INNOVATIVE’S CULTURE BOOK
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 2
Brand Promise
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Foreword
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Core Values
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Purpose
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Vision
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2019 Proud Moments
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InSports Foundation
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Community Programs
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Favorite Part of Innovative’s Culture
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Volunteering
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Supplier of the Year
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Employee of the Month
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Employee of the Year
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2020 Theme 3
OUR INNOVATIVE CULTURE:
Welcome to the 2019 culture book! Our fifth annual celebration of culture, capturing the heartbeat of Innovative. We are a team that prospers on originality, creativity and innovation, and each of you play an extremely valuable role in bringing unique energy, contagious passion, and powerful purpose to our culture! This past year we have learned a lot about our teams, our business, and about ourselves. It was another year of working together as a team to create efficiencies and celebrating personal and professional successes. It was a year of living out our core values and introducing “Integrity� into our core value portfolio. It was a year of bringing added resources to our customers by launching Insights with Innovative to help organizations create inspiring environments, and it was a year of making an amazing impact in the community that surrounds us! In 2020, I empower you to embrace your strengths and talents and focus on things that truly inspire you to be the best version of yourself! I am extremely proud of the accomplishments and growth you have made as a team and as individuals, and I am energized by the passion each of you bring to our organization every single day! Jennifer Smith, CEO
LIVING OUR CORE VALUES
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CUSTOMER FEEDBACK “I love the customer service reps and the people who I order custom
“Customer Service is amazing. No matter
stamps from. They are so professional, nice, and helpful! I always have a
what I need in this market or across the
good experience when calling Innovative. People go above and beyond to
nation, they are quick to assist me with
help me get what I need.”
whatever I need.”
“Our delivery driver is the best! Very friendly,
“I can’t say enough about
“Great Customer Service - the Inspire
prompt, and has an excellent positive
the friendliness and the
Team is ALWAYS there to HELP out!
attitude every time he delivers to our office.
exceptional delivery driver
Great follow up and resource.”
Also, our sales contact, Janet Tschida, she
that delivers to our site.”
always responds back fast with any inquiries I have, and has a great attitude.” “We have been customers of Innovative for a few years now, and I really appreciate
“Always a pleasure to work with our Innovative team. They always take care of our needs and are polite and fast.”
their customer service. They are always good to return calls or inquiries in a
“We LOVE working with Innovative!!”
short time, and come through for us. I really appreciate Crystal Brink who is our
“CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS ARE EXCELLENT!”
customer rep. She is very helpful and the personal visits are a great perk!”
“I have always loved working with the Minot crew, so easy to work with and very knowledgeable.” 9
2019 PROUD MOMENTS
Jennifer Smith, Inducted into the Minnesota Chapter of NAWBO, Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame
Jennifer Smith receives Business Solutions Association 2019 Leadership Award
Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Fast 50 Honoree for 6 years
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Women’s Presidents’ Organization, 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies
HP Supply Partner of the Year WBENC Gold Star Award from Women’s Business Development Center
Inc 5000 list honoree. Recognized for the 11th year of being 5000 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in America
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INSPORTS FOUNDATION
INSPORTS $48,725 Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota donated to teams & individuals throughout
7,270 in InSports Days
hours kids have participated
The InSports Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to help kids participate in sports. InSports Days • Sponsorships • Scholarships
38,487 get in the game since 2013!
how many kids we have helped
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COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Through our community programs, we have been able to help hundreds of charities!
For every successful save made by MN United FC, Innovative & InSports donated $100 to a deserving organization.
During the MLB season, each time the MN Twins complete a double play, Innovative donated $100 to a local charity.
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On Thomas Crapper Night, Innovative collects toilet paper donations. The donations benefit Second Harvest Heartland.
We work closely with the MN Wild on their Charity of the Month Program. Each month throughout the NHL season, we feature a different charity.
Each time the MN Viking’s kicker makes a field goal, Innovative & Post-It Brand donated $250 to a deserving organization.
