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Our first quarterly all-staff meeting set the stage for an incredible year ahead.

These meetings are a great way to keep our team aligned with our goals and initiatives. This quarter, we focused heavily on teamwork. We kicked off the meeting by introducing our newest team members. It is exciting to see the growing number of employees attending each meeting as we expand our services for our customers. As we develop, we look forward to adding even more like-minded, driven individuals to the FED team.

 Once introductions were finished and everyone got the chance to enjoy a cup of coffee, we dove right into some high-energy team-building activities. These activities are always unique, thought-provoking, and fun. We broke out into separate teams, and our competitive nature came out as we collectively tried to build our projects with the hope of winning. Once all the projects were complete, we all came back together and reviewed our team’s work. We always vote on our favorite in a follow-up survey and announce winners at the next Wednesday morning meeting. We all enjoy working together on these activities and each team always strives to come in first. It’s quite the spectacle to witness.

Honoring our focus in teamwork, Brock also revealed this quarter’s Team Player award winners: Bobby McKowen (Office), Shawn Palmateer (Office & Field), and Brandon Bruner (Field). Congrats to all!

Last week, we gathered for our final all-staff meeting of the year, a meeting to reflect on our journey and look ahead to the future: facing forward. These meetings are always filled with energy—whether it’s team-building, updates from department heads, awards, or core value bonuses, every moment is designed to celebrate our progress and align us with our shared vision. But this time, there was something especially impactful about Brock’s company update.

Brock shared an inspiring vision for the future: to transform FED into a $100 million dollar company in the years to come. It’s not just about reaching a financial milestone, it’s about creating a company where every employee thrives, and every customer feels valued. We’ve put in the work—establishing clear policies, defining standards, setting key performance indicators, and refining our customer experience. Each of these steps is a building block to reaching that ambitious goal.

But what truly resonated during Brock’s address was his deeper WHY he wants FED to soar to these new heights. It’s not just about success in numbers—it’s about creating a culture and a legacy where our people, customers, and communities feel the power of what we’re building. Brock shared a vision of what it will feel like when we reach these milestones: a company that excels in business and uplifts and inspires everyone it touches.

As we move into the new year, we’re more ready than ever to meet the challenges ahead. With Brock’s leadership and our commitment, we are going to achieve every goal we’ve set, both as a company and as individuals. Together, we are on the path to something extraordinary, and we will continue to rise to the occasion, fueled by purpose, passion, and a shared belief in what’s possible.

The third all staff meeting was a great opportunity to gather and share our progress for the year and celebrate our wins. Each quarter we choose a theme for these meetings.

For our Q3 All Staff, we decided to celebrate our three core values: Quality, Integrity, and Customer Service

We kicked off the meeting with a team-building activity to get everyone awake and focused for the updates to follow. First, we were divided into five teams randomly, then each team was given a bag of materials to build a boat that had to race down the Cedar River. The rules were that we had to use every item in the bag, the boats needed to be named and inspired by our core values, and every team member needed to offer input on the design and construction of the boat. The first boat to cross the finish line was the winner. These team building events have the tendency to become very competitive and whoever wins carries bragging rights until our next activity. Each team brought their A-game. After a few twists and turns and even boats flipping over and colliding, Team 5 took the prize. Dustin and Iziac showed their commitment to the activity as they dove in to capture the boats when they neared the finish line.

After we celebrated the race winners, we all met at our warehouse, where each department gave an update on its progress towards their 2024 goals. Brock shared the Customer Engagement Model with the team as well, which highlights the entire journey each FED customer goes through. These meetings are the perfect place to bring up any questions and share new initiatives we are working on so everyone is aligned with our efforts. Each team member was gifted with fresh Core Value themed FED apparel to support our overall vision and company branding. We wrapped up the meeting with certificates of achievement, awards, and Core Value bonuses.

It’s always a pleasure to get the team together and celebrate our progress as a whole. Looking to join our team and experience the culture? Check out our open positions below.

At FED Design/Builders, we take immense pride in not only constructing buildings but also building relationships and supporting our community. This fundraiser serves as a special initiative that embodies our commitment to those who make FED successful: the members of our team.

