Tag: Employee Owned

To Own Is To Serve

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

A Friendly Competition

In 2010, Melink started a friendly competition called the “Good to Great Awards”. This was inspired by Jim Collins’s book “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t”.  The goal was to challenge employees to give their best, be innovative and make Melink a great company and sustain our goals year over year.  In typical Melink fashion, we had several employees rise to the challenge and set the tone for the next 10 years.

A Step Further

We knew this was good, but can we make this friendly competition great?  2012 began a new approach and we transitioned to a healthy competition that focused on delivering quality products and services and continuously looking for ways to improve.  Now we were asking for employees to take ownership and responsibility to support our vision, mission and values.  Over the next few years, great ideas were born:

  • Blowing Things Up
  • Insanely Great Service
  • Purpose with Passion
  • Sow to Grow
  • Act Like a Start Up
  • Attitude is Everything

Core Competencies

This year’s competition focuses on stewardship by an individual, team, or collective group displaying an example our newly defined core competencies and our values. Everything we do is built on Integrity, Service Excellence, and Innovation, and this past year we decided to take it a step further by adding six core competencies that we believe all of Melink employees should portray.

Melink Competition for Internal Success and Growth - Core Competencies

Nominating For Success

Just as we do every year, we have an abundance of nominations already. Our employees are proud to be able to acknowledge someone else’s hard work. Their drive makes Melink a better place, for our employees and for our customers. A sampling of the nominations we have received this year include:

  • “Not only does he ALWAYS do a fantastic job on all the projects he works on, he looks out for the development of the other technicians”
  • “The tech worked on a site and took the time to explain what he was working on to the onsite personnel. This was not unnoticed, Melink received a glowing thank you email from the GC.”
  • “She has been above and beyond nice to me. She helped me out when my car was in the shop by giving me a ride to and from work.”
  • “He has persevered through probably double the workload than he previously had. Every engineering need from the sales team was met, with timely, quality results.”

In February 2020, we will honor the winners at our annual company meeting.  It will be difficult to select a winner, but we know Melink will continue to strive for Greatness. This competition will help promote continual improvement.

Employee Ownership Month

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

The ESOP Association and its member companies celebrate Employee Ownership Month every October.  An employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) is a benefit plan that gives workers ownership interest in their company.  The employees do not buy the stock, there is no cost to the employees, and it is not a part of their compensation plan.  According to The ESOP Association: “An employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) is a retirement plan—in some ways similar to and governed by the same laws and regulations as a 401(k). In other ways, ESOPs are quite different from 401(k)s.  When companies launch an ESOP, they form a trust that purchases some or all of the company’s shares and holds these in retirement accounts for employees. When the stock value increases or decreases, so does the value of employees’ accounts.”  Various studies and surveys have linked ESOPs to higher returns, greater productivity, higher sales growth, and greater likelihood to survive as compared to conventionally-owned companies.

Ownership creates a unique incentive and motivation for employees to do what they can to help the business be successful.  Imagine the collective power of not just one or just a few owners, but every employee thinking and acting like owners, invested in the company’s success and all pulling together toward that common goal!  The more they do to grow sales and profits, and there are often a countless number of small actions every day which can do both, the more value they directly put into the company… and into their own retirement.

Owners generally think and act differently than non-owners.  Consider how you treat something that you rent versus something that you own.  Perhaps a rental car.  A home or apartment.  A tuxedo.  Or some other property.  Most people will give extra care and attention to the things they own themselves.  They see things in context of the bigger picture and the long-term, not just the here-and-now.  They recognize and appreciate the importance of customer satisfaction.  They see the value in maintaining healthy and collaborative relationships with co-workers/co-owners.  They display a more positive attitude.  They make decisions that are best for the company, not just best for themselves.

Melink became an ESOP in 2018 to create an additional retirement benefit for employees, to share success among all employees, and to reward employees for their efforts to grow and support our business’s success.  The ESOP also allowed us to maintain the company’s independence as a green-energy focused business.  Our ESOP is viewed as a long-term, wealth-building plan that provides each Employee-Owner with an equity stake in the company.  Employee ownership very much complements our company culture and our core values of integrity, innovation, and service excellence.  Even though we only recently became employee-owners, we have always had that owner-mindset.  Ever since I started with the company 23 years ago, I can remember our founder, Steve Melink, encouraging us to “think like an owner”.  Owners make decisions that are in the best interest of their customers, their employees, and their business.

Whether or not your company is an ESOP, how do you perform your job duties?  Like an owner… or like a renter?

