By Dick Estelle, Director of Manufacturing
By the time this blog is published, I will be retired. I began my career at Draper on May 26, 1981 (43 years ago). As I reflect on those early days and think about the owners – Luther Pidgeon, John Pidgeon, and Mike Broome – it is easy for me to see the Core Value of Solid and how it is described in our Core Values today. The people I worked with then and the people I work with today display those same characteristics that have guided this family-owned business and made it successful for all these years.
A Legacy of Integrity.
I have seen that legacy passed on from Luther, Mike, and John to our current President, Chris Broome, and the legacy continues. This core value has been passed on, not only from the owners, but from person to person to guide our decisions and work ethic as we have grown and changed with the times and adapted to serve our customers. When I started, AV was the largest part of our business, followed by Shades. Gym Equipment didn’t even exist. As many of you know, we have made some major changes to adapt to the changing markets to get where we are today, with Shades leading the way in sales, while AV and Gym Equipment continue to be strong contributors. All three legs of Draper are critical to the overall success. We adapted and made these major changes with integrity. Integrity continues to be the foundation of Draper, and it means a lot of people have made good decisions and did the right things for the right reasons to get us where we are today.
Creating a Caring, Supportive, and Safe Environment.
Draper is like a second home. We spend a lot of time at work with our co-workers. We all care about each other and each other’s success. Maybe it’s because of the small-town environment that we live and work in. Safety, both physical and emotional, has been a priority. This atmosphere has enhanced productivity and lasting relationships.
Overcoming Challenges Together.
We’ve had our share of challenges. Two of the biggest challenges happened within the last five years, with a ransomware attack in 2019 and COVID in 2020. There were many more, but our strength, perseverance, resilience, work ethic, and teamwork have gotten us through, and we became better as a result.
In a recent survey, we provided our employees with a list of 27 words and asked them to select 3 words that best describe the organization’s culture. The word that was selected the most often was “stable.” That word was later interpreted as Solid for one of our four core values. Not only do I believe in how stable and solid this company is, but the vast majority of our employees do as well. It’s a true testament to how we overcame some major challenges as of late and not once did I hear anyone doubt that Draper would persevere through these challenges.
Committed to the Future.
The values we’ve upheld will continue and those who follow in our footsteps will be the beneficiaries. The legacy we leave behind is not in the buildings that have been and will be built, but in the relationships that we’ve developed.
For 43 years I have called this place my home. It will be tough not to get in my truck and make the drive to Spiceland every day. Retiring is bittersweet. I will greatly miss the people. I feel better about leaving knowing that the current leadership will continue to uphold this core value, Solid, and continue to lead Draper to many more years of success.
