Working at The Greenery – Come Join our Team
Monday, January 24, 2022 | The Greenery, Inc.
The country is in the midst of the “great resignation” with people leaving their jobs at alarming numbers. Meanwhile, this month at The Greenery – we have 12 employees celebrating more than 10 years with us. While no company is immune from turnover, The Greenery has a unique culture that creates a sense of family encouraging people to want to make working at The Greenery a career and not just a job.
In a recent discussion with Jerry Ashmore, Director of Workforce Development and Safety at The Greenery, he spoke about the aspects of The Greenery that help create that “family” atmosphere that draws people to a career with the company that spans years.
“The culture of a company is the ‘soul’ of the organization,” says Ashmore. “At The Greenery, I believe our culture is very unique and special.”
According to Ashmore, the most important thing at The Greenery is safety. The emphasis on the well-being of each employee owner demonstrates that the leadership at The Greenery truly cares about its employees as individuals and not just the bottom line.
Another important aspect of The Greenery culture is FUN. This is cultivated through numerous activities throughout the year at the various branches. Some of the activities and events for The Greenery’s staff have included:
- Bowling in Bluffton
- Cookouts at various branches
- Pizza parties
- Kona Ice truck and food trucks
- Safety rodeos
- Team building activities
- Chili Cook offs
- Community Service Projects
- Halloween party with games and costumes at the Hardeeville branch and HHI office
- Christmas parties at the various branches with games. (Santa even visited some of the offices.)
“We work hard but we like to laugh together,” says Ashmore. “It builds camaraderie.”
In addition to the benefits of a “family” feel, safety and fun – The Greenery offers some other outstanding benefits. Employees are offered health insurance, dental and vision insurance, PTO that is accrued based on longevity, 401K and Roth IRA for retirement. Perhaps the most enticing benefit is the eligibility to become an employee owner through the company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
The Greenery’s employee owned teams have the opportunity for personal and professional growth. And when the time comes for the employee to retire – the stock they have earned benefits their retired life as well.
“Everyone wants to belong to something,” states Ashmore. “And when you own part of it, then you take more pride in it.”
Countless studies have shown that workplace culture is a significant driver of employee happiness and often a deciding factor on how long they stay with a company. “The longevity of so many of our employees speaks to the strength of the culture,” believes Ashmore. “It’s more like a family and we genuinely care for people over profits.”
It’s the same family focus that Berry Edwards established when he founded the company back in 1973. And almost 50 years later – that focus remains the same.
“It’s not the ‘corporate machine’ that many companies in the service industry are today,” explains Ashmore.
At The Greenery, our employee owners are the backbone of the company and we value their commitment to excellence that is evident through the work that they do.
Looking for a career with a trusted Commercial Landscaping company? Want to join our team? Visit The Greenery’s career page for a list of opportunities to work here.