McVantage Packaging produces pallets and transport packaging. But its secret sauce is innovation and focusing on developing better people who build their products and improve the company.
Wesley Glidewell, the HR manager for McVantage, has only been with the company for 18 months. He came from the aerospace and defense sectors. But he has found extreme satisfaction going from a high-tech job to working with pallets and the people who build them.
Glidewell explained, “Engineers and rocket scientists will always be able to find work. But when you can help someone who is just out of jail get on their feet or someone who is struggling to make it in America, get the break that they need, that’s fulfilling work.”
McVantage has taken on a number of adult learning opportunities to improve the lives of their employees. Last year the company developed its first class of graduates for an English as a Second Language (ESL) program. Eleven people graduated and finalized the entire ESL program. McVantage celebrated their success by putting on a graduation ceremony with caps, gowns, an official certificate of completion from a college, gathering family together, etc. Northwest Shoals Community College ran the program.
Glidewell noted, “The McVantage leadership brought me in and wanted me to help facilitate ESL and other training programs. The more we talked about it, we realized a lot of these people come from Third World countries…Most of them had never done any kind of graduation at all. It meant so much to our workers and their families. There were a lot of watery eyes in the crowd that day.”
One of the people who graduated was in his late 60s. He served as an example for his entire family. Glidewell commented, “Multiple generations of his family were proud to see him achieve this goal. He set a great example for others. His example showed that it is never too late; don’t give up.”
Kate Matz, chief revenue officer of McVantage Packaging, said, “When you talk about the community engagement side, there is a general employee shortage in our area. But with these additional programs we’re offering, it’s encouraging our employees to come to work. These employee engagement initiatives are driving employee retention and opening up opportunities to hire more family and friends of existing employees.”
McVantage has two main plants, one in Tuscumbia, AL and the other in Nashville, TN. One way the company cares for workers is by hiring a chaplain who works directly for the company. He is a former employee who knows what it is like to work in a pallet plant and felt called to full-time ministry. This chaplain meets weekly with employees, especially those who are struggling or need to talk with someone about issues outside of work. The chaplain also sends regular messages of encouragement to employees.
The company is also launching a financial literacy program for employees based on Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. Glidewell pointed out, “Our workers face countless personal situations, and offering financial training is a way to help them with financial struggles. We don’t want to just give people money. We want to teach them how to be successful in the long run.”
While the program does cost money and is an investment for the company, the owners believe it will help improve the lives of employees. “From developing the first robotic pallet nailing system to developing people, Joe and Eddie want to innovate and give back to the industry,” noted Matz.
Some in the industry may wonder why the company invests so much in its people when it can be difficult to just get products out of the door some days in the demanding world of the pallet industry. Glidewell suggested, “It’s easier to retain good employees than to hire new ones. Everything we do to care for our workers drives retention and appreciation. People will work harder, and your entire operation is more productive when employees feel that you are investing in them.”
Also, Glidewell pointed to the importance of employee training. He said, “I heard a journalist ask a CEO one time, ‘What are you going to do if you train all these people and they leave?’ He responded, ‘What do you do if you don’t train them and they stay?”
McVantage has also partnered with Life House, which operates a ¾ way prison transition home and rehab program near its Alabama plant. The Christ-centered program is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and works to help people successfully transition from incarceration or avoid jail altogether.
When a candidate is a good fit, sometimes graduates of the program come to work for McVantage. The company won’t just take anyone because they want people who will succeed and fit into their culture. Usually the candidates who join McVantage from Life House come from the Baton Rouge program. Matz explained, “Life House usually tries to put people into a job away from where they went through the program. They are not released back into their same culture of habit or group where they make wrong decisions.”
The importance of this transition program is key for those trying to leave the lifestyle that landed them in jail in the first place. Glidewell said, “You’re never going to keep a job if you don’t get the core of yourself right.”
Many of these initiatives are driven by senior leadership at McVantage. These top leaders have learned how to do business differently by participating in C12, a Christian executive coaching and development program for CEOs and senior business leaders.
Giving back to the community has always been part of the culture at McVantage. The company has supported many initiatives in its areas including schools, universities, non-profits, the local Rotary Club and other service organizations. While these initiatives require time and intentionality, it has paid off when it comes to building the type of culture where people want to come to work.
