4
• JULY 2, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal
Sense of community molds arc of Zeineddine’s career at Midwest Maintenance by Dwain Hebda he’s the engine behind one of the company’s In the 14 years since Wissam “Sam” Ze- fastest-growing business segments, MEPS. ineddine first joined Midwest Maintenance “Midwest Essential Personnel Solution, Co., he’s spent countless hours advancing or MEPS, is like a staffing agency within the inclusive culture of the company in many the company,” he said. “This came about to ways. And given his upbringing, it’s not hard supplement our existing work force. to understand why. “We provide janitorial labor “I grew up in Lebanon,” he on a contract basis and sometimes said. “We have had a lot of conflicts employees are not able to show up here and there, wars sometimes, so for whatever reason. So, the idea people in those situations would was to create a supplement to that care a lot for one another. And you and from that point on, we started would do things beyond the normal exploring the idea of providing family-related; you would go out of temporary labor where it is needed your way to help others. I grew up not only for us, but for others as in that feeling, that sense of living well. We then expanded it as its own 2020 for others. separate business entity because the “It’s a servant leadership; I get a lot of structure had to be different, the personnel pride out of it that I’m helping. It’s something had to be different, the sales approach had to you feel rewarded to do as if you’re meant to be different. It’s grown exponentially, really live that way.” quickly.” Zeineddine first came to the United Zeineddine has been equally successful in States in 2006, as a graduate of Lebanese developing people into leaders as he is turning University. He joined Midwest Maintenance ideas into successful business units. in 2007 and worked there while earning an “I joined the leadership team [at Midassociate degree and MBA from Bellevue west] to bring out the leadership within each University. Returning to the Middle East in employee,” he said. “I created metrics for a 2011, he worked in Dubai and Kuwait until he person to follow on a weekly basis to have relocated his family back to the U.S. in 2017. a scorecard to see their progress and feel Rejoining Midwest Maintenance, where recognized and appreciated for what they’ve he is now business management director, accomplished. It helped us bring everybody
Proud Sponsors of the 2020 40 Under 40:
Business Management Director Wissam Zeineddine aims to give industry workers opportunities. (Photo by Monica Sempek) together and we meet regularly to bring ev- students coming from different backgrounds.” Now working toward his doctorate, erybody on the same page.” Having a sense of empathy is critical to Zeineddine is again connecting the dots leading this developmental process; again, between his native culture and the American something Zeineddine draws from his unique workplace. “The dissertation topic I am working on upbringing and multicultural background. “The way I was brought up helped me is presenting Muslim veiled women and how become very open to diversity,” he said. “This they have the cover on in the work setting,” he has helped me tremendously with the work said. “The hypothesis is how they are being setting when it comes to ethical behavior and welcomed, looking at their treatment and the treating people right and being just. It has also contribution that they provide. So, just trying helped me in the teaching I have done both in to bring to light some of the difficulties for the Middle East and here at Metro Commu- that group and bring some additional emphanity College in Omaha with all the different sis that their treatment should be fair.”