Hiring Our Heroes

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Melink has had a strong history of hiring veterans for many years. In the last few years we have really targeted that effort by leveraging military recruiting agencies. At Melink, we have veterans at nearly every level of our business.

Our original goal was to find the right type of candidate to fill the challenging role of Field Service Technician. The role takes people away from their families for extended amounts of time, requires people to work independently and to adhere to a specific code of conduct, with integrity being paramount. Veterans seemed to be a natural fit and were drawn to the role. We have found that our military veterans are loyal, hardworking and most of all value their integrity.

Currently, there are 17 military veterans in the Melink family, with one still being active in the Florida Air National Guard. Of those seventeen veterans six of them are in leadership roles and the other 11 are members of Melink’s national network of technicians. That makes 28% of our field workforce veterans, and almost 20% of all of Melink employees.

Hiring veterans is rewarding on several different levels. My team of leaders understand the capabilities of these individuals and we are able to translate their military experience into the civilian job market. Of the team that manages the national network 5 of us are veterans from varying services and disciplines. We all understand the military and veterans in different ways and it gives us a unique advantage when hiring veteran talent. We all relish the chance to provide opportunities to those have also sacrificed and taken up the call to serve our nation.

We are proud of our veterans and excited to introduce you to a few of our longest serving Melink veterans…

Completing boot camp was quite the accomplishment for me and I also made Sergeant (E5) in just over 3 years (almost unheard of in the Marines).  With all that said my time in Iraq back in 2003 was what I came away most proud of.  There’s a different level of pride when you consider serving your country for an extended time frame in a war zone and I had the honor of spending a full year in theatre. I would argue that the level of camaraderie here at Melink rivals what we Veteran’s experienced in the service.  This is very rare in a corporate environment as a civilian.  Here at Melink the mission is clear, and our goal is to change the world.  So, in a sense, Melink has indirectly supported my involvement in the military by providing an environment that rivals the togetherness and mission-oriented mindset I encountered during my time in uniform. I’ve been fortunate enough to find myself in leadership roles throughout my tenure with Melink. First as a Lead Technician in the field and now as a Field Service Manager. This has allowed me to continue to utilize the leadership traits drilled into me during my time in the Corp. Melink has presented me with new challenges over the years which has forced me to continually grow.

– Larry Moore

After working for a company of close to 100,000 employees and feeling like just a number, it was refreshing to work for a smaller company where you can feel you are valued every day. A company where the president/owner shows an interest in your family and encourages you to chase your goals. I appreciate working for a company that values my military background and supports my active involvement in the Air
Force which allows me to fulfill my commitment and achieve my goal of a military retirement.

– Ralph Conti

Prior to my tenure at Melink, I served in the United States Army.  After back-to-back deployments, and having a young family, my wife and I decided that it was time to move onto the next chapter in our lives. Since I have been at Melink it has become common place to see many veterans walk through our doors.  Getting an opportunity to work with so many people from across the country both in and out of uniform has given me and my family a unique outlook. It is truly humbling to see the support given to our Veterans.  Thank you for your Service.

– Mark Goodhind

How to be an Employee Owner – with Swagger

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

swag·ger

/ˈswaɡər/

verb


walk or behave in a very confident way.
“he swaggered along the corridor”

synonyms: strut, parade, stride, roll, prance;

Goals and objectives are important.  They move us forward, help us believe in ourselves and each other, and the right goals hold us accountable to meeting exceeding results.  But, what good is accomplishing a goal without passion, without purpose, without style or swagger?  These attributes are, in my opinion, critical toward making work fun and meaningful.  If not, we’re just checking the box.   In fact, these attributes are not only reflected in our people, but in the products and services we offer.  We’re not looking to check the box by pencil-whipping another T&B report, or installing a basic controls system.  No, we want to provide insanely great service and do things the right way.  We want our customer’s to have a healthy and properly commissioned building.  Intelli-Hood isn’t a demand control ventilation product – it’s an energy savings solution.  And any contractor can install a Solar PV system; we’re providing renewable energy solutions that meet the needs of our customers.  So, as a 100% Employee Owned company, I asked my team, “How do you do your job with swagger?”.  Here’s what they had to say.

