3650 days. 10 years. 25% of my life. Yes, I turned the big 4-0 and celebrated 10 years at Buechel Stone this year. Reflecting on a decade of personal and professional accomplishments can be emotional.
Friends get married. Friends get divorced. Babies are born and loved ones are lost. Your favorite band breaks up but you were lucky enough to see them one last time. Cherish the moments that make life worth living. As the band Brothers Osborne say, “What good is a life if you don’t get to livin’?”
I completely understand the importance of making the right decisions in life, especially when it comes to employment. Determining the factors in deciding to say yes is difficult. Choosing to say yes to Buechel Stone as my employer was a hard decision. And yes, the Buechels won’t let me forget that! Scott & Mike – at least I can pronounce the name (yes, my maiden name is Buechel).
Building a vision for your life helps guide the “YES”. Buechel has provided a vision for their employees. We understand where we are going and who is on this journey with us. Freedom to execute and amend the plan is key. And true leadership allows for mistakes along the way. Try, try again.
So to help you make saying “YES” to employment with Buechel Stone easier, let me share some of my favorite Buechel Stone memories over the past 10 years.
VISIONARY LEADERSHIP
The vision provided by the Buechel family continues to push growth for the business and our Rockstars. In the last 10 years, four design centers, two new production facilities, a distribution center, and a trucking company have been added.
PINNACLE + BUSINESS COACH
Who doesn’t need a coach to make them better? Thanks to Jim Palzewicz, our Pinnacle Business Guide, for encouraging our open & honest dialogue and reminding us to celebrate our victories.
YOU ARE A PERSON NOT A NUMBER
Along this journey, I have lost fellow Rockstars. One of the hardest losses was our dear Rockstar, Eric Ferdinand. Eric worked for Buechel for over 10 years and left us with a lot of good stories. I think this reflects the fact that people can make a long-lasting impact on the business.
INVESTMENT IN THE ROCKSTARS
Our Rockstars make all the difference, and during the pandemic’s tough times, Buechel decided to make a difference for them. In 2020, our owners paid out over $800,000 in bonuses.
VERIFICATION OF VALUES
Nobody can do everything on their own. You need to surround yourself with a strong team. Understanding the health of our teams is extremely important. Annually, we send a confidential survey to ensure we are living our values and sharing the vision of the business. This survey has rewarded us with a Top Workplace award multiple times, including some specific sub-set awards.
REAP
What a great way to feel appreciated. REAP is our Rockstar Extreme Anniversary Program, and extreme it is. Real gifts. Real cash. Real appreciation!
SAME COMPANY, DIFFERENT ROLES
I have experienced countless fellow Rockstars receive promotions or switch roles. While we are relatively a flat organization, we have horizontal room to experience different areas of the business. Personally, I have had three different roles at Buechel Stone, including involvement in re-starting our trucking company, Rolling Rockstar Transit.
WORKING PARENTS WELCOMED
Kids or pets, being a working parent is hard. Buechel helps support work-life balance. I feel fortunate to work for a company that values us as more than just “an employee”.
Fellow Rockstars become friends
It may be cliché, but truly long-lasting relationships happen at work. When I found out I was pregnant with our 2nd daughter, Haddie, I think our colleague Karen Steffes knew before many others. Side note – in the middle of me telling Karen, my brother-in-law Tony walked in to get stone! A true example of the close relationships you build.
Parents pass away, animals need to be put down, and children get sick; it is important to have a team that rallies behind you during the tough times. We are truly blessed that Buechel Stone is so supportive.
So, am I proud of my decision to join Buechel Stone? Absolutely. Our team has accomplished a lot in the last 10 years – consider joining our team! I look forward to accomplishing even more over the next 10 years with you.
April Dowland
Chief Operations Officer