Read Executive Vice President – Energy & Specialty Solutions Lance Puckett’s latest LinkedIn article, as shown below, sharing how our frontline teams are helping propel us into the future while fulfilling our commitment to meet needs, support families and serve customers.
A great business strategy doesn’t start with an organizational chart, operating model or blueprint for execution. The greatest assets to any strategy are often the ones closest to the work — people. For more than 70 years, our frontline teams have been the foundation of our success — helping serve customers, solving challenges and driving our business forward every day. Whether they’re creating sustainable products in our refineries, operating a plant, supporting customers, driving a truck or working on a towboat, frontline employees see opportunities, identify challenges and understand what it takes to deliver high-quality results day after day.
At Ergon, we’ve experienced significant growth, including within our Energy & Specialty Solutions business segment. Growth is exciting, but it also serves as a reminder that a business strategy doesn’t just succeed because of what’s written in a plan. It succeeds because of the people who bring that plan to life every day. They can identify opportunities and help keep our business moving forward. Effective leaders recognize the importance of those perspectives. They listen, learn and remove obstacles that may halt progress, ensuring frontline teams have the support they need to succeed.
Across Ergon, our frontline teams shape the everyday employee experience and our culture. Crews come together to complete refinery turnarounds, test asphalt materials from regional labs and transfer products along our integrated transportation network, setting the tone for collaboration across our family of businesses. Teams also reinforce our values and demonstrate what it means to work safely, efficiently and with purpose. Their commitment builds engagement, provides a level of quality and service our customers expect, and promotes the culture of Ergon for generations to come. Employees want to know their contributions matter, that their voices are heard and that their leaders genuinely care about their Purposeful Growth. That’s the culture we promote at Ergon. When leaders genuinely create that environment, employees are more engaged, more motivated and more willing to go the extra mile for one another.
At the end of the day, all of our initiatives begin with people. The stronger our frontline teams are, the stronger our business becomes. One of the greatest responsibilities of leaders is to listen to those who are on the frontline, invest in their success and never lose sight of the fact that they are the ones who make plans a reality.