I try to take the time to get to know trainees on a personal level and adjust my approach to their style of learning.  This helps ensure they can retain information.  As the company’s most-tenured technician, I believe it’s my responsibility to impart knowledge and experience onto new generations of employee-owners.  I have no doubt that if they can add their own style of swagger, they’ll be fully capable of continuing to provide our customers with insanely great service.  -Darryl Stones, Master Field Service Technician & Employee Owner

Our mission is to change the world, one building at a time, by helping decision-makers implement energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions into their commercial facilities.  Confidence in this mission – as well as our values of integrity, innovation, and service excellence – are my keys to success.  I’m so passionate about the work we’re doing as well as my team, and our customers, I can’t help but do it all with style and swagger!  -Krysta Kincaid, Account Coordinator & Employee Owner

I try to lead with integrity. When asked by someone to cut corners to get the job done quicker/easier/less expensive, I take pride in telling them no – we do the job the way it’s supposed to be done. Do anything (a task, chore, errand, favor) as you’d like to do everything, in the best way possible.  -Joel Geiman, Business Development Manager & Employee Owner

I do a lot of international work.  No matter where or when a customer calls me from somewhere in the world, I know it’s my job to help address their need.  I aim to serve as their go-to subject matter expert on demand control ventilation (DCKV).  Often times I try to advise above & beyond the scope of our controls.  My goal is to ensure our system integrates seamlessly with the application, whether it be new construction or a retrofit.  Not only is the energy savings critical, but so is a cohesive and effective mechanical system that’s been well integrated with the foodservice design.  My team and I are fully committed to changing the world, one building at a time.  -Jason Brown, Senior Sales and Applications Engineer & Employee Owner

Looking polished and professional each time I go onto a job-site.  You’d think it takes a lot of effort to look like a GQ model every day.  But for me, it comes easy.  -George Cook, Lead Technician & Employee Owner

I find it especially gratifying to know that my work serves the greater purpose of making the world a better place.  So, every morning when I wake up, I pause and remind myself to aim for excellence – not because it’s easy or convenient but it’s hard and worth doing!  Also, as an employee-owner, I feel like I have the power of Thor’s hammer to make an impact.  This electrifies my drive to look for ways to improve.  In so doing, I am not just helping myself, I’m adding value for my customers and colleagues.  -Josh Gerlock, Sales Engineer & Employee Owner

Working in Solar gives me a sunny disposition and working in Geothermal keeps me grounded.  -Seth Parker, Vice President of Melink Solar & Geo

With a National Network consisting of  technicians, engineers, leaders and office staff we bring the swagger of 16 military veterans to the industry. Our veterans bring a different perspective on life, leadership, and hard work. Hiring and employing Military veterans offers Melink a chance to give back to those that have volunteered to give so much for our country. It is a mutually beneficial relationship in that the values learned in the military and the esprit de corps that those veterans are used to easily translate to the family environment and core values at Melink Corporation.   -Matt Meyer, Director of Field Service & Employee Owner

In retrospect, I was a little iffy on going through this exercise.   I wasn’t sure what I’d get back!  But, I’m glad I asked this question.  This feedback demonstrates the passion and purpose we’ve learned to develop in our work.  I hope you can see this as well.  So, if you’re looking to hire an energy solutions provider whose people walk the talk, have skin in the game, and have meaning in their work – then look no further.  But if you’re looking to check the box you may want to keep looking. 

We Just Became An ESOP….But What Does That Mean?

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

We want you to join our team. Not only is it a special place to work, Melink became an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 2018 and here’s what that means to you as an employee of Melink.

Melink is unique. An ESOP is a rare and valuable benefit. Melink offers this unusual opportunity for employee wealth building.

Another unique feature at Melink is that it is provided to employees with no out-of-pocket cost.  And is a qualified defined contribution retirement plan that is invested primarily in the common stock of the sponsoring company. Unlike a 401k plan, which requires an employee to contribute his or her own money, there’s no cost to employees.

Melink’s ESOP directly correlates to our company culture.  We act like a start up every day and our ESOP helps us to further build our ownership culture that rewards people both monetarily and intrinsically.  Employees are part of something bigger at Melink, because everyone is working to build his or her (and everyone else’s) successful future.  Increased company performance typically leads to a higher share price and therefore a higher balance in employee ESOP accounts. Simply put, when the company does better so will our employees. The ESOP plan provides a return on their sweat equity.

At Melink, we value our employees’ ideas, opinions and inputs to successfully serve our customers and growing the business.  Melink is building and sustaining an environment that fosters an ownership culture.

Sustaining A Great Place To Work

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

During almost every interview or conversation I have with a non-Melinker, I am asked why I love Melink. My response is always the same, the employees!I am grateful for the “Good Mornings” as employees pass my office, to hear Lorie’s laughter, the conversations at the coffee pot, and sharing thoughts and ideas with my teams.  If you know Melink, you know that we are a leader in energy-efficiency and sustainability practices, but our biggest asset and greatest advantage is our employees.

