Whitney Ferguson spends most of her days immersed in the finances of Engrave-A-Crete. As accounting supervisor, she's kept busy working with customer financing, paying bills and other economic matters that keep the company ticking.
“I like working with people and I love accounting. That's all I've ever done,” Whitney says. “I worked in the public sector for so long that it's kind of interesting to come over and work for a manufacturing company.”
Her love for numbers made choosing a career easy for Whitney. She's well qualified for her job at Engrave-A-Crete, and she works to keep herself up to date on accounting regulations and practices.
“I graduated from Drury University with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting, and then I earned an MBA from Columbia College,” Whitney says. “I worked, and still do, in the public sector preparing tax returns. I also have several monthly accounting clients for whom I do everything from payroll to reporting to full-scale accounting needs, and I consult with them about year-end planning. I stay current in the accounting field by taking continuing education every year. I also do a lot of self-taught courses.”
Moving from primarily the public sector to private industry has been enjoyable for Whitney. Her experience with accounting clients in the food industry, furniture business, and hardwood lumber companies helped make her transition to Engrave-A-Crete a smooth one.
“I never had any prior experience in the decorative concrete industry at all. It's been interesting to work for a manufacturing company and learn lots of new things. I think it helps that my husband and I own a water pump business, so I bring with me the perspective of a business owner.
Whitney believes in hard work and loves learning new things.
“Success drives me,” Whitney says. “Money pushes me some, I'm sure, but mainly it's success and learning new things. I think that comes from my parents. They both went through college, they both work hard, and that's how I was brought up. I'm just a motivated person! Someday I'd like to learn computer programming, and maybe even become a high school business teacher.”
Not everything hinges on work though. Whitney manages to find plenty of time for reading and spending time with her family.
“I love to hang out with my girls, who are 4 and 7,” Whitney says. “We like to play outside, play sports and just hang around the house. Our family also goes to lots of basketball games.”