In Partnership with the Minnesota Vikings, InSports and 3M, we are proud to present the Minnesota Football Community of the year. Every year, Innovative and InSports selects a deserving football community to be granted a $10,000 check for their football program and a town takeover with the Minnesota Vikings in the spring.
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This year, we asked our team:
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF INNOVATIVE’S
“That we have a culture where people are always willing to help others. In my experience people are always willing to collaborate to reach a successful outcome.” - Chad Blaha
“I like how Innovative gives back to the community. I like that Innovative started the Insports Foundation. It gives kids the opportunity to do something positive. ” - Lucho Eckert
“There is something to be said about the transparency of Innovative as a company.... it is refreshing to be kept mostly in the loop with the goings-on of the company you work for. Not all operations are nearly as forthcoming with certain portions of the overall business.” - Michael Bolton
VOLUNTEERING 8 Feeding South Dakota hours served at
“I really like the opportunities to ‘Be Involved,’ and get the whole team involved in things. From LTGs, to volunteering, to participating in the Walking Challenge, I think these all continue to allow employees to grow both personally and professionally. Each of these things can result in a personal feeling of satisfaction and those opportunities are important.” - Ann Dalhoff 18
300 Sandwich Project Minnesota sandwiches made for The
40,000 United Way Action Day
backpacks packed at the
21 360 Communities
blankets made for
15 pack meals at Feed My Starving Children
volunteers from our Innovative staff helped 19
KICK-OFF COMPANY KICK-OFF EVENT
“All the genuine care and support the company has for it’s employees, and how it teaches us new skills by taking one step out of their comfort zone.” - Bryan Stark
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VALENTINE’S DAY My favorite part of Innovative’s culture is the family-like feel. Everyone is in it together- if you have a question or problem, anyone would step in to try and help you, regardless of the task. We’re all there to push one another as well, to keep a persistent and hungry attitude for growth. - Rachel Hovde
“Keep it simple: I believe the simpler the better!” - Sharon Wagner
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BRING YOUR CHILD TO WORK DAY 32 volunteers
45+ kids
“Our core values. I think they set us apart from other companies. With our core values, we need to remember that they are just not “words” written in our culture book or on our culture wall, but work each day to live them professionally. I think we can live them in our personal lives as well!” - Lisa Lindemann 23
9TH ANNUAL TP DRIVE
5,000
rolls of toilet paper collected
All donations benefitted Second Harvest Heartland
given a year 50 families supply of toilet paper “Being Involved: I love our culture and the opportunity to help our clients and our team in our day to day work by getting involved! Whether you’re helping a co-worker on a project, or jumping in and volunteering, it makes you feel fantastic to help and get involved. ” - Joel Eiesland
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My favorite part is pretty much everything - I love the atmosphere, the people I work with and all the new/endless opportunities to continue to learn and grow more every day :). - Breanna Henderson
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BREAKFAST & PJS “The attitude and energy around the office makes it fun to come to work every day!” - Justin Siebenaler
“I like that Innovative puts on monthly, non work related activities. They are fun and something to look forward to.” - Katie Bowell
“I love the family feel within this company. It’s a fantastic feeling going into work and having everyone be happy and treat you like family. They have your back. It’s just wonderful.” - Shannon Marek
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“My favorite thing about the Innovative culture is feeling like a part of a big family. I enjoy coming to work and enjoy working with the people I work with.” - See Yang
“I am energized every day seeing our core value Inspire Smiles in action! It makes me smile too!” - Julie Owen
“Be Involved! Innovative has so many different events that the employees can participate in. It’s pretty cool that we have so much going on!” - Melody Faber 27
EARTH DAY I like that everyone participates. Office life is very dull when you don’t take time to do fun activities together, and everyone I know at the company is willing to participate in things that are just for fun. It helps me feel that I can bring my full self to work, not just clock in and clock out and do what needs to be done. - Isaac Ahlquist
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CARE COMMITTEE 600+ combined volunteer hours
30 events held
28 committee members “Inspiring People to Love What They Do. Being positive and showing people you enjoy what you do is contagious which
“The laughter....no matter what is happening, we all come together and win with laughter, it truly is the best medicine!” - Lesa Page
inspires people to love what they do!” - Diane Van Skike
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Inspire people to love what they do and who they do it with. -working with a team of people who are so different in the way they go about their daily approach, that if we can inspire people to be the best version of themselves, to think outside the box, and work towards the bigger picture, then our people can do great things. - Ryan Burgwald
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S’MORES DAY s’more please!
