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.

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?   

 

 

A Letter To Employees From Steve Melink Regarding The Paris Climate Agreement

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Hi Everyone,

I am sure you heard that President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord, and some of you may be wondering what the impact will be for Melink and other like-minded leaders in the clean energy age. The answer is none. No impact, zero, zilch, nada!

Our commitment is unequivocal. We are not less steadfast – we are more steadfast in the face of bad politics and fake news. We have to be because our U.S. and global economy, security, health, and environment depend on it. Climate change, in particular, is a growing risk and threat that we must fight today and not after it becomes too late. Our children and future generations will see this as our ultimate legacy.

The Paris Climate Agreement was signed by almost 200 countries. It is supported by many of the largest and most successful companies in the U.S., including Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, GE, P&G, Bank of America, Walt Disney, Pacific gas & Electric, Salesforce, 3M, Citigroup, Corning, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Dow Chemical, Johnson & Jonson, Morgan Stanley, Tesla, Unilever, and many others.

This is not about jobs in Pittsburgh verses Paris. This is infinitely larger. And hence we will continue our good work to ensure we end up on the right side of history. Science and data will lead us, not rhetoric and short-term thinking.

We are just a medium-sized company, but our leadership and influence are critical in our state, industry, and the local communities in which we live. Thanks for living our mission and sharing this journey with me.

Back to work …

Steve Melink

A LEED-Driven Remodel at the Cincinnati Zoo

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Context

Base Camp Cafe at the Cincinnati Zoo was due for a remodel project in 2013 and took the opportunity to retrofit the restaurant with environmentally sustainable features. They set the goal of achieving LEED Gold certification, but meeting the requirements posed much challenge. Below are the restaurant kitchen conditions:

  • Total motor power: 10 HP
  • Daily operating hours: 14
  • Days per week: 7
  • Weeks per year: 52
  • Cost per kilowatt hour: $.10
  • Climate zone: 5
  • Customers per year: 1.4 million

 

Results

The Cincinnati Zoo Sustainability Team chose to install Intelli-Hood Controls to gain credits toward their pursuit of a LEED Gold-certified cafe. The Zoo previously worked with Melink for a solar canopy project. Since 2013, Base Camp Cafe has been ranked the greenest restaurant in the nation, as measured by The Green Restaurant Association. This association granted them 473 points for the different green elements of their restaurant, with their energy reduction accounting for 220 points, or 47% of their score.

 

Energy savings graphic

The following is a five day fan speed graph at the Base Camp cafe:

Green graphic

 

Here are a before (navy) and after (green) reductions in kilowatt hours, heat load and exhaust volume:

energy data before and after Intelli-Hood

 

The facilities team at the Cincinnati Zoo commented on their impression of Intelli-Hood and working with Melink:

“I appreciate that Intelli-Hood is automated, it’s one less thing to worry about in managing a restaurant. We don’t have to remind people to turn it on and off. We get savings by letting the system run on it’s on.”
– Tony James, Cincinnati Zoo, Facilities Management

 

“Melink was detail-oriented and, to be honest, a lot more on-the-ball than we were. They were responsive to the fine-tuning issues that came about, such as sensors getting dirty with grease.”
– Greg Speidel, HGC Construction, Project Manager

 

“Restaurants are huge energy hogs, it’s also where you can get your money back.”
– Mark Fisher, Cincinnati Zoo, Director of Sustainability

 

COULD INTELLI-HOOD BE A FIT FOR MY PROJECT?

Are you curious how much energy Intelli-Hood could save within your commercial or industrial kitchens?  Submit an energy savings estimate request form at the bottom of our Intelli-Hood page to get started.

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