Take a look at our newsletter this month!
www.pyebarker.com
1-800-282-9784
P.O. Box 1387 (30298) 121 Royal Dr. Forest Park, GA 30297
JULY 2018
As this newsletter makes its way to you, I’m sure many of our readers have already enjoyed their own Fourth of July celebrations. At the time of writing, my family’s plans are still up in the air, but my daughter is making a strong case to drive down to Columbus to visit her Uncle Bill. Visiting family is always a great option for Independence Day. Of course, it helps that Bill is a fireworks enthusiast. He actually travels around with a group of fellow hobbyists, putting on fireworks displays, and they’re pretty impressive. Making the drive south for a private Fourth of July show is certainly tempting. We have been homebodies these last few July Fourths, probably because it comes right at the end of my busy conference season and I’m relieved to have a day off in my own house! We have traveled pretty far afield for Independence Days past. The most memorable, by far, was when we were in Washington D.C. in 2002. At the time, my sister worked on Capitol Hill, and we were very grateful for the opportunity to go visit her. The September 11th attacks had occurred less than a year ago, and it felt like the whole country was holding its breath. I still remember the sense of uncertainty, of not knowing when or where the next attack might be. Visiting D.C. amid all the national terror was a surreal experience. There we were, in the capital of a nation founded on values of freedom and liberty, and there were armored military vehicles on every corner. Driving down an American boulevard, seeing soldiers with assault rifles would be a strange sight anywhere in the country, but it was made that much more poignant with the Washington Monument towering in the background. A 4TH TO REMEMBER
could feel it. Still, seeing those armed guards walking the streets was a somber reminder of how much things had changed in only 10 months. Regardless, our family was determined to make our way to the national mall and show our support for our country. And we weren’t the only ones. In spite of the nervousness, people from all over the country made their way to the national mall to show their support for the stars and stripes. As the fireworks burst overhead, that sense of caution in the crowd melted as we celebrated the freedom, resilience, and unity that define us as Americans. There was something deeply moving about that first Independence Day after 9/11. There was, and still is, plenty of healing to be done in the wake of those attacks. But having that day to come together as one people, in public, and show that we weren’t afraid, that we weren’t going to be intimidated into staying home, was a powerful experience. Regardless of where we celebrate this year’s Fourth of July, I’ll be keeping that warm summer night in 2002 close at heart. More than fireworks or barbecues, Independence Day is about gratitude for what we have as a nation. It’s about the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and the generations of brave Americans that have fought to defend them. It’s about the power of unity in the face of terror and uncertainty.
God Bless America,
-Eric Lunsford
I don’t blame Capitol Hill for having extra security — those were scary times. Everyone in that city was especially on edge, and you
1
1-800-282-9784 • www.pyebarker.com
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR GREATEST ASSETS GIVE EMPLOYEES OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH
Christian Valiulis emphasizes that employee development is essential to any company’s growth. Here are a few methods he’s identified to promote it within his company. MEET AT LEAST EVERY MONTH, WITHOUT FAIL. Meetings are an opportunity for you to share where you’re at as a company, where you’re headed, and where your employees fit into that plan. Consider how your employees can be involved in such meetings. For example, at each monthly meeting, Valiulis has a different team member give part of the presentation. This builds their investment in the meeting, gives recognition to that employee, develops skills, and gives that employee an opportunity to try out a new role.
It’s no secret that employees want to work where they feel valued and nurtured. You also know that turnover is costly — Glassdoor estimates that businesses spend as much as 21 percent of an employee’s pay to find their replacement. So how do you get good employees to stay? Glassdoor’s study points out the importance of employee development. According to Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at Glassdoor, “Even after controlling for pay, industry, job title, and many other factors, we find that workers who stay longer in the same job without a title change are significantly more likely to leave for another company for the next step in their career.” Glassdoor’s findings corroborate the experiences of many business leaders. Chief Revenue Officer and longtime business leader
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT Steve Chu joined the Pye-Barker team in February of last year, when he signed on to be an inside sales representative at our Forest Park location. If you’ve ever called in to inquire about one of our pump applications, chances are, you talked to Steve. Steve is an extremely valuable asset to the team, bringing with him over a decade of technical expertise.
STEVE CHU ENGINEERS SOLUTIONS
Compared to working alongside radioactive materials, just about any desk job would seem low-pressure by comparison. But Steve also finds joy in the people he gets to work with every day. “I really appreciate this position. There are a lot of good, honest people here at the company,” he says. “I really like the small- company feel.” Outside of work, Steve spends most of his time with his family. He has an 11-year-old
“I was a mechanical engineer by trade,” Steve explains, “so I used to be the one calling in to Pye-Barker for components … I got to see things from our clients’ perspective.” Having been in the shoes of the technical professionals we help every day makes a big difference. Not only is Steve able to draw on his engineering knowledge, but he also knows where our clients are coming from and can find a solution that fits their needs. The specifics of his former engineering work also give Steve a unique, stress-free outlook on his position. When asked what his favorite part of the job is, he chuckled and replied, “Honestly, it’s a lot less pressure than the kind of work I’m used to.” He recalls, “I was employed by an A.E. company that worked on nuclear power plants, for five or six years. That was a lot of stress. Do something wrong in that job and things really go wrong.” He admits that “working to save clients their downtime is important, but at least dozens of human lives aren’t on the line.”
son in boy scouts and has already been on his fair share of camping trips this summer. He’s also involved in his church and even pitches in to teach Sunday school from time to time. He’s looking forward to his son picking up golf so he can get back into his old hobby.
