Megan Muller
Sunny Eckman the Corporate Controller for Simon, the Colas USA subsidiary that operates throughout South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado. Sunny has been a part of the Colas USA Family since 2012 and has worked as a Payroll Accountant, Corporate Accountant, Senior Corporate Accountant, Accounting/Payroll Manager, and Central Regional Controller.
Read more about Sunny through the following spotlight.
Describe your role to someone who is not familiar with the construction industry or Colas USA.
The construction industry is highly labor-intensive with low margins. In other words, we’re in the business of resource management and cost control. I see myself as a bridge between operations and finance. Our operational team excels at what they do, and I strive to ensure that our actions in the field are accurately reflected in the financial statements.
What has been your favorite project so far?
My favorite part of my work is helping to implement standard processes across our three regions. My most recent favorite project was setting tier pricing and creating a general order that automatically updates prices when the tier pricing is adjusted. This project was a prerequisite for Simon to adopt a new JWS security change. I’m so proud of the team for embracing the idea and putting in the effort to make it happen.
What drew you to working within the construction industry?
It’s not what initially drew me to the construction industry, but what keeps me here. First and foremost, I enjoy working for Simon and Colas. While I don’t have much experience with other companies, I can confidently say that Simon and Colas always takes care of their employees. Working in the construction industry makes me feel like I’m making a positive impact on our communities. Additionally, I believe the construction industry lags in adopting new technology and standardizing processes. This is a daunting task, but it’s one I’m passionate about improving.
What motivates you to wake up and go to work every day?
As part of the team, what motivates me the most is ensuring I don’t let anyone down. Everyone has their responsibilities, and I strive to do my best every day, so the rest of the team doesn’t have to worry about my part. I can’t bear the thought of letting my team, my supervisor, or my company down.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I can be described in three words: funny, compassionate, and intense. I genuinely care about the people I encounter and strive to ensure they are well taken care of. At the same time, I hold high expectations for myself, my team and my peers. I believe that if you commit to something, you should fully commit and do it right. And finally, I like to think I have a good sense of humor (at least I find myself funny!).
From her nomination:
“Sunny is an outstanding leader because she sets the example for connection and hard work at Simon. Even though she is constantly busy with her own workday-in and day-out, she uses all the free time she has to check in with her employees to gain feedback and help out wherever she is needed even when she does not have to. This has made me, and many other employees feel welcomed at Simon from the beginning of our working here and has increased my interest in accounting and construction as a result.”