Ever since I started my career in IT in 1992, I have been looking for a company like Rosendin. Growing up, my father instilled a strong work ethic in me, and a loyalty to the company where you work. My father worked for an aircraft manufacturer that was loyal to its employees, and it showed in his attitude and approach to work. As I began my career, I looked for a company like my father’s. Sadly, it would take me another 26 years to find it.
I lived in the D.C. metro area, where there were a lot of opportunities in contract positions working for the federal government. I obtained one of these positions and soon discovered that not all companies were like my father’s. I quickly learned that there isn’t a requirement for companies to care about their employees. It seemed that, to most, you are simply one of many individuals who could be filling the seat. Still, I did well in this environment, learning a lot and excelling in each position. Through time, I noticed that even though the companies that I worked for were not loyal to their employees, the customers we worked for were and, for a time, I was satisfied.
As my career progressed, I moved from D.C. to the San Francisco Bay Area, once again searching for a workplace that I could call home.
In 2018, I came across Rosendin. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what “employee owned” meant. After interviewing with Rosendin, I did my research into what it was all about. The more research I did, the more excited I became at the thought of working for this company. When I received my offer for employment, I didn’t hesitate to jump at the opportunity.
Working for an employee-owned company is different. When I worked in government contracting, I struggled with the amount of money I saw wasted. My nature is to look out for ways to save a company money, and most employee-owners have this same mindset. Employee-owners are cautious about what is being spent because, ultimately, it’s our money that we’re spending. At Rosendin, we’re aware of the bottom line; we consider what is in the best interest of the company in everything we do. For me, the surprising part isn’t the way employee-owners think, but it’s the connection that those thoughts and ideas bring to the employees.
Rosendin is a big family, and I’m part of this work family that stretches across the country. I don’t know everyone, and I probably will never have the chance to meet each member of my new family. I swell with pride when I meet a new person in our company or see the Rosendin logo on a truck next to me on the interstate. I feel the sense of accomplishment for my part in the work that we do. When we complete a job, I know that in some small way, my Rosendin family and myself were all a part of it.
Words cannot express how proud I am to be one of many Rosendin employee-owners. I hope that in the future when my son begins his career path, that he feels the same passion that I did from my father—the desire to work for a company, like Rosendin, that truly cares and values its employees.
“As a 100% employee-owned company our culture is about an environment where everyone can be their best. We care, We listen, We share, We excel, We innovate. These are our core values and we embrace them.”
—Tom Sorley CEO, Rosendin Electric
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