Job: Front service clerk, Loganville
What I do: H. Marvin Wilson won't ask if you want paper or plastic when he bags your groceries at the Publix store near downtown Loganville. "I know my customers and which want paper or plastic," he said.
Wilson, 73, is in the latest of several jobs -- agriculture inspector, missionary and retiree -- working as a bagger, mostly for the exercise.
He greets customers with a cheerful wave and introduces co-workers with an enthusiastic friendliness. He and the other baggers don't just bag groceries and carry them to customers' cars. When there's a call for a cleanup in one of the aisles, that's their job, along with making sure there are enough bags at each register, keeping the restrooms well-supplied and making the complimentary coffee.
"Anytime there's a spill, that's the No. 1 priority," he said.
While he's been working at Publix about five years, the food industry is nothing new for Wilson. He was a state meat inspector in slaughterhouses, a produce inspector in Columbus and a poultry grader for chickens and eggs.
"I liked working in the slaughterhouse," he said. "I grew up on a farm [in Cherokee County], so, to me, it's not a big deal."
Wilson was a missionary in Liberia with the United Methodist Church and later worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development in Africa, helping set up agricultural extension services.
In addition, he administers a scholarship he set up at Reinhardt College in Waleska in memory of his parents, who met there. Publix contributes matching funds to the scholarship, which benefits the son or daughter of a missionary or clergy person or a student of West African descent.
It's the bagging and carry-out service that keep him busiest these days.
"Many customers appreciate the carry-out service, especially women at night," Wilson said. "I'm a stickler for carrying out -- and my customers know that."
What got me interested in this: "Exercise," Wilson said. He walks five to eight miles a day to stay healthy after having heart bypass surgery more than six years ago.
"I looked for a job that had walking involved," he said. "I saw a carry-out while I was at the deli counter and asked, 'You hiring?' "
Best part of my job: "The people" -- customers, co-workers and management, he said.
Most challenging part: "When somebody has been sick, and you have to clean it up," he said.
What people don't know about my job: That there's a national bagging contest. While it's geared to younger people -- the prize is a scholarship -- Wilson said he entered it to polish his skills. "I did good," he said.
The contest is more than making sure the bread and eggs aren't in the bottom of the bag. It involves timing and good bagging practice, such as making sure that wet and dry items aren't in the same bag and that household cleaners aren't bagged with the hamburger meat. Publix also trains its baggers to separate poultry, seafood and red meats.
What keeps me going: "The thought of seeing my regulars," he said. Wilson also shares support with one of the cashiers; both of them are undergoing treatment for cancer.
Preparation needed for this job: Baggers get in-store training on how to bag and do it quickly. There's also training in using the various cleaning products to keep the stores spotless.
Wilson has a bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Georgia and a master's degree in agriculture from the University of Florida. He's also studied French at Universite Laval in Quebec and has taken a lay pastor's course at Emory University.
- By Karl W. Ritzler, for ajcjobs. Got an interesting job that you love? E-mail your story to jobseditor@ajc.com.