Glennette Christian is new manager

After nearly 31 years of service, Mary McAdams of Tarkio is retiring from Northwest Missouri Industries in Rock Port. Mary began working for the company, which was called NOWEMO, December 1, 1986, as a van driver and supervisor. She became the assistant manager in 1991 and then became the manager in 2008 following the retirement of manager John Scott.
Mary has spent over 30 years working for the company that provides employment for the developmentally disabled in this area. Over the years, the company has provided a number of services. From packaging the dog treats “Greenies” for the original owners (who eventually went to automation and then sold the company), to making fishing lures and putting together Hallmark picture frames, to packaging candy, to making gutter fasteners, to labeling and collating, to mowing and janitorial work; there really hasn’t been a job that the workshop did NOT do.
Though she has worked with a great bunch of employees over the years, Mary said cuts to funding of the workshop and even budget cuts of businesses who used to hire out the NWMI employees have made for some turbulent times. The biggest challenge continues to be finding work for the employees. But through it all, NWMI keeps on trucking.
Mary said that she will miss the people she works with the most and the fun outings the employees were able to go on or participate in. She said she’s enjoyed her time spent at NWMI and enjoys reminiscing about some of the more memorable happenings over the years. There were breakdowns, and hard times, too, on occasion, but everyone always found a way to make it work. She said even the employees don’t seem to forget the jobs and the fun they’ve had. While they were all reminiscing recently, one employee, when asked if he remembered how a job was done on a project completed many years ago, performed the task immediately from memory, a task Mary joked she couldn’t remember how to do.
Mary said it will be different not coming to work each day and seeing the smiling faces, but she’s also looking forward to being able to have more free time to spend with her children and grandchildren. Her last day as manager is Friday, November 17. A retirement reception will be held in her honor that day from 12 noon to 2 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
Mary has been training her replacement, Glennette Christian of Tarkio, who began at Northwest Missouri Industries September 18. Glennette and her husband, Michael Christian, Jr., who is the Tarkio Assembly of God pastor, recently moved to Tarkio from a 14 year-stint in Alaska. Glennette worked at different school districts in Alaska and worked with the developmentally disabled. She also has a background in grant writing, which will come in handy with this new position.
Glennette said so far things have been going great and she’s loving her new position and the people she’s met. Some of these people include the 16 certified employees and 10 staff members that she will oversee in the day-to-day management of operations. These operations include running a greenhouse on site, as well as mowing and maintenance of the rest and truck parking areas, car detailing, recycling computers and aluminum cans, putting hardware and foam packing on picture frames made by Howell Moulding of Olathe, Kansas, picking and packaging squirrel corn to sell to Earl May (NWMI is also looking into possibly doing some labeling for Earl May as well), landscaping, planting, and watering flowers on Main Street in Rock Port, and other jobs that might become available. The employees even picked grapes recently for the winery in Mound City. Glennette is looking forward to the years to come at NWMI and seeing to its continued success.