Every year, one of our top strategic objectives is to ensure our organization is considered a Great Place to Work.  I am proud to say that for the last 2 years we have accomplished that goal! It’s very gratifying to know that 93% of our employees told the institute they feel management is honest and ethical in its business practices. What’s more, 96% indicated they have great pride in who we are and what we do!

So, how do we sustain and keep that momentum?

We have to be transparent about our goals and actions, and very intentional about making sure we are meeting the needs of our employees and providing a satisfying work life, which can certainly be tricky with half of our employees being remotely located across the world. That is why I love Springtime at Melink as we approach our Annual Company Meeting.  This is our own version of a big Family Reunion! We get the chance to be together in one and ensure all voices are heard. All employees gather at our headquarters in Milford, Ohio to reconnect (or meet for the first time!), catch up, and learn more about each other.  We share thoughts, conduct training, share our hopes and concerns for the coming year, and of course have fun!  We will beat up new processes, challenge each other to meet our customer needs, and focus on delivering the best results to achieve our annual and strategic goals. It is an all-hands-on-deck, no holding anything back type of week!

Our 2018 meeting is right around the corner and the planning is almost finished. Food has been ordered, hotels confirmed, flights are scheduled, and agendas finalized. Our remote employees will start to arrive tomorrow. Our days may be packed with educational sessions, brainstorming meetings, internal presentations, and forecasting, but we have plenty of fun planned too!  This year we are excited to have Scott Tallman share his BBQing talents for a cookout, and enjoy a dinner cruise down the Ohio River (thanks Lorie!).

The energy is building and we will soon conduct our survey again. How did we measure up? How do we impact our employees? How do we continue to keep them engaged? While I have a good pulse on where we stand, I can’t wait to show the world once again how Melink stacks up as a Great Place To Work!

Melink to become an ESOP!

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

In the next few weeks, Melink Corporation will become an employee-owned company. As the founder, owner, and CEO, I have decided to sell my shares to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) which will then distribute shares to our full-time employees over time. The reason is, I want our employees to feel ever more invested in Melink and its vision, mission, and values. And I want them to become beneficiaries of their investment of time, passion, and sacrifice when they retire.

After 31 years of building Melink Corporation into a national sustainability and clean energy leader, I will continue serving as CEO but increasingly focus on strategic and long-term opportunities. For example, after implementing the ESOP, I will focus on designing and constructing our second net-zero energy headquarters for future growth and expansion. I will also continue innovating new products and services, with our most recent ones being Positiv and Manifest. And I will serve as CEO of Melink Solar & Geo, a sister company of Melink Corporation, with the goal of mainstreaming the two most promising building technologies (solar PV and geothermal HVAC) from an energy and carbon reduction standpoint.

As many know, Melink Corporation could have been sold to a public company or private equity firm. The market is ripe for mergers and acquisitions in this new low-tax environment. But I did not want to make my legacy about selling out to the highest bidder and then losing everything I spent my life creating. My vision is that Melink Corporation should become a billion-dollar company by helping lead the clean energy revolution and solving one of the world’s most serious challenges: climate change. And I want to ensure that our family and high-performance culture thrives … and inspires other companies on how to achieve organizational excellence.

Moreover, the ESOP will allow Melink to attract and retain the best possible talent. Rather than our employees only buying stocks and mutual funds of other companies through their 401K plans, they will own the very company in which they spend the majority of their time and invest their hearts, minds, and souls. They will be even more proud to sell our awesome solutions and provide great customer service. They will respect and honor, but also hold accountable, their fellow workers all the more with their best efforts and intentions. Success will beget success.

This is not a get-rich quick scheme. It is a build wealth slowly plan. And it is a commitment and investment in our employees that will empower everyone to think and act like owners. And serve as true leaders to the world at large, our country, and our communities.

Love What You Do

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Not long
before Christmas I was out to dinner with some friends and family.  At one
point during the night, the topic shifted toward the Sunday night anxiety
that comes in anticipation of the work week.  Folks went around the table
describing why they get grouchy on Sunday and dread the upcoming week.
Eventually my turn came and I couldn’t help but chuckle and, somewhat
sheepishly, say, “I feel sorry for you guys… I love what I do!”. 

 

As a
business leader, this conversation really stuck with me. I’m really
disheartened to know that so many people don’t enjoy their work.  Let’s
face it, most of us spend more time working than with our own families, and spending
that much time unhappy is nothing short of tragic.  So, why do so many
people struggle to enjoy their work? 

