Sharan Bolster: 47-Year Employee Trades Hairnet for Cowboy Hat

Editor’s Note: Another Mack is ME! post, this series spotlights the people and personalities behind our services. Check back frequently or subscribe to the feed, as these profiles will be interspersed with news updates on a regular basis. We hope you’ll enjoy getting to know us!

Name: Sharan Bolster

Title: Finisher, Headquarters Plant

Her job? As a finisher, Sharan builds, inspects and tests final product before it is shipped to customers. She has worked on many lines in her near-48 years at Mack, ranging from computer and business equipment to medical devices.

Favorite Mack project: Thinking back over her 4+ decades of projects at Mack, the one that shines through as her favorite was the Pitney Bowes WOW (Weigh-on-the-Way) line, a digital mailing system that weighs finished mail. Although she states that building the product was interesting, what really made it fun were the people. “The people I worked with were some of the greatest,” she recalls. “Even though the product was fun to put together, they made it an even better experience.”

Experience: Sharan began working at Mack at the age of eighteen. “Straight out of high school,” she says, “on September 26, 1966!” She launched her career in the finishing department of the East Arlington plant, the headquarters plant at that time, but when the “new building” was built and headquarters moved, Sharan moved right along with it.

Changes in Mack: The most dramatic change Sharan notices about Mack over the years is its size. She notes that not only has the company gotten physically larger and added facilities, but it has expanded into different markets and grown in personnel as well. “When I started, it was just a little company—a lot of families worked here,” says Sharan. “Now it’s a lot bigger, but it’s still a family company.”

Personal life:  Sharan lives in the Town of Sunderland, Vt., with her husband, Henry, who works at Mack in the metals department. “We met right over at the East Arlington plant!” Sharan says. They have a grown daughter, Ruth, who along with her husband, Todd, lives right next door to Sharan and Henry. “I get to have a lot of family time,” says Sharan.

When not at work: When she’s not working, Sharan is a cowgirl at heart. Growing up around animals, she now has what her daughter calls “a small farm” of chickens and goats. Her favorite summer activity is attending Saturday night rodeos in Castleton, Vt., with her family. At the urging of her sister, Sharan attended her first rodeo a few years ago and, after seeing the bull riders (her favorite event), she was hooked. “They get bucked off and keep coming back for more!” she says. “It’s so entertaining to watch!”

Her other favorite activity is spending time with her husband, daughter and son-in-law.

Life after Mack: With her new-found free time, Sharan plans to go to as many rodeos as possible! She is also looking forward to spending more time with family. “I just like to be with my family as much as possible,” she says. Sharan has enjoyed her past 47 years (and 8 months, she’s quick to add!) at Mack, and is sad to say goodbye. “It’s such a great place to work,” she says. “Everyone is so nice and easy to get along with.”

While we will miss her smile and always positive attitude, we wish Sharan many more rodeos and the best in her retirement!