March Employee Spotlight: Karen Wiedenfeld

Location: Norfolk, NE

Title at Mahaska: Administrative Assistant

Years at Mahaska: 1.5 years

What was your job before coming to Mahaska

I worked for a beer distributor for 17 years.   Due to a change in ownership, my job was eliminated.  I guess I’m a person who doesn’t like to switch jobs!

What drew you to Mahaska originally? What have you gained from working at Mahaska?  

I love working in the beverage industry.  It’s about the same type of work that I had been doing in my previous job.  I love the variety of work and the employees here are great to work with too!

What does a typical day look like for you? 

Every day is different!   I spend a lot of time on the phone.  Anywhere from helping a customer, take pop orders, taking  vending repair calls, etc.  I call on selected coffee and pop customers and route the orders; make sure Norfolk, Humboldt, and Omaha routes are counted and registered; insure snack routes are counted and recorded in Parlevel; open mail; order supplies and whatever else comes along!   I do my best to assist our extended territories with any issues they have. 

Favorite Beverage that Mahaska distributes?

Pepsi Max

Favorite Snack that Mahaska distributes?

Snickers and M&M’s

What do you do outside of Mahaska for fun? 

My life outside of Mahaska is pretty simple.  I spend it with my kids and family as much as I can.  I love gardening, reading, crafts, Pinterest, playing cards, and playing board games.  I also like to follow the Huskers!

If you could pick a superpower, which would it be? Why?

A superpower I would pick would be to have a perfect memory. I would love to go back to the past and remember all the little details.  I guess storing great volumes of information in great detail would be fun!

What inspires you? 

My parents inspire me.  They were always there to support me in the things I chose to do with my life. They taught me to treat people fairly, overcome obstacles and work hard.  Hopefully, I have passed this on to my children.

If you had $1,000,000 how would you spend it?

If I had $1,000,000 I would pay off the farm.  I would build a new house and buy new vehicles.  I would then support my three kids by buying them a new house, new vehicles, their dream wedding, and pay off student debt.   I would also make sure my mom was taken care of.  I would invest more in retirement and of course travel!!

What is your favorite quote?

I don’t have a famous quote, just a saying that I saw on a card and have posted on my refrigerator–“The key to a happy life is knowing there’s more than one key.”


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