This year, many of our employee-owners gathered in the Banquet Hall at the Battle House Hotel in Mobile to celebrate our 45th Anniversary. That night, after a lengthy description of our offerings, our COO, Jerrad Douberly, said, “Who’s got it better than we do?” What a night!
It’s hard to believe two months have passed since that beautiful night in May. We are already into the second half of 2024 with much to celebrate. We have had a great first half and look forward to this positive momentum closing out the summer strong.
In May, we talked about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are going. We went into detail about what will be required for next-level success and delivered our vision of building a sustainable, scalable, and perpetual organization.
I used the acronym S.E.R.V.E.
S – See – See the things others don’t see, so we can do the things others never will.
E – Engage – Culture is not built from the grandstands; we have to engage with our team.
R – Relentless – We have to relentlessly defend our culture.
V – Vision – Vision – this is where we are going, this is how we get there, and here is your part.
E – Educate – Commit to a lifetime of learning.
I have had the privilege of being a part of this organization for over 44 years, which gives me a unique perspective on its growth. I’ve seen us grow from 6 people to now serving over 350 families, from a tiny building, a borrowed chop saw, one rigid threader, one pallet of galvanized inventory, and one delivery truck to what we have become today. After all these years, the one thing that I still get the most excited about is seeing people develop both personally and professionally. Included in that development is seeing them become ladder holders vs ladder climbers. When I see our team members committing themselves to the development of those around them; that’s when I know for sure our culture is working.
Creating value in and for the people we serve.
Blessings,
Billy Duren, President and CEO