“My favorite part of Innovative’s culture is all of the
“I like the positiveness of the
events we do. It creates a nice break in the workday
attitudes of the employees.
and something to look forward to in the month.”
People are willing to help
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- Macklin Smith
each other.” - Russ Heins
STEPHEN WEATHERLY VISITS INNOVATIVE “My favorite part of Innovative’s culture is the genuine care that people show for each other.” - Natasha Speake
“My favorite part of Innovative’s culture is the family feeling. Everybody is fun and we work as a team.” - Nate Ullrich “The way everybody is included in all the activities.” - Pat Hlavac 33
“I love how everyone is so close knit and friendly. I enjoy the culture
NYC WALK TO NYC
of relationships matter which resonates throughout the company, internally with colleagues, and externally with customers.�
- Kelly Link
44 teams
176 participants
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154,268,593 steps walked
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WORKOUTS “Genuine happy people who love their job!” - Sarah Sodergren
“I love the health-based atmosphere, and that workouts and a workout room are available for us to use. I also appreciate the work/life balance that Innovative offers.” - Laura Burgess
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I love that the culture is high energy. It makes it exciting to come to work each day! - Lindsey Day
“I love how much Innovative gets involved with outside activities. They let everyone know who we are and what we stand for.” - Lisa Steele
“All the fun activities and organized events contribute to an energetic and happy working environment where employees feel comfortable and have a feeling of well-being.” - Mitzi Enns
LOVE WHAT YOU DO & WHO YOU DO IT WITH 36
“My favorite part of the culture is the positive attitude of most people. Innovative has a lot of moving parts and most everyone has a great attitude. It makes it a nice environment to work and it encourages people to give their best.� - Ron Bearden
TWINS ROOFDECK EVENT 38
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partners showcasing products
“Everyone is genuinely so nice to work with that it motivates me to work hard and do whatever it takes to make our customers happy.” - Eric Okerson
OPEN HOUSE AT U.S. BANK STADIUM 40
“My favorite part is the open work environment and the fast paced creative atmosphere the sales department offers me.” - Christine DeGrammont
1,000+ attendees
SAINTS
COMPANY PICNIC
“I feel really fortunate that I can work with people that I consider friends. We all have everyone’s back and I truly feel like we
genuinely care about each other. There has not been a single day at Innovative where I haven’t laughed and I LOVE that!”
- Robin McMullen
I LOVE the enthusiasm that a lot of the employees have. We work hard and are concerned about our employees and our customers. We want the BEST. We are always looking to improve our people to make better experiences all around. - Tammy Lee
WHO ROCKED IT BEST?
“We are a company that makes sure we incorporate our core values, which is such a huge part of our culture and we never let those fall to the wayside, we live and breathe them daily.� - Carmen Chastek
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I love the attitude of everyone at Innovative.Â
COMPANY COOKOUT
We have so many creative people and such a nice place for them to express their ideas. - Andrew Leddick
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Funniest: The Office
HALLOWEEN
Best Group: Willy Wonka
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Most Creative: Peanuts Gang
“I love being involved in activities that we do. Makes you come out of your comfort zone, and get to know the people that you work with or see everyday.� 45 - Ashley Stuntebeck
SHOWROOM
ALEXANDRIA OPEN HOUSE 70+ attendees
Featured partners, door prizes and a beautiful new showroom!
