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.”
Here from Adam Martin, the Environmental Health and Safety Manager at Simpson Strong-Tie McKinney Branch in Texas as he explores the implementation of professional safety guidelines within his branch. Understand the strategies, programs, and initiatives that place employee safety and well-being at the forefront of our organization. Gain insight into how our Texas branch exceeds expectations to create a safe work environment for our employees.
June is National Safety Month, but at Simpson Strong-Tie, safety never takes a day off. We’re at it all year, day in and day out. The motto of the Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) department is “Keep Us Strong,” and that’s exactly what we strive to do. At Simpson Strong-Tie, safety comes first. One of Barc’s Nine Principles of Business is “Everybody Matters," and this is truly supported by our team’s dedication to the safety of our employees, as well as making products that build stronger, safer structures for our customers.
When November comes around, many Americans think of Thanksgiving, gratitude, and opportunities to give back. Our company has a longstanding tradition created by Simpson Strong-Tie founder, Barclay Simpson, that ties into one of the company values #8: Give Back. Every year in November, Simpson Strong-Tie celebrates giving back with our Do What You Can Day. On that day, our branches organize employee activities partnering with charitable nonprofits. Our many branches and warehouses stepped up this year and did their part in supporting their communities. Check out our employees’ efforts and look at the various projects they participated in for this
Our company values are defined by the nine principles of our founder, Barclay Simpson. The eighth principle is "Give Back." According to Barclay it reflects the idea that "we’re all connected in some way and are all part of a greater community. It’s important to make what impact you can – you may not have the financial means that others might have but whatever you can do, do it. Look for small ways to give back every day." Dena Lee, a Customer Service Representative from our Stockton branch, has taken that value to heart. She shared with us why this
One great way to fuel your creativity is with a good LEGO® set. Not only can they transport us to another world while we’re building with them, but they can unleash our imaginations and allow us to create a tangible art piece to admire for as long as we like. One of our very talented inside sales representatives has taken our Simpson Strong-Tie Value #9, Have Fun, and Be Humble to heart with his Simpson Strong-Tie warehouse build. Discover his creation below and learn in his own words about his Lego build and his growth with our company.
When your company is in the business of building safer, stronger structures, you’re sure to have more than a few employees who are handy with a hammer (and a screwdriver and drill). This winter, our Pleasanton engineering department decided to put those design and carpentry skills to the test for the greater good.
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.
“Company culture” has become a catch-all term to express the essence of what makes an organization good (or, in some cases, not so good) to work for. As a human resources leader, it’s my honor to work with teams dedicated to acting as positive influencers in the culture of our company. When we set out to create new processes to protect and grow the unique culture of Simpson Strong-Tie, we had outstanding direction from our founder, whose values are as relevant today as they were more than 60 years ago when he first opened the doors.
Finding the right talent has never been more difficult, in my memory. It seems companies are clamoring for rock stars and unicorns and doing whatever they can to find and attract them. Salaries are on the rise, but so is turnover. With every valued employee that leaves for a new opportunity, the workload grows for depleted departments and internal recruiting teams. It’s a cycle that’s accelerated by making poor leadership hires or encouraging a candidate exclusion approach where only the most perfect choice will do.
“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
One of the Simpson Strong-Tie core values is to give back to the communities where our employees work and live. This value, established by our company founder, Barclay Simpson, is reflected in the actions of not only our company but also of our employees. One of our biggest days of giving back is November’s Simpson Strong-Tie Do What You Can Day, an annual event celebrated throughout our company at our locations around the world. Here are some of the ways we did what we could.
“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.
Back in March, a few colleagues and I were discussing how to prepare kids for college. With that subject in mind, I wanted to do something fun and meaningful for the kids in our community. So I organized some workshops in my back yard focused on engineering with kids who might be interested in exploring structural engineering — and summer was the perfect time to do it! We had a group of 12 kids, aged 7–11, who signed up and were all set to explore some engineering concepts. It was a learning experience for me, as well!
On July 6, the Simpson Strong-Tie home office in Pleasanton, California, welcomed girls from Girls, Inc. of Alameda County. This visit provided an opportunity for the girls to hear from and interact with the many women leaders of Simpson Strong-Tie.
Simpson Strong-Tie is renewing its partnership with Habitat for Humanity to continue supporting the housing organization’s efforts to make homes resilient to disasters. This is the 12th consecutive year of the partnership to help more families in need of a decent and affordable place to call home. To date, the manufacturer of structural product solutions has contributed more than $2.75 million toward Habitat’s mission.
Good news for anyone involved in construction: The industry added 23,000 specialty trade contractor jobs in November 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bad news? Construction employers will likely struggle to fill new positions, as a labor shortage triggered by the 2007–2009 Great Recession continues to dampen more robust growth for the builder economy.
There are a couple of turkeys that like to hang out around our home office in Pleasanton and, no, I’m not referring to any of my colleagues — we actually have a gang of wild turkeys that comes up from the creek behind the office. Almost every day, these colorful birds feel safe enough to stroll onto the office walkway pecking for food outside our office windows and doors. It’s surprising to me that these beautiful creatures could be so fearless (or is it simply naïve?), especially around Thanksgiving time. Their presence reminds me that being fearless is important, because
At Simpson Strong-Tie, we’re not only focused on building strong structures, we’re also focused on building strong relationships with the next generation of architects, engineers, builders and trade professionals who will help shape our communities. Given the shortage of skilled laborers and of school graduates joining the trades, we believe it’s important to support career opportunities for the young professionals who represent the future of our industry. To do that, we’ve appointed a select group of Outreach Coordinators dedicated to creating relationships with young people interested in our industry. Here are five ways that Simpson Strong-Tie and this passionate team
