What makes Simpson Strong-Tie special? When you think of the best a family has to offer — support, collaboration and respect — that’s what we offer. One of the nine company values originally laid down by our founder, Barc Simpson, is Enable Growth. As Barc put it, “When people join our company, they don’t come for a bus stop. This is a career.” That means we try to foster a supportive environment that encourages personal and professional growth. We want every employee to know there’s a whole big team that always has their back. When there’s a win, we cheer each other on. When there’s a snag, coworkers step in to help you out. As an example of our commitment to employee success, we’re happy to be able to share the story of Product Manager Eric Philip.

Eric originally came to Simpson Strong-Tie because he didn’t feel prepared for college and wanted to take a step back and weigh his options. He started out at Simpson as a temporary accounting contract employee at our branch in Gallatin, Tennessee, but soon became a full-time employee. His manager at the time saw Eric’s potential and encouraged him to go back to school and finish his degree. So Eric took advantage of Simpson Strong-Tie’s educational reimbursement program. This program is offered to full-time employees so they can go back to school and continue their education. With the support of his family and his team at work, Eric completed his master’s in business administration in December 2022.

Eric felt that his managers and the company really valued him and wanted him to be successful in his career. He also shared that the help of his team put him on the path to success. Eric says, “I liked that Simpson cared about my personal goals as well as my professional goals. They gave me the resources to develop into the person I was becoming.”

At Simpson Strong-Tie, we believe in growth and in providing opportunities for all our employees to contribute to our shared success. Our people are encouraged to seek out the positive in everyday challenges and to find new opportunities for contributing to the company’s achievements. Rewarding employees for their positive efforts always pays off over time.

Thank you, Eric, for sharing your story with us.