2
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Pye-Barker Supply Co. • www.pyebarker.com
WHEN IT COMES TO AIR COMPRESSORS
EXPRESS YOURSELF. You know how much your employees mean to you, but do they? It might be as simple as saying, “You are doing a great job.” When your employee tells you about their goal of writing a book, find ways to support it, even if it’s just checking in now and then to see how many pages they’ve written. If your employees feel that you’re interested not only in their professional development but also their personal development, they’ll feel more satisfied in their work. You’ll improve morale and retention. If your employees feel like they can’t achieve their career goals at your company, they’ll begin to look elsewhere to reach them. In addition to highlighting how your company fosters employee development during the hiring process, make good on that advertisement by offering workshops, trainings, and opportunities for promotion. Valiulis suggests encouraging job shadowing between departments. It can help strengthen teamwork and show employees new opportunities within the company. The source of training doesn’t have to come from a faraway conference — look for internal opportunities where coworkers can learn from each other. GIVE CLEAR OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT.
EFFICIENCY MATTERS Any industrial expert will tell you that air is the fourth utility. From HVAC and refrigeration systems to pneumatic and injection mould applications, chances are your factory relies on compressed air at least as much as water, electricity, and natural gas. However, compressed air costs more per unit of energy than any other utility.
Thus, more than any other process, efficiency needs to be the primary concern when it comes to your compressed air system. Ensuring that you are getting the most “umph” for your buck is essential to keeping costs down, regardless of whether compressed air is a primary or ancillary process. And yet many companies are satisfied to get by with out-of-date, unoptimized, or hodge-podge systems. This widespread inefficiency is understandable when you take into account how involved designing and commissioning a compressed air system can be. One miss-matched component can lead to losses in pressure or substandard air quality. In many cases, it can be a good investment to purchase one complete system, designed by industry experts for peak performance. However, when your facilities or processes create unique demands for your air compressor application, customization becomes a necessity. Depending on your needs, this may be as simple as adding an accessory process or some monitoring equipment, or as complicated as building a compressed air system from the ground up. Either way, you are looking at a substantial investment of time and money, so it’s essential you get this customization done right. Our problem solvers here on the Pye-Barker team have extensive knowledge on all things compressed air. Not only do we offer complete systems from industry leaders like Gardner Denver, but we also carry a complete range of specialized components to help you get your air system to just about any specification. Our compressed air experts will work with you to figure out the most efficient option that fits your process and your budget. So whether you are looking to build, upgrade, or add to your compressor system, give one our engineers a call at 404-363-6000. They’ll help you ensure that you have the smartest system for your needs.
3
1-800-282-9784 • www.pyebarker.com
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
P.O. Box 1387 (30298) 121 Royal Drive Forest Park, GA 30297
CALL US NOW! 1-800-282-9784
INSIDE THIS 1 Our 4th of July in D.C.
ISSUE
How Employee Development Can Improve Your Bottom Line Meet Steve Chu
2
3
Have a Laugh on Us! The 4th Utility
4
The History of Hot Dogs and Burgers
THIS AMERICAN GRUB HOW HOT DOGS AND HAMBURGERS BECAME NATIONAL TREASURES
perfect food for a nation suddenly living on a tight budget. By the 1930s, hot dogs had become so unquestionably American that Franklin Roosevelt famously served them to King George VI during his royal visit in 1939.
If your plans for this Independence Day involve firing up the barbecue, you’ll probably be cooking two American classics: hot dogs and hamburgers. Come the Fourth of July, families will be grilling up burgers and dogs from sea to shining sea, but it wasn’t always this way. The story of how beef patties and sausages became culinary symbols of our nation will give you plenty of food for thought.
THE BURGER Like the hot dog, the exact origin of the beef patty’s eventual “sandwiching” is lost to history. Once again, it was German immigrants who brought their recipes for “Hamburg steak” with them across the Atlantic, but reports vary as to who first sold the meat patty inside a bun.
THE HOT DOG It was German immigrants who brought the “frankfurter” and the “wienerwurst”
to American soil in the 1800s. There is much debate over who first decided to place one of these franks in a bun, but by the opening of the 20th
Multiple diners and fairgrounds across America claim to be the home of the first hamburger. All of these claims date to the turn of the 20th century, a time when our nation was faced with feeding a growing working class quickly and cheaply. By the 1950s, the burger had become a symbol of the American everyman. Both the hot dog and hamburger embody the history of our nation. Immigrant traditions merged with blue-collar needs to create two uniquely American foods. It’s fitting that we celebrate America’s birthday with the grub that has grown along with it.
century, hot dog stands had popped up all over the Eastern Seaboard. We do know the identity of the man who took the hot dog’s popularity to a national level: Nathan Handwerker. A Jewish immigrant from Poland, Nathan sliced buns for a hot dog stand on Coney Island. After scraping together enough money, he quit his job and opened a stand of his own, undercutting his former employer’s prices by half. Not only did Nathan’s hot dogs outsell the competition, the Great Depression made them the
4
Pye-Barker Supply Co. • www.pyebarker.com
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online