It's a family-owned manufacturing company, now into the third generation of family management, and it's probably one of the last few successful privately-held American businesses that actually makes stuff. This last year, the company suffered a disasterous fire at one of their plants and they excruciatingly turned it into a positive.
That's how they make things happen. They work hard at their business.
Over the years of our association, they've dropped their annual Summer get together because of the costs involved and have up-sized staff (when necessary) and down-sized staff (again, when necessary). But they've always staged an annual Christmas Party and all of their employees are invited, along with all of their employees' family members.
There's a dinner buffet (ham, roast beef, mostacolli and the trimmings -- like any STL wedding) and an open bar (and for a couple hundred folks that can cost a bundle). There's an awards program, with recognition and prizes for department safety, years of service (a couple guys got their prizes last night for 30 years of work at the company, as long as the owners) and regular attendance at work and accomplishment over the years, prizes that included merchandise like leather company jackets, gift certificates, plaques and cash (and it amounts to a lot of cash). There's even a drawing for prizes for those who just showed up.
But what has always impressed me over the years of our attendance is that there's always a Santa Claus present, sitting in his North Pole throne, bringing the kids up onto his lap and giving each and every one of them a gift. The same guy has played Santa for all the years we've attended, and the company also provides a photographer who takes and delivers free photos of the kids and families with Santa.
What later becomes the dance floor is for the first few hours a large playground for the kids...everybody keeps an eye out for everybody else's kids.
The guys who own and run this company are princes among men. Good and honorable people. And their wives and sons and daughters are like that too. I'm proud to know them and their families and I'm proud to have worked with them over the years.
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