 

I’m sure
there are plenty of books and articles out there on this topic.  It
may be easy for me to say that I love what I do, but what about the rest of the
Melink Team Family?  One of our top strategic
objectives every year is to ensure our organization is considered a Great Place
to Work. While I try to keep an active pulse on this year-round, I am always proud
when I see the results of the annual Great Place to Work survey. Here’s what
people have to say about why they love coming to work at Melink.

 

 As
for me… I’m certainly no expert, but I believe life is what you make of
it.  I don’t view my work as “work” and my personal life as “personal life”…
to me, it’s all just life.   Every day will come at us with an
astounding number of challenges.  We can choose to view these as problems
or opportunities.  Personally, I prefer to view each day as a gift, and
each problem an opportunity.  It also helps to know that I have the
pleasure of working with a world class team of professionals.  This Melink
Family is working to change the world, one building at a time, to
improve our global economy, security, and environment – for our children and
future generations.  As a father of three, how can I not be absolutely in
love with what I do?   

 

 

Our Melink Culture

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

By Steve Melink

Our culture is everything.  It is our vision, mission,
and values all wrapped in one.  It is who we are, what we do, and why we
do it.  It is how we treat and support one another.  It is our
brand.  We can’t separate the parts and still have the whole.

But the foundation is one word: Integrity.  Everything
we say and do should model honesty and respect for others at all times.
We should always strive to show positive intentions.  Negativity, gossip,
and pettiness are counter-productive.  We choose to be genuine and
sincere.

It starts with simple things like acknowledging one another
… with eye contact, a smile, and saying the most important word in the English
language to the other person: their name.  It’s the ordinary hello, thank
you, and have a good day … with an extraordinary result.  Trust.

These small words, gestures, and actions when multiplied
thousands of times over the course of days, weeks, and months … by individuals,
teams, and ultimately all of us … help make our company the safe and healthy
workplace we all want and need.

And this promotes a sense of family.  This is where we
can be ourselves.  This is where we can learn, grow, and flourish.
This is where we can fall, but then be picked up by our peers and
leaders.  This is where we can and will do our best work and make a
difference in the world.

Last, our culture is intentional.  It is not an
accident.  It takes leadership from all of us and takes years to
build.  Let’s never take it for granted.  Let’s build on this
foundation and make it better.  We are a best place to work!

Melink Corporation certified as a Great Place to Work

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CINCINNATI – Aug. 12, 2016 – Melink Corporation is now certified as a Great Place to Work.

The designation recently was awarded to the global provider of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions by the Great Place to Work Institute.

 According to the research and consulting institute, 91 percent of Melink employees reported that their workplace is considered “great.”

“Becoming a Great Place to Work organization is one of our top strategic goals as a company,” said Steve Melink, founder and CEO. “It is very gratifying to know that 98 percent of our employees feel that management is honest and ethical in its business practices, and 97 percent have great pride in who we are and what we do. This allows us to attract and retain great talent and thereby provide great offerings to our customers. Excellence begets excellence.”

When asked by the Great Place to Work Institute to share examples of programs they feel capture Melink’s uniqueness, employees cited: 

  • Energy Efficiency Benefit: After completing one year of service with Melink, employees are eligible for up to a $5,000 contribution toward the purchase of a qualified hybrid vehicle, electric vehicle or solar photovoltaic system for their personal residence. 
  • Tuition Reimbursement: Melink supports employees who wish to continue their education to secure increased responsibility and growth within their professional careers. In keeping with this philosophy, the company has established a tuition reimbursement program for expenses incurred through approved institutions of learning. 
  • Company Provided Vehicle: Executive and director level employees are provided a company sponsored hybrid or electric vehicle. Melink pays for the lease, maintenance, gas and insurance.

To learn more about Melink Corporation, visit Melinkcorp.com or call 513.965.7300.

About Melink

Melink Corporation is a global provider of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for the commercial building industry, with four business offerings: HVAC Testing & Balancing, Intelli-Hood® Kitchen Ventilation Controls, Solar PV Development and Geothermal HVAC. For 30 years, the Cincinnati-based company has been helping organizations save energy, increase profits and make the world a more sustainable place. Melink’s corporate headquarters is LEED Platinum and Net-Zero Energy, and its vehicle fleet consists of all hybrid and electric cars.

Contact

Luci Feie

Marketing Manager, Melink Corporation

513-965-7300