At Simpson Strong-Tie, social impact and responsibility have been a cornerstone of our business philosophy from the very beginning. This philosophy is embodied most explicitly in our Company Values, which we’ve taken directly from the “Nine Principles of Business” laid down by Barclay Simpson. From “Long-Range View” and “Be the Leader” to “Give Back” and “Everybody Matters,” these are values we take pride in and that we use to help guide our business actions and decisions. We like to think that they help distinguish us as a company and make us who we are.
Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and bestselling author, recently featured Simpson Strong-Tie Vice President of Engineering Annie Kao on his TED original podcast WorkLife. Adam and Annie were joined by Berkeley Haas Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Jenny Chatman (full disclosure, she’s a member of Simpson Manufacturing’s Board of Directors) to discuss “The 4 Deadly Sins of Work Culture.”
My career with Simpson Strong-Tie has been an exciting journey of personal growth, giving back to the community, and risk-taking innovation. As I look forward toward retirement I’ve begun reflecting on how the lessons learned on that journey can help others as they navigate careers. I’d like to share some of the rich experiences I’ve had. Therefore, if you’re reading this and wondering how to experience more in your life or career, perhaps you’ll find value in my story.
“Give Back” is one of our nine Company Values established by our founder, Barc Simpson. He said, “No matter what each of our personal situations is, we know that there are many others in this world who will never have the opportunities we’ve had. It is our responsibility to reach out, in whatever manner we can, to support others. We’re all connected in some way and are all part of a greater community. It’s important to make what impact you can. . . . Look for small ways to give back every day. Help out your neighbor, make time for
In September of last year, Simpson Strong-Tie hosted our first Strong Partners Seismic Symposium in Southern California. We were pleased to feature several top speakers, including seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones, discussing the importance of making our communities more resilient. Resilience has become a hot topic in the past several years as we continue to experience more frequent and more powerful natural disasters that devastate communities. We’ve seen numerous distressing examples of what happens when people are left without structures in which to live, learn, work and shop.
“When people join our company, they don’t come for a bus stop. This is a career.” — Barclay Simpson That quote from our company founder is one of my favorites. I had the pleasure to work very closely with Barc when he was alive, and I can tell you that he truly believed and invested in people. I’m certainly a product of that belief.