One of our valued team members, Justin Morris, has been integral to our FED family for 4 years. He started in the company as a site supervisor, directing the on-site contractors in daily operations and forging relationships with our team and local contractors. Through his continued desire for learning and growth, he moved into a role as a project manager in 2021. He now has a great understanding of the site supervisors and subcontractors he manages and we often get glowing remarks from customers on their experience working with him. Justin’s dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment continues to create a positive impact on our projects and for that we are incredibly grateful. Justin is a peacemaker, and in our office full of drivers, he can seem quieter than the rest. However, his work ethic and genuineness stand out. He has been an invaluable member of not just our team, but also our community.

As life sometimes presents its challenges, Justin and his family are facing a difficult time. Justin’s wife, Stephanee, has recently been diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma with a possible invasion in her bones and lymph nodes. Stephanee is just as much part of the FED team as Justin. Whenever we have a potluck at work, we all count on her chocolate chip cookies – they are unmatched! Justin and Stephanee have 2 young kids (3 and 6) and made the impossible decision to pick up and move to Arizona for treatment. The costs of this treatment will be over $140,000. This cost, topped with their everyday bills and living expenses in AZ, is another worry. Steph and Justin are radiating positivity and focusing on getting through this, and we want to help them however we can.

Join us as we stack up support for Justin & Stephanee through hosting a Pancake Fundraiser on May 19, 2024 at the Gladwin Arena. This event is not just about flipping flapjacks and enjoying a delicious breakfast with your family and friends. It is about coming together as a community to uplift one of our own. Whether you’ve worked alongside them on a construction site, crossed paths in the neighborhood, or simply appreciate their dedication to excellence, your presence at this fundraiser will make a meaningful difference.

The Pancake Fundraiser will be a morning filled with delicious food, camaraderie, and, most importantly, a sense of unity as we stand with the Morris family. In addition to enjoying a hearty breakfast, attendees will have the opportunity to contribute to the fundraiser through donations, with all proceeds going directly to support the Morris family.

We understand that not everyone may be able to attend the event in person, but your support in any form is greatly appreciated. Whether it’s spreading the word, making a donation, or simply keeping the Morris family in your thoughts, every gesture of kindness goes a long way in making a difference.

WHEN: May 19, 2024 8:30AM-11:30AM

WHERE: Gladwin Community Arena

ADMISSION:
$20 for adults
$7 Ages 10-4
FREE – 3 and under

At FED Design/Builders, we firmly believe in the power of community and the importance of supporting one another through life’s ups and downs. Together, let’s pour on the syrup, flip some pancakes, and most importantly, show our support for a cherished member of our FED family. See you at the Pancake Fundraiser!

Everyone was all smiles at our first quarterly FED all-staff meeting for 2024.

We enjoy getting the entire team in one room every quarter and think it is a fundamental part of maintaining and improving our communication as a company between all our trades and departments. It gives the team a chance to share their team wins, progress, and upcoming initiatives to fuel the growth of FED. As usual, we started the morning with a team-building exercise that prepared everyone for the rest of the agenda. Each team presented their ideas as a group, and we were not disappointed in the creativity showcased by everyone.

We followed the team building with a company update from our President, Brock Dennings. He shared his most significant takeaways from the previous quarter and our vision for the upcoming quarters. He takes great pride in ensuring the entire team can see where we are heading and how each of us is a critical player in getting there. Following the company address, each department head gave an update on their department’s performance last quarter and their plans to level up their departments in the upcoming year. It’s great to have this visibility of what every department is working on, as we often don’t realize everything our team is tackling as we focus on our tasks and contributions that drive the success and growth of FED.

At the end of the company updates, Brock presented awards to the team, including our safety person of the year, Billy Cutchall, for his outstanding performance in ensuring our job site safety compliance and promoting safety culture throughout FED. We also gifted our crew with their Core Value bonuses. These are great to incentivize and maintain FED’s strong culture, which bases all decisions around our core values and ensures employee alignment. Another set of awards was gifted to the top performers within each department to show our appreciation to those who went above and beyond in 2023 to boost their success and that of the teams around them.

It was a great experience, and we can’t wait to hear from our entire team again at the next quarterly all-staff meeting.