BLOOD DRIVE 20 people donated
“My favorite part of Innovative’s culture is “Just Own It” because I believe that’s what allows us to offer our employees the flexibility we enjoy.” - Amy Beasley
“I’ve always liked the way Innovative has pushed for teamwork and being involved with all aspects of our jobs. I believe it shows the most in the positive reactions we get from our customers.” - Greg Fitterer
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“My favorite part of Innovative’s culture is that people genuinely care about the success of the company and care about each other.” - Matt Cords
“The teamwork everyone shows. When things get busy or stressful, everyone is willing help out.” - Melissa Hoiberg
GIVING NOVEMBER 48
“My favorite part of the Innovative Culture is how everyone is so accepting. Since day one, I have felt accepted by everyone, and there isn’t a person here that’s not willing to have a conversation with you.”
MOVEMBER
- Patrick Larson
Our 2019 movember winner: Tim Moody
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JERSEY DAY & TAILGATING “My co-workers are my favorite part of Innovative. We have a culture that is second to none. We work hard but we have a ton of fun as well!” - Debbie Garner
“I absolutely love Innovative’s culture. The fact that we are guided and concrete helps everyone stay on the same page, and really makes for an amazing work environment.” - Meghan Lane
“I love our work hard, play hard culture! We are like a family and we work together to make for the best customer experience. Sure, we make mistakes from time to time, but we always figure it out and make it right!” 50
- DeAnn Player
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HOLIDAY CHEER “I love that all employees matter.” - Alyssa Kriz
“The people I work with are the highlight of every day. “Our community involvement
They help me out when I am struggling, they teach
and the feeling of family when
me new ways to tackle obstacles and leadership
you walk through the doors!”
shows me how to grow as a manager of people.”
- Andrew Deters
- Aaron Rust
for the $150+ raised Salvation Army
“My favorite part of Innovative’s culture is being part of an awesome team that works together on a common goal. I love the energy and willingness to help each other out!” - Ginger Tieszen
BELL RINGING “My favorite thing about Innovative is the way we take care of our customers so they get beyond excellent service.” - Janda Blue 53
HAPPY HAPPYHOLIDAYS HOLIDAYS
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SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
“We appreciate the extra effort from HON to partner with all our teams, Account Executives, the furniture team members and Marketing to provide the best furniture solutions for our customers. Hon is a true partner who embraces our Brand Promise.”
“Every year, the HON experience gets better. Better programs, like Compass, Integrated Design Solutions and Fast Track. Better products, like Fuse, Skip and Colorwav all new at NeoCon 2019. And, bigger, better teams—Hunter and Dylan have become indispensable, familiar faces around the worktable. The kinds of work they do for us, their smarts and insights make us all feel like they have our backs. They’re truly setting HON in a higher class than any other manufacturer we worked with this year.” 56
HON is the ultimate example of relationships matter. We have a true partnership with them. They strive daily to ensure Innovative’ s success in the market place; whether it’s the extra tools offered, training, dedicated Sales Rep or Pinnacle, HON makes doing business with them effortless. There is always an easy avenue for project help or to find a solution. Not only are they readily available to help but HON values our input and listens. HON respects Innovative’s opinion and listens to our opinions on how to improve their company.”
Congratulations!!
