Family Album

Food for Action
By: Mike Bolen

As you read this, our first-ever annual Shareholders Meetings and Celebrations are behind us and you are probably back on the job tackling a new day's worth of emergencies and challenges.

That's certainly as it should be. But before we put these milestone events completely behind us until next year, I'd like to ask each of you for a favor. Take a few moments and consider taking some direct personal action on a few of the key points featured in the Shareholders meetings. These are efforts that I believe will help us more smoothly complete the ongoing transition from a “family-run” company to an “employee-owned” business. Not exactly easy stuff (most things that are worthwhile aren't), but this is what we all signed up for Partners.

In no particular priority — think about how you might help:

1) We've had three very successful years in a row, during a time when many of our competitors have gone sideways, and in some cases, gone away completely. Now I'd like to believe that is all the result of brilliant management, but I'd also like to believe that I have a 30” waist and a full head of wavy hair. Fact is though that the real reason for our success is the focus and effort of each of you. Time and time again, you have demonstrated to anyone paying attention that hard work and focus is what gets things done. Safety, gross margin, new markets — you name it — FOCUS WORKS.

Here's where the danger comes in. Business literature is chock full of examples of companies who have experienced the same kind of extraordinary success we've had — and then had everything suddenly go to hell in a hand basket. Too often because they got fat, dumb, lazy or arrogant — and took their eye off the ball. They lost their focus, and that will kill the Golden Goose quicker than a 3 inch magnum from a 12 gauge shotgun. Let's all enjoy the success that we've earned — but let's NEVER start thinking that we are ten foot tall and bulletproof.

2) The Share-holders Meetings covered a lot of ground and we tried to address all of the questions you typically ask about the Company and how it works. But I'm sure we missed some stuff, and if something is burning a hole in your gut — please speak up. Like the man said — the only stupid question is the one that didn't get asked. We can't explain it or fix it if we don't know about it. Please ask.

3) Along the same lines, if you see something that needs to be done and isn't, or something that is being done and doesn't need to be — tell someone. Policy, procedure, process, system or technique — don't keep it to yourself. Many of our best, most valuable ideas have been those that “bubble up” from the people who have to work with the issue every day. This is all about getting a little better each day, and the Company needs your help to do that.

4) You may not realize it, but you market McCarthy everyday — good or bad. Now it's certainly true that we have 18 well-trained professionals whose full-time job is developing business for McCarthy, but in a company of nearly 2,000 employees who each depend on new business to feed their families, that's a very small number. How do we make up the difference? The answer is simple — you. Each and every employee owner has the responsibility to help out with developing new business. Your individual relationships with your owners, architects, engineers, subcontractors and the people in your community all tell a very graphic story about McCarthy. The $64,000 dollar question is when they think about you, what does that say about your Company? The answer is your responsibility, Partner.

5) Please take full advantage of every bit of training and performance planning that's offered to you. Often these sessions couldn't come at a worse time, and yes they take valuable time away from your regular job. It's real easy for all of us to rationalize that we are too damn busy chopping wood to take time out to sharpen the ax — but how much sense does that make? Do it anyway. You won't be sorry, and neither will your boss or co-workers. We made a pledge to you when you signed on that we would train you to the fullest extent possible in order for you to maximize your career at McCarthy. It's your responsibility to help us make that happen.

6) Growth is a huge part of our long-term strategy, and the neck of the growth hourglass is McCarthy's ability to assemble the best and the brightest new employees. We know they are out there, and we need your help to find them and convince them to join us. Harry Steen and Kristen Speer can only touch so many bases in a day. You've always been encouraged to sell McCarthy to your friends and acquaintances, and now we will pay you extra to get it done — it's that important. Please do your part and take full advantage of our new Employee Referral Program.

7) Last month we made the final stock payment to Mike McCarthy, and the Company is now 100% ours. That marks an era of nearly 140 years that the McCarthy's have nourished, encouraged and cultivated the notion of “Family” in our Company. Those of us who grew up here felt it, believed it, and saw its power. While it's true that many things have changed now, it would be tragic if we were to lose the value of feeling like family. It's certainly what I love about McCarthy, and it's always been what separates us from other companies who simply view their employees as just another number. This place is special — just ask some of the people who left for “greener pastures,” only to come back years later more convinced than ever that this was the right place for them to be. It was a difficult culture to create and it will be easy to lose if we don't all work together at holding onto it. Mutual trust, respect, good humor, and having some fun on a regular basis is what it will take to insure that the McCarthy family's fabulous legacy stays with us.

Thank you all once again for a wonderful year in 2003 — now let's go out there and attack tomorrow. Remember FOCUS WORKS!