Honoring the life of a leader Dedication of the Joseph T. Walsh Leadership & Training Center
The sudden loss of CEO Joe Walsh in August 2021 is still sorely felt by many at J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc (Creamer). Known for his commitment to continuous improvement and inspiring the same in others, it was only right to dedicate the infrastructure services provider’s training facility in Wall Township, N.J. to the late executive. Walsh was the driving force in making the center a reality. On April 8, 2022, the Joseph T. Walsh Leadership & Training Center was dedicated in Walsh’s honor. About 4,500 Creamer employees have trained at the center since its opening in 2017, primarily in small groups of up to eight people. The facility is considered trailblazing in the industry for the depth and breadth of onboarding and safety training provided to company employees. “Over the past 20 years, Joe was the driving force in shaping what Creamer is today, constantly challenging us to do better and be better. He was really the brains and inspiration behind developing the training center,” said Andrew Wood, Segment Financial Leader for Specialty Services at APi Group. Wood worked closely with Walsh as the late executive pushed to develop the facility and the improvements which followed in 2021. The site features two buildings, and the recent upgrades to the center included a new classroom, conference room, and workstations, expanding its capacity and allowing different types of training to occur simultaneously. “Joe was extremely passionate about safety and the well-being of our workforce,” Wood said. “He recognized that safety requires intentional behavioral change, and that productivity and safety complement each other.”
Top: Walsh celebrates the company’s 90th anniversary in 2013 with colleagues. L–R: Fletch Creamer, Jr. (retired), Dale Creamer, Cliff Padgett (retired), and Joe Walsh. Middle: Creamer employees at the April 2022 dedication ceremony. L–R: Andrew Wood, Elizabeth Alvarez, John Papandrea, Craig Fellman, James Valenti, and Martin Downs. Bottom: As a segment leader at APi Group, Walsh visits a LeJeune Steel job site in Nashville.
New employees at Creamer are required to receive two days of onboarding and safety training at the facility before working in the field. Established employees keep current with curriculum updates at the facility and field tradespeople take technical refresher courses in the classroom and at outdoor stations to build skills in a hands-on environment. Joseph T. Walsh III was appointed Creamer’s CEO and Specialty Services segment leader for APi Group in 2020, following his prior position of chief operating officer and president. Walsh was the first non-Creamer family number to hold the position of president when he assumed the role in 2006, and was instrumental in accelerating the company’s growth. Walsh joined Creamer in 1995 as a general superintendent of utilities. “Other companies might have done something similar with their training and development programs but not to this magnitude,” said Dale Creamer, executive vice president at Creamer. “Our program has grown and is reflective of a culture that takes safety and leadership development very seriously.” Both Dale Creamer and his brother J. Fletcher Creamer, Jr., former Creamer CEO, now retired, worked closely with Walsh and valued his friendship and mentorship over the years without regard to job titles. “Joe was a one-of-a-kind guy. He always had a way of challenging people and cared deeply about people. We’ve all benefited from the work he’s done to build the business and create new opportunities,” said J. Fletcher Creamer, Jr.
At the time of Walsh’s move to CEO, long-time Creamer employee Martin Downs was appointed Creamer president in 2020. “Joe was a friend and mentor, and a sounding board. I can attest to his innate ability to lead along with a relentless worth ethic and absolute passion for the leadership and development of our field leaders,” Downs said. “Joe was a special leader who touched the hearts of many people and made everyone around him feel appreciated,” added Russ Becker, CEO and president of APi Group. “He was a true leader and listened to understand others.” As the Walsh Leadership & Training Center continues to educate, develop and train Creamer employees, the drive, passion and commitment that Walsh instilled in others will live on.
7 Volume 16 Issue 1
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