PPB: What’s your secret to creating a workplace where employees are happy and thriving?

Kathy Thomas, President, Stowebridge Promotion Group

“My most important job is to create and nurture a corporate culture where our staff can do their very best, most creative work. That is how we are so successful at serving our customers.

“We believe strongly in a dynamic corporate culture. Our people are the very foundation of our success. We are one team working in synergy to deliver the wow for our customers. Our corporate culture is not just words on paper, but alive in how we work, treat each other and care about our customers. We believe that corporate culture is the true differentiator between average companies and amazing companies that excel. If you are able to get the culture right, and nurture and maintain it, then everything else falls into place. We have a highly engaged staff that is creative, diligent and loves to please our customers. Our vision to always deliver the wow along with our shared values and the desire to create innovative and inspired solutions sets us apart.

“Clarity of purpose and empowerment are both cornerstones of our culture, but truly listening to our each other is equally important. Theodore Roosevelt said, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” These are wise words for any leader.

“As a result of our focus on culture, we consistently make the list of top places to work. Our commitment to attracting and retaining the very best people is reflected in our complete benefits package for our employees. Perks are great but a great culture is much more than perks. It is the spirit and the attitude that truly sets our company apart. There is a very supportive spirit that is alive every day in our company. We help each other, we build on each other’s ideas and the results are amazing. Everyone strives to deliver their best work, to create new solutions and try new things. We create an environment where people want to come to work each day.

“We hire people that are a great fit for our culture. That doesn’t mean we hire people who look like us. We have many cultures and backgrounds on our diverse team. We actively seek out people who are dedicated and enthusiastic about pleasing customers as well as being a team player.

“We have found that if you take good care of people—the sales, the profit, the growth all happen as a result. This is why customers seek us out from all over the world.”