years, our small computer program got so big that we needed to shift the iOS devices to a different location to begin receiving computers from all goTRG and Walmart returns centers. Soon after, our facility became Lenovo Certified, and we started receiving those devices, as well. Today, we continue dominating and innovating goTRG’s computer programs across categories and clients.
I'm a hands-on manager. I'm also bilingual in Spanish and English, which helps me communicate effectively with Roger's hard-working teammates. I don't sit in my office all day and bark orders. I'm not an office guy. Instead, I walk the floor to ask how I can help make people's jobs easier. The team appreciates that and is always honest and willing to step up. They do a fantastic job, and I don't mind bragging that I have the best crew, from our production staff and specialty positions to our leads, supervisors, operations managers, and my incredible Assistant GM, Colby Hobbs. We like to have fun, but we also hustle because we want to be the best performing goTRG facility worldwide.
Rogers is one of the most effective facilities. We are constantly giving site tours because our Center of Excellence runs like a well-oiled machine, and we're proud to show it off. Our innovators have created multiple software-based, in-house technology platforms to reduce wasteful touchpoints, and increase efficiency and recovery on every item.
Recently, we developed an automation to capture and send data wipe certifications to our server for fast and easy retrieval. Over the years, we’ve also developed best-in-class functionality testing, diagnostics, component identification, and repair capabilities. As a result we increased one client’s profits from $6.3M in 2019 to $9.9M in 2021. And although Rogers is a relatively small facility by square footage, we seamlessly processed over 550K computers in the last year alone. Simply put, computers are our wheelhouse; they're in our DNA. That's why we have the best and most consistent production numbers around.
We're also highly competitive. Simply refer to the prized trophy we won after beating goTRG's Bentonville facility in a friendly softball game. But I digress.
Our Facility doesn't operate in a vacuum, of course. Our success is a direct result of work ethic along with consistent support from the leaders at headquarters. Whenever we need anything to improve operations, they always say yes. This relationship has been especially significant lately as we've navigated through the pandemic.
Thanks to leadership guidance and the incredible Rogers teammates, many of whom have been there since day one, we never shut down amidst Covid. We took the proper precautions to keep our employees safe, and they continued showing up day after day. Despite the uncertainty, we provided a healthy environment and a way for teammates to continue earning money for their families. Overall, they really appreciated the company’s response, which made me feel good. We took care of our 260+ teammates, kept our clients happy, and continued bolstering goTRG's success.
When it comes down to it, making our clients, team, and company happy is precisely why I'm here. Hard work, success, and accountability are my core values and what lights me up about the job every day!
