Unlock Your Full Potential at Van Meter
- January 24, 2023
- News
Employees are typically expected to work for the greater good of the company, but how many companies can say they are working for the good of their employees? At Van Meter, it’s not hard to see the return on investment for helping our most valuable resource—our people—be the best version of themselves. To illustrate, here are four ways Van Meter helps its employee-owners bring their best selves to work each day.
1. WHEN THE COMPANY WINS, EVERYONE WINS
Because Van Meter is 100% employee-owned, everyone has a stake in the success of the company. When Van Meter reaches or surpasses its sales goal in any given month, it hands out “All-Share” cash to every employee-owner to celebrate reaching those goals. How each employee-owner uses their All-Share looks different. For Erin Watts, learning and development manager in Cedar Rapids, All-Share was about taking care of an issue that had affected her for most of her life.
Watts started saving her All-Share money after joining Van Meter in June 2021. For the past 30 years, she has worn corrective lenses, but with her All-Share money, she was able to pay for LASIK eye surgery—in cash.
“They were so funny at the front desk. They had to call someone else over and make sure they could take cash,” she said. “But it was important for me to spend those actual physical dollars on that exact purchase.”
Now, she does not have to keep track of where her glasses are or find them in the middle of the night to get out of bed. What is she looking forward to most?
“The summer! I’ll be able to wear fun, cute sunglasses. I’ve never had that experience in the past.”
2. BEING HEALTHY IS A TEAM EFFORT
Kerry Baker, delivery driver in Urbandale, also joined Van Meter in June 2021 and was nominated as Van Meter’s Health Hero for losing 100 pounds since joining. Working at Van Meter helped him make healthier choices because he saw others doing the same.
🎚️Shoutout to our #HealthHero, Kerry Baker, a delivery driver in Urbandale. He started cutting out soda and sugars, counting calories and exercising. He has now lost over 60 pounds and continues to make healthy choices for his #totalwellness. Keep up the good work, Kerry! pic.twitter.com/liHZDj7zIC
— Van Meter Inc. (@VanMeterInc) March 3, 2022
“When I started, there was a guy here who had lost 100 pounds, and he gave me tips here and there. I said if he can do it, I can do it.”
Baker started counting calories and cutting back on sweets, soda and other sugary foods. He also picked up cycling as a new hobby (he rode over 3,000 miles last year) and started going to the gym regularly. Van Meter reimburses employee-owners for gym memberships, so the only cost was the effort he wanted to put in.
Now, it’s Baker who is motivating others to make healthy choices.
“Everyone is really supportive and wants to see you be your personal best,” he said. “People have come up and said I have inspired them to lose weight. Hearing that is really motivating.”
3. CONNECTION IS PART OF THE CULTURE
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide in large part, due to social isolation. Van Meter offers office employee-owners the option to work from home Monday and Friday with Tuesday through Thursday being days to connect in the office. Jason Ostrander, panel solutions specialist in Cottage Grove, knows how important personal connections are for mental health.
“People were isolated at home and not able to interact with others like they had before,” he said. “It’s easy to get comfortable hopping on Zoom in your shorts, but I look forward to getting up, going into office and interacting with people. I am glad we are bringing people back into the office, at least three days a week.”
Baker is on site every day making deliveries and said the “stress-free” work environment has helped him and his team be at their best.
“There’s a lot of positive people and no micromanagement. You’re trusted to do your job, and we are able to work as fast and efficiently as possible,” he said. “With a healthy lifestyle and healthy mind, you’re just living a positive life. You love yourself, and when you love yourself and love others, that positivity spreads.”
4. BEING YOUR BEST IS REWARDED
Van Meter incentivizes its employee-owners to take care of their total wellness each year with a health and wellness program that requires participants to complete activities to better their physical, emotional, social, financial and spiritual health, as well as their safety.
Ostrander said the program is “awesome, unheard of and something to look forward to” because it’s free money just for taking care of yourself. He was also named a Health Hero last year for taking care of his mental health and clearing his mind by painting. Now, he is inspired by other people getting serious about their total wellness.
🎨Our #HealthHero is an expert at work and an expert painter!
— Van Meter Inc. (@VanMeterInc) July 22, 2022
Jason Ostrander paints to clear his mind & reset. He improves his own mental health and also donates paintings to people going through tough times. Jason, thanks for using your gift to help people in need of a lift! pic.twitter.com/SJ5PDKhXA0
“I’ve seen other Health Heroes and new people come on board and have some big success,” he said. “It has motivated me to make some changes to be my best at work but also for my family and myself.”
As a newer employee-owner, Watts hopes her fellow employee-owners don’t take the culture and benefits for granted.
“I think Van Meter is a unique place, and if you have been here a while, you might think this is how the world works. I just ope those folks realize how good we have it here.”
Van Meter is currently hiring in several of its 25 locations. If you would like to view open positions, please visit the careers page or reach out to [email protected] with questions.