Tag: Melink

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.