TOOL BELT

One of our core values at Pro is “We are family.” A few weeks ago, we had an opportunity to live this one out.

One of our customers has an employee whose child had some pretty big health struggles. Long story short, the financial toll cost them their house. Most of us at Pro know this man because his job places him in the thick of our interaction. One of our people discovered his family had obtained a much smaller house that needed some fixing up. So we decided as a company to help out by installing new siding and windows.

I walked through the shop and the office with a sign-up sheet, explaining the need and giving our people the opportunity to volunteer for the Saturday-to-Saturday project. Within two days, our crew was filled with almost three hundred volunteer hours!

The project went remarkably well, and after it was finished, I was chatting with one of our guys from the shop who said, “You know, company picnics are great and everything, but this seemed even better!” Then he said, “It was fun to see all the guys show up with their skills - and their tool belts … ” When he mentioned the tool belts, his voice tailed off a bit like he was deep in thought. Slowly he went on, “I’ve been thinking about tool belts ever since, wondering why I don’t have one. I have oodles of tools, but I’ve never thought of making them portable - so I can help someone at a moment’s notice … I think I’m gonna buy one.”

Now he has me thinking about tool belts - I don’t own one either!

It was cool I didn’t have to talk about our core values to get people to sign up. They just did it. That’s what a core value should be – what you just do. It reminded me once again that we are not just a trucking company, or a steel fabrication company, or a powder coating company. We are a family of people who value relationships and do our best to help others. We are a team with a tool belt! If we can keep that attitude front and center, I think we’ll accomplish our mission.