Tony Fortik always smiles when he hears a customer say the Weiser, ID, Post Office is the “best-looking Post Office I’ve seen.”
Located in western Idaho, the 84-year-old brick building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Fortik, a USPS building maintenance custodian, has proudly maintained the office since 1991.
“Inside, outside, painting, landscaping, mowing, typical maintenance work — I do it all,” he said. “If you have a nice clean building on the outside and inside, customers come away with a good perception of the Postal Service.”
A Navy veteran, Fortik gets to work at 5 a.m., then prepares the workroom floor to ensure it’s safe for incoming staff. By 8 a.m., he’s doing everything from sweeping sidewalks to picking up trash.
After the carriers leave for their routes, he mops the floor and is ready to help in any way he can.
“I have a purpose to what I’m doing here,” said Fortik, who previously worked as a part-time letter carrier. “I’m not just coming here to work. I’m coming here to serve customers and give them my very best.”
Postmaster Chad Franklin called Fortik “a total team player. He’s always ready to pitch in and lend a helping hand. He’s truly one of a kind.”
Fortik said his only regret is that he didn’t begin his postal career when he was 18.
“I wake up every morning thinking, ‘This is great. I’m going to work because it’s fun,’” he said. “I really couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”