T. M. International

It’s loud and dusty here in the Industrial Area. We have been here at T. M. International for a while now. Most days it’s just us trying to keep up with everything. There’s a lot of metal and big machines around. The tea stall around the corner is where we spend our breaks. It isn't anything fancy or special. We just show up and do what needs to be done. Sometimes the electricity goes out and we have to wait it out. That's just how it is around here. We handle machine parts and some heavy equipment. Most of us have been working together for years. We know each other's families and what's going on at home. It's not a big corporation or anything like that. Just a bunch of people in a shed. We handle the orders as they come. Sometimes we are behind, sometimes we are ahead. The floor gets messy but we clean it every Saturday. My desk is covered in old invoices and spare parts. You get used to the noise. It becomes like background music after a few months. We don't have a big fancy office. Just a couple of chairs and a fan that squeaks. But it works for us. We've got our routine. Morning starts with a quick check of the machines. Then we get to work. It’s honest stuff. No one here wears a suit. We wear boots and clothes that we don't mind getting dirty. That's the life here. It’s not much but it’s ours.