EMPLOYEE OF EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
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JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
LESA PAGE
TONY BETSINGER
TAMMY LEE
SHARON WAGNER
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
MEL FABER
ASHLEY CASPARIS
HOLLY SMITH
AMY BEASLEY
LESTER HAYES
JESSICA UNDERWOOD
DAVID THOMPSON
BRYAN STARK
PATRICK WENKER
KELLY BERRY
ANDREW LYNNE
TIM MOODY
JOE RUSTAD
BRACKEN KENDRICK
JULIE MEGER
LISA LINDEMANN
ANGELA KNAUF
TOM TRAETOW
ISAAC AHLQUIST
BOB HAMILTON
KIMBERLY ERICKSON
DAWN MILLER
TONYA ZIMMER
AMANDA VOGEL
CHERI OSTLUND
TIMOTHY (TJ) MARTIN
CONNIE DELAIR
SEE YANG
JOHN TOWNSEND
KENDALL KRAGENBRING
JANIE WESTBROOK
KRISTEN MORAAL
DALE BLOEM
PEARLEE COTY
LEAH HALVORSON
MIKE PITZEN
F THE MONTH MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
STEVE MCQUADE
TED SCHNEIDER
TOM KELLY
SAM FERNANDEZ
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
LORA SCHWALBE
SAMANTHA BEHR
CAROL ADAMIETZ
RICK COPELAND
BREANNA HENDERSON
KATHY O’GRADY
DEANN PLAYER
ALYSSA KRIZ
PAT HLAVAC
KEVIN JOHNSON
TONA MARTINEZ
JOHN KAY
BRETT BAHRENFUSS
SUSAN SLONE
DENISE CHAPMAN
KEVIN MARTINEZ
SARAH SODERGREN
SABINA ABASOV
SAMANTHA ROMERO
LAURA BRUNNER
DALLAS WILLIAMS
LEANN DREYER
DAWN MILLER
BILL ALLEN
SUE WENTZEL
CHRISTINA BOERIGTER
PATRICK LARSON
CHAD BLAHA
CHRISTINE DEGRAMMONT
PAUL CARTER
MATT CORDS
PATTI RONDESTVEDT
LOIS ACKLEY
CHAD GULLICKSON
ROB SAVINI
JUSTIN SIEBENALER
F THE MONT
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
DAVID CHABOT
NICOLE HOHMANN
JOHN BRUNING
BOB NELSEN
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
ROBIN MCMULLEN
TAMMY LEE
LAURA BURGESS
DEBBIE JONES
JEANNE THOMPSON
LUCHO ECKERT
TAMI ADAMS
MARIA BAKER
COLIN CRANDALL
JR DEOBALD
MARK MAREK
SCOTT ROLLINGS
JED CLAMONS
MACKLIN SMITH
MARK CARLSON
RON DIXON
MELISSA HOIBERG
BARB KUSILEK
AL REDBERG
RACHEL SWAN
MARK HOGLUND
BRENDA RAFTESETH
MARK SEGOVIA
RON BEARDEN
DARCEE NEUDECKER
AARON RUST
TRISH BARG
DEBBIE GARNER
GINGER TIESZEN
KARLA GUNDERSON
NATE ULLRICH
JO NEISES
SARAH JOHNSON
JIM BUIS
MATT CORDS
MIKE SEVERSON
OF THE YEAR
EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR BOB NELSEN
“Bob is truly the definition of our Core Values and Brand Promise. He Inspire Smiles every day; even when desks are falling off the back of a semi-truck, he finds the positive. K-12 furniture is complicated and Bob always thinks of ways to Keep It Simple. Relationships Matter “We so appreciate Bob’s dedication to creating amazing classroom environments. His insights are invaluable for ensuring the best furniture solutions. Congratulations!!” “Thank you Bob, for all your work on HCPA. You are a major reason why we were able to win the
is really the foundation of what drives him. “Bob is invaluable”, a common phrase used by many people he works with, and he truly is! What makes him invaluable is his ability to build relationships with customers, vendors, and so importantly with his colleagues. He makes you feel important. Fun Fact- He even has a party trick of “guess that furniture” where he can name a piece of
offices and lobby furniture project! Thank you
furniture, make and model all the way back to the 70s
so much!!”
just by looking at it! Congrats Bob!”
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2020 THEME
POWERING YOUR SUCCESS Learn more at: success.innovativeos.com
We strive to bring energy, passion and purpose to the workplace. Powering organizations to be their best and celebrating success every step of the way. Inspiring people to love what they do and who they do it with. Our 2020 theme, Powering Your Success! 62
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THANKS FOR BEING IN!
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