MEMBERSHIP By Jane Treiber, Membership and Affiliate Relations Manager as Celebrated by Our Members SuperTech Day was celebrated around the world on Friday, June 24, and in some cases in the week preceding and the week following the official day. The results were the same well deserved recognition to technicians of all ages for the important jobs they do for IDA member companies and for the industry. Here is how some of our members celebrated SuperTech Day with their technicians. Nick McGregor, CEO of Plano Overhead Garage Door in Plano, Texas, asked tenured techs at a recent meeting what might be a useful gift for all technicians. As a result, each of their SuperTechs got a multipurpose hip tool belt with a Stanley multi-tool and a high powered LED mini flashlight. Management put a $20 bill in the empty slot and told the techs to buy whatever they wanted for the empty slot. Each technician also got a goodie bag with candy, and they were fed jalapeno sausage, chicken, texas brisket, iced tea, mac n cheese, beans, coleslaw, potatoes, biscuits, and you name it! Nick said We also had our second annual SuperTech Day Corn Hole Tournament. One of our newer technicians took the tournament and won a company purse of $25. It was a great way for some of our newest hires to get to know the veterans. We ve added three installers since last year, and hopefully we can add a few more for next year s tournament! 48 International Door & Operator Industry
Nick reports that they had quite a bit of foot traffic to the showroom during the meeting, and it was awesome to hear what the customers thought about their gathering. A few customers actually got to join in on the fun and play corn hole and eat some good food-- not to mention buy a garage door and opener while they were there! Back in Marion, Ohio, The Door Guys decided to surprise their crew with breakfast at a local diner, a round of disc golf at a pro course, and the remainder of the day off to spend with their families. The Door Guys team and family members also enjoyed a trip to the Columbus Zoo and Zoombezi Bay on Saturday all in celebration of SuperTech Day! Continued on page 50
MEMBERSHIP (continued from page 49) We moved our monthly safety meeting to SuperTech Day at 7 am. SuperTech signage, a talk from me and gift cards to Speedway -- it s where all our guys fill-up in the morning. Bob Hammersley, Crawford Door Systems, Wilmington, North Carolina We had coffee and doughnuts for all the guys this morning at the weekly 6 am safety meeting and gave them each a Thank You card with an IN-N-OUT gift card. For those of you that have never been out west and have yet to experience IN-N-OUT...you have not lived! Chuck Colton, OnTrac Garage Door Company, San Bernardino, California Techs! Where would we be without them? We tried something a little different this year. We decided to use this day as an investment day In our team. It took some hard work through the week and some creative scheduling but we freed up our schedule for the morning. We asked our managers and techs from all our locations to meet in Hattiesburg. We started at 7:00 and had breakout training sessions. Sort of a mini Expo seminar feel. We had some on welding, dock equip, reading and understanding wiring schematics, high speed doors, etc. The techs and trainees were assigned to classes based on what they needed. Then we had a general session where we were presented with our new Planned Maintenance Program. SafeDoorPM. This is an iphone app that will ensure our techs are following manufacturers brand and model specific recommendations on maintaining doors. And then at 11:00 I had the steaks ready. We had steaks, sausage, baked potatoes, baked beans and banana pudding and sweet tea. Oh yeah, and a speech from me. I am truly blessed to have such an awesome team. It was very encouraging and humbling to hear all the thanks coming from our team on a day set aside to say Thank you to them. The crew at Joe Wilde Company in New Berlin, Wisconsin celebrated SuperTech Day a few days later on June 30th. The guys were greeted with warm breakfast sandwiches and each received a SuperTech certificate that included a compliment from a customer on the back. They also received gift cards and a Joe Wilde grill set as a token of appreciation for their service. Joe Wilde SuperTechs range from 2 months on the job to 66* years, with five having more than 30 years with the company. (*Ed Vesbach, turning 96 on July 24th, works part time repairing old operators and was hired by the company in 1950.) Ed was off the day we celebrated, so not in the photo. Keith Moore, Overhead Door Company of Hattiesburg, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 50 International Door & Operator Industry Continued on page 52
(continued from page 50) On June 24th, the International SuperTech Day banner was hung proudly across the front of the Vinyard Doors Inc building in San Diego, California, while all the technicians gathered for breakfast at the neighborhood café before beginning their SuperTech Day. Upon returning to the shop to start their day, each installer was presented with a round of applause and a gift bag with a personalized Thank You letter expressing our appreciation for the great Job they do every day. Inside each gift bag was a tape measure, a roller chain tool, a 3-tool plier set and a Vinyard Doors, Inc. 80th Anniversary t-shirt and pen. The traditional group photo was taken of the amazing installers standing in front of the banner and SuperTech Day continued with an authorization to have lunch on the company credit cards! L to R: Jason (4 years), Lloyd (11 years), Chuck (31 years), Johnny (6-months), and Jerry (31 years) Left to right. Robynn, Austin, Brandon, and Kayce. The technicians of the Overhead Door Company of Gillette in Gillette, Wyoming, took a trip to the Nebraska Division plant and toured to see how things were made. 52 International Door & Operator Industry John Reece of Door Doctor of SI in Benton, Illinois, submitted a picture of their technicians on SuperTech Day. Each tech received a Yeti rambler and well as being served breakfast. Left to right: Jeff Summers (warehouse), Nick McPhail, Charles Lamb, Cody Burford, Austin Gourley (res. techs), Darrell Peppers (comm. tech) and Tim Witcher (service tech) Continued on page 54
(continued from page 52) Renner Supply Company of Camdenton, Missouri celebrated SuperTech Day with a breakfast buffet. The break room was also adorned with balloons and funny photos of each of their techs. The secretary had glued a head shot of each of the techs to the SuperTech guy s body. Everyone was surprised to find their own faces staring at them when they walked in. Laughter filled the room. They were also given Dairy Queen Gift cards to use for lunch whenever they please. We had a great time eating and visiting with each other. It was nice to be able to show the techs -- Lincoln, David, Todd and Bob -- just how much we appreciate all of their hard work. Renner Supply Company of Kansas City, Missouri also celebrated SuperTech Day with a breakfast buffet and SuperTech signage was posted around the eating area and at the table. Company president, Denise Dahms, helped serve the crew of more than 20 to show her appreciation. It was good to get a chance to chat with the techs and get to know them, said Dahms. Much of the office and warehouse staff partook as well-- who s going to turn down free food? The spread was cooked up by custom-wood door foreman, Randy Pyle, and long-time Delden/Renner veteran, Andrew Rodriguez. 54 International Door & Operator Industry