McLeod County Great Places to Work 2018

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Independent Review

YESTERDAY • TODAY • TOMORROW

Recognition & Awards for Great Places to Work in McLeod County

A2 | GREAT PLACES TO WORK IN MCLEOD COUNTY August 2018

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stand out among the myriad of others who are seeking to fill positions in this competitive employment market?

Traditionally, the Leader has helped employers through “help wanted” ads.

But with Great Places to Work, we wanted to go an extra step and provide a venue for job seekers and employers to meet face-to-face. We will do that with our Great Places to Work job fair and networking event on Thursday, Aug. 23, at the Hutchinson Event Center.

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Our fast-paced, growing construction company is seeking qualified individuals to fill the following positions:

hat makes a great place to work? And where are those great places?

We asked our online readers at hutchinsonleader.com those two questions last month, and we received a number of interesting responses, as well as confirmation that there are many Great Places to Work in McLeod County.

Three businesses were chosen from the nominees as our 2018 Great Places to Work, and we congratulate Culver’s of Hutchinson, Hutchinson Pet Hospital, and Buffalo Lake-Hector Stewart School District. Their stories appear inside this special publication.

But why did we ask these questions?

First, every job hunter wants to know about good places to work. They want to know about employers who make work rewarding and enjoyable.

The other side of that equation is the employer perspective. What are prospective employees looking for in a workplace? What will help a business

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August 2018 GREAT PLACES TO WORK IN MCLEOD COUNTY | A3

Hutchinson Leader

Dimax

Coborn’s

Nuvera

“Great management, co-workers and work environment.”

“Good store manager.

All department managers are there to help if you have questions. Flexible schedule to fit your work schedule. Good fellow co-workers. Coborn’s cares about its employees.

We are trained to be the best we can be. All guests are given the highest level of service.

We give our guests the best shopping experience.”

“Nuvera really looks for ways to help its employees grow and empower them to be the best they can be.”

— Greg Schwarzrock, supervisor

State Farm Insurance – Kim Kotzer Agency “Kim’s energy makes working in her office very exciting. She is passionate about her work and it rubs off on the rest of us team members. She always does her best to make sure we feel valued and does the same with her customers.

She also makes sure we find time each day to laugh.

That is so important!”

— Jody Bandemer, shift manager

Wheel & Cog Children’s Museum

— Addison Lokken, employee

“The employees and volunteers are passionate and full of fantastic ideas that are fun and fresh. We also get to get out into the community with activities like Music in the Park and the McLeod County Fair!”

Tri County Water Conditioning

— Jessica Sabrowsky, founder

“The work atmosphere here is so positive and enjoyable. Owners Jon and Renee Hantge treat everyone with respect and make you feel like part of the family.

Words of thanks and positive praise are given on a daily basis to their employees.”

— anonymous employee

Vivid Image “I love how flexible Vivid Image is to work for.

Being able to telecommute from my home in Olivia is a huge plus for me.”

— Jackie Kaufenberg, employee

— Alicia Rahe, employee

AWI Manufacturting “The three brothers that own AWI are involved in the day-to-day operations of the company and take the time to get to know each and every single employee. You will see them in the shop working with the employees, helping out with yardwork or sitting at break with the employees. … You will not find another company that is so down to earth or inspires employees to be proud to say where they work.”

— Nicole Terning, employee

RE/MAX Results “From marketing and offering agents a full-service IT team, to an on-staff attorney, to marketing assistance and software options, a myriad of places to synchronize listings and an on-site office manager …

RE/MAX Results assists us all with unlimited resources, as much or as little as we each desire.”

— Rachel Huls, real estate agent

A4 | GREAT PLACES TO WORK IN MCLEOD COUNTY August 2018

Hutchinson Leader

Culver’s is an employee favorite Incentives and flexibility are two of the reasons workers enjoy the restaurant

BY SOFIE FENNELL | Intern Finding a job isn’t always difficult, but finding a job that is enjoyable is a little harder. Employees at Culver’s in Hutchinson made it a little easier by nominating their employer as a great place to work.

Teamwork is important for crew trainer Kaytlyn Rannow, who said she enjoys the way employees work together.

“The atmosphere of all the employees and the teamwork we all put in makes everything great,” Rannow said.

That atmosphere is partly due to general manager and restaurant owner Tyler Bratsch, who works hard to foster a positive environment in the restaurant.

“We try to make the crew part of the

STAFF PHOTO BY JACK HAMMETT

Store owner Tyler Bratsch, right, and a crew of employees pose for a photo at Culver’s in Hutchinson. His employees nominated the restaurant as a great place to work.

We are always looking for great people to join our team. We strive to provide our residents with the best care possible. If you have a high work ethic, enjoy caring for people, and like working with others – we’d love to hear from you!

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environment, not just the managers,” Bratsch said. “We have communication boards so that the closers and openers who don’t see each other a lot can communicate and work together.”

Bratsch also stresses the importance of each individual, calling his workers the “biggest resource” the restaurant has. Part of the way he does that is through incentives.

“We have competitions for things like gift cards and up-selling contests.

Sometimes the prize is money, sometimes it’s food,” Bratsch said. “We have an employee of the month. They get some money, they get their picture put up, and employee of the month parking and a 100 percent discount when they work.”

Employee Kalvin Ruggles said he appreciates that the management gives employees incentives and holds them to a high standard, and is also flexible about working around schedules. That’s especially important for employees who pursue activities outside of work.

“My bosses are some of the most understanding and flexible people I have ever worked with,” Ruggles said. “They are willing to work around a schedule

that leaves time for any interests in your life.”

