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Friday's Internet Edition, November 21, 2008.
Galt’s BMD focuses on employee unity and well-being
Winner of Galt’s beautification award
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Members of Galt BMD’s accounting team won the first quarter’s physical fitness challenge.
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By Gwen Stevenson
Staff Writer
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BMD (Building Material Distributors) is the home of one of the largest companies located right here in Galt, as well as one of the largest distributors in the western United States.
“It’s a global company based in Galt,” said Garry Tabor, who joined BMD in 1999, and now as president and CEO creates the vision for the fast growing company.
Martel Wilson in Stockton founded the company in 1943. Subsequently outlets were opened in Sacramento, Fresno and San Jose over the next 12 years and have expanded to other locations in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, British Columbia, and even to China.
Supplying quality products to independent lumberyards and building material dealers, as well as window and door specialty retailers, hardware retailers and home centers, BMD prides itself in being the largest importer of finished steel products in the western U.S. and the second largest in the country.
The corporate offices are located on Elm Street, housing about 200 of the total 360 BMD employees spread over several western states. The 65,000-square-foot headquarters was acquired back in 1974.
Huge warehouses contain the goods that come and go in the bright blue BMD semi trucks. The seemingly endless array of products includes their own new private label line of building materials called Quick Build.
Barbara Clare is the marketing manager for BMD and is proud of the fact that BMD is employee owned, with employees having company stock and profit sharing as part of their benefits.
“We’re very proud of that fact. It creates an attitude of working together as a team,” said Clare. “It’s wonderful to work for a company that is so committed to making a positive difference in each of our lives, we the employee-owners, and being equally dedicated to giving back to our community.”
Tabor is busy building the culture of ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Program), which helps to give security to shareholders, especially during the feelings of recent financial insecurity for many across the country.
“The company is 100 percent owned by the employees,” said Tabor. “Instead of cutting back benefits and retirement, we are expanding them. We try to be as generous to our employees as we can.”
The program encourages employees and ensures their often long-term commitment.
“ESOP employees are the most motivated because their work performance is directly tied to their long-term wealth and well-being,” said Tabor, who has monthly “lunch bunch” meetings with employees to have more personal contact and feedback from them.
Lynn Ritter has been with BMD for more than 25 years and is a fully vested employee-owner who is the sales and marketing assistant.
“I can say with complete sincerity that it’s been a great ride,” said Ritter. “The growth of this company has been phenomenal, and I’m proud to have been a part of all of it. Thanks BMD.”
Five years ago, BMD purchased the building on Industrial Drive that was the former Breakaway Sports Center. A second story was added to make use of the space. It was recently named The Martel D. Wilson Education and Training Center, dedicated to the son of BMD’s founder.
“Along with offices at that location, BMD regularly holds seminars and classes there for BMD customers on topics such as product basics, installation, service and sales training,” said Clare. “One of the biggest divisions of Marvin Windows in the U.S. is also here.”
To encourage the feeling of camaraderie among employees, BMD offers different incentives and fun involvements within the company.
“The beauty of our company is that we are flexible,” said Tabor. “We try to have a family environment.”
BMD benefits manager Bev Cooper, a very enthusiastic wellness coordinator, oversees the impressive health and wellness program. Whether she is expounding on the virtues of whole grain foods, or negotiating for more square footage for a new workout room for the Galt facility, she is dedicated to the wellness of the employee-owners at BMD.
“I am a realist, so I understand that starting with small steps is critical when approaching lifetime wellness for people,” said Cooper. “However, I understand the benefit of a vision and a long term goal here.”
Cooper says that, ultimately, small steps produce big results.
“Contests such as ‘Who’s the fittest department’ encouraging even 10-minute exercise, and ‘Who is eating healthiest’ promoting small nutritional improvements in diet, support this vision,” said Cooper, “... and they foster a healthy lifestyle.”
The programs include a health corner in the company’s weekly news bulletin, a monthly health newsletter, posters, and monthly lunch seminars on health topics, health articles available on the company intranet, and health fairs presented at all 11 branches of BMD.
“The first local contest was based on physical fitness, with several departments achieving 100 percent participation,” said Cooper. “Team members recorded their exercise achievements during January, February and March, and turned in their points.”
Team members earned one point every day they exercised for at least 30 minutes. The coach then created an average of the points to create the team total. It was a close race, but Galt BMD’s accounting team earned the most points and won.
“Each team member receives a shirt embroidered with ‘fitness team winner’ and celebrates with a victory luncheon,” said Cooper.
Many of the employee owners are walking together during the lunch hour or heading for a local health club to work out, and attending Weight Watchers together. They are even turning an office space into an exercise gym.
Groups of employee owners have banded together to support each other in their weight loss efforts and, in response to this interest, BMD is sponsoring a Biggest Loser contest that runs through November.
With the high cost of fuel and how it has affected employee-owners with the costs of commuting to work, BMD has started a Wellness-Commuter program. From May 1 to the end of August, BMD will reimburse the driver for fuel expense on a monthly basis to a maximum of $100 if they carpool to work with more BMD employees.
Employees who walk or ride their bike to work over 12 days in a month will receive a $25 gift card or movie ticket passes.
“We even have a stop-smoking program,” said Tabor. “We will pay 50 percent of the cost to help a person stop smoking; I just want them to not smoke.”
In their continued commitment to supporting the young adults of both its employee-owners and of its community, BMD awarded scholarships to 19 Galt High graduates this year.
BMD instituted the first annual Steve and Anne Ellinwood Community Scholarship, named in honor of Steve, former president and CEO of BMD, and Anne Ellinwood’s dedication to education. Since 2002, the BMD Mort Broffman Scholarship has presented 89 awards totaling more than $120,000.
Another exciting accomplishment for BMD was winning the recent City of Galt’s beautification award. Grass was laid, trees were planted, and colorful flowers adorn the front entrance on Elm Avenue.
“We talked about it with a lunch bunch,” said Tabor. “We replaced those weeds out front with the grass and trees. It was important to the employees.”
A member of the Galt community dropped in to BMD to inform Director of Human Resources Margie Olsen that he was “... very pleased with the landscaping.” Another appreciative comment was made by a neighbor, who said “... the upgrade makes the whole town look good.”
BMD is a company where employees are number one, and they should be proud of their commitment and contributions to the community of Galt.
As Garry Tabor said, “The magic of BMD is the employees.”
It seems that the magic of BMD is not only providing quality products for the houses we live in and the businesses we frequent, but also in caring for the health, well-being and future of others who work for them or even for those who drive by the company to enjoy the view. Congratulations, BMD.
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