After reading the Karo Group’s application for Best Overall Workplace, I decided this place was too good to be true. Honey on the roof? Hamburger cook-offs? Friday “decompression sessions?” Between social and volunteering events, when do the Karo people have time to buckle down and work?
“You fit it in,” says Laurel McMath, Karo’s manager, office services.
Obviously working is part of the fun, or rather it’s not work but a chance for staff to flex their creative muscles in a more structured environment. Many of the Karo staff (or tribe, as they call themselves) continue their creative efforts outside of work, whether in fashion design, volunteering, breakdancing or beekeeping. A work ethic and positive attitude are essential to employees’ success at Karo. The tribe members love their work, and the employees interviewed for this piece positively gushed about how much they enjoy being a part of the tribe.
“I have such a love for this company, so I could really talk your ear off,” says McMath. Echoing her sentiments, systems designer Dan Meeking adds, “I don’t mean to sound like a salesperson.” Meeking has worked with the company since 1999.
Karo management welcomes creativity from the tribe members, both outside and inside work hours. Designer Lara Presber took a leave of absence to show her fashion collection, but returned with a flood of fresh ideas for her Karo work. After his beehives were washed out in a flood, another employee, Rudy Gelderblom, was allowed to set up his apiary on the roof; the honey was too sweet an idea for Karo staff to ignore and after being branded as “Rooftop Honey,” it was soon given out as gifts to clients.
To help its tribe members get around, Karo lends out bicycles and the company Smart Car during the week and on weekends. “Because Karo is Karo, you can’t just have a Honda,” explains McMath. “You just have to have something that is going to capture the attention of people in the street. Also because we’re really conscious of the environment.… We chose the Smart Car because it was low on fuel.”
Karo management doesn’t go out of its way to make staff want to be here. It does that simply by hiring the right people and placing them in the right environment. “It’s nice to be excited on the way to work,” says Meeking of starting his day. “[CEO] Chris Bedford… had a great vision for his employees.”
“I think we’re really personal,” says McMath. “I think we have people here that really care about each other. And the supervisors and the owners care about you as an individual.” – Stephanie Sparks
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