The power of positive company values in the workplace

By Hannah Ford. 

This company is proof that leaders can shape the future of a company’s culture with optimistic attitudes.  

In this Roofing Road Trips® podcast episode, Heidi J. Ellsworth visits with Matt Clarke of Progressive Materials. They discuss initiatives and mindsets to create an inspiring company culture.  

As Matt began to work with Progressive Materials in its initial stages of growth, they developed strong company standards. Establishing values in the beginning and starting off with a solid foundation is crucial in generating a good company culture. “[Progressive] had a really strong base with how to treat customers, how to treat each other, what the expectations were, and everybody was on board with that. And because of that, the company grew exponentially. We make great products, but we have great people too.” says Matt.  

A positive atmosphere between the company and the customer is just one outcome of a solid company culture. "We have really strong core values. We are really customer-centric. We love our customers. We don't even really consider it sales. I mean, we feel like family members with our customers. We look at it as a team approach. So, we're all working together to get to the same goal.” A mindset of taking care of the customer can not only empower the customer but uplift employees and the overall culture.  

One of the main obstacles after setting up values is finding ways to maintain them. As people eb and flow from a company, it is important to transfer company culture to new employees. “If I was to say [maintaining company culture is] not a challenge, I'd be lying to you. It's certainly a big challenge. I mean, first of all, you have to hire the right person,” Matt explains. Prioritizing company culture starts at the beginning of the hiring process and should be constant throughout a company's lifespan. Matt describes his company culture as “a really strongly believed in culture, and that has a way of promoting the culture to the new people. And if [new hires] don't like it, they typically don't stay around.” An indicator of a good company culture is if it can maintain itself. The culture is widely accepted and generally appreciated.  

Finding ways to incorporate company values into day-to-day lives can be extremely beneficial. “We are such believers in our culture, in our core values. So, it's not just a poster on the wall, it's a belief. Everybody, we recite them all the time,” explains Matt. It’s important to find ways to include everyone to increase the positive company culture. Instead of company values being out of sight and out of mind, they can be found everywhere.  

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about the innerworkings and leadership practices of a successful manufacturer.