Bratsch likes to give back to the Hutchinson community, and Culver’s has participated in several fundraisers for Hutchinson organizations.

“Community involvement and trying different ways to give back is important,” Bratsch said. “We ran fundraisers and collected money for the dog park, because it’s a big thing for the community.

We help the schools, not just fundraisers, but giving coupons to things like the reading program and donating balls.”

A big draw for high school students to join the staff is the Culver’s scholarship program. In 2017, the scholarship awarded $ 490,250 to 211 applicants nationwide.

The restaurant also has opportunities for upward movement and promotions for hard working employees.

“All my managers, me included, started as regular crew members,” Bratsch said. “We have a tier system: start as a crew member, then move up to a crew trainer, and I have 15-year-old crew trainers. Promotions don’t depend on your age, they depend on your ability.”

August 2018 GREAT PLACES TO WORK IN MCLEOD COUNTY | A5

Hutchinson Leader

Open ears and minds at BLHS School District

BY SOFIE FENNELL | Intern It’s said that if you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.

Searching for the right career can be a daunting task, but employees of the Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart School District helped by naming their employer a great place to work.

The quality of the staff members and their willingness to work together are two of the attributes that set this school district apart, according to Connie Schaufler, a BLHS paraprofessional.

“We have top-notch staff, always giving their best for our kiddos,” Schaufler said.

“Everyone on staff from the administrator to teachers to paras, cooks, custodians and bus drivers all work together to support each other.”

Superintendent and Elementary Principal David Hansen agreed that teamwork is a key to the district’s succes.

“We look for teachers as well as paras and custodians, so a community of people, that are willing to work together

and bring their strengths to the table,” Hansen said.

Hansen also prides the administration on the independence it gives teachers while still meeting those requirements.

“When the administration meets with our employees, we have some things we need to do. We know it works best when we let our employees give us the ideas,” Hansen said. “We use a collaboration of ideas and that’s how we come to our solution. And that’s where our employees can take great pride and ownership in what we do here.”

Asking teachers for their ideas just makes sense, Hansen said. After all, they are in the classrooms every day with students. And when those ideas are used, he said it’s important to make sure those employees feel valued for their input.

“When it’s their ideas that are actually being implemented, they are able to take that ownership and see their ideas progress,” Hansen said. “We honor those people, and we reward those people. As administrators, we’re not afraid to step

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STAFF PHOTO JACK HAMMETT

Jumpstart teacher Danielle Meinert of the Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart School District posed with her kids at Buffalo Lake Hector Elementary. back and say Mr. and Mrs. so-and-so, it’s their idea and look how great it was.”

It all comes down to doing what’s best for the students, according Joy Ahlbrecht, another employee of the district who said it’s full of “caring adults and passionate kids who work together to prepare them for their future.”

Students’ success after school is a top

priority for the district, its employees and its administrators.

“From day one, we focus on what things are going to help when it comes to graduating and decision-making in the future,” Hansen said. “We’re adding back into hands-on STEM programs, getting these kids out into the actual working world and getting these kids into internships.”

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to be part of the Hutchinson Community

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Hutchinson

320.587.2323

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A6 | GREAT PLACES TO WORK IN MCLEOD COUNTY August 2018

Hutchinson Leader

Hutchinson Pet Hospital offers a vibrant workplace

BY JACK HAMMETT | Staff Writer Hutchinson Pet Hospital landed a spot among the city’s best places to work due to its accessibility and strong focus on community engagement.

Established in the 1980s and owned by veterinarian doctor Kristen Roffey since 2013, the hospital gives specialized care to pets of all age and size with structured feeding and exercising and a focus on comfort in the kennel area.

Other than its family-friendly feel, f lexible schedule and benefits, the hospital gives employees a chance to engage residents and pets on a personal level that, according to certified veterinary technician and office manager Tami Schwarze, is important in fostering a culture of care. The team makes an effort to keep its doors open to community groups like the Boy Scouts, high school students and daycare classes.

“It helps with morale to have younger kids come in and be excited and see things they normally don’t get to see,” Schwarze said. “(It’s rewarding) to educate people on their pets and their pets’ wellness. Making people aware of safety around pets is something a lot of people don’t really think about.”

Moreover, a pet can be a family member, so care and comfort is important.

“Pets are a big part of people’s lives, and you a have wide array of families whose pets are one of them,” Schwarze said. “We’re here to help them any way we can.”

Sherry Eddy said her work as an independent contractor at Hutchinson Pet Hospital has been a great experience.

“I have a plethora of experiences [at other establishments], both positive and some not so positive,” she said. “I was able to watch from the outside in as Dr. Roffey enabled me to teach my professional dog training classes at

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Veterinarian Steph Deneke, left, and certified vet tech Theresa Wald treated a local long-haired feline for her annual check-up.

STAFF PHOTO BY JACK HAMMETT

her clinic, where I saw the happy and hard-working staff and was treated as one of their family.”

Eddy said she believes a staff’s attitude reflects that of the management.

“The staff at Hutchinson Pet Hospital are all so kind and supportive no matter the challenges – both to their clients and to each other,” she said.

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Veterinarian Steph Deneke said staff members uplift each other even during busy hours.

“We really do have a welcoming staff,” she said, “and we make sure we appreciate each other and stay positive.”

“We’re family here,” Schwarze said, “and we all enjoy it.”

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August 2018 GREAT PLACES TO WORK IN MCLEOD COUNTY | A7

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Thursday, August 23, 2018 • 4:30 - 6:30 PM Hutchinson Event Center 1005 Hwy 15 South, Plaza 15, Hutchinson Stop by and Visit Representatives From the Following Businesses: