Last year, 27 employees celebrated their 5-year anniversaries at Houston-based printing firm A&E--The Graphics Complex. Paige Reid, the company's training manager, had to order a new plaque to fit the new nameplates. Fifteen percent of A&E's 240 employees have been with the company even longer--for at least 10 years. And no one seems to be leaving any time soon.
Some employees might cite A&E's diversity, open management policies, or celebrations of anniversaries, birthdays and accomplishments as reasons for the firm's high retention rate. Others might cite its list of well-defined values. "I think it's because we recognize the importance of our internal customers, who are our employees," says Bryan Dougherty, A&E's director of human resources. "We have very high expectations regarding how we treat our external customers. If we treat our people right, they'll treat our customers right."
It's clear that customer service is A&E's top priority. Visitors to the company's web site (www.aecomplex.com) can read a list of its quality principles, including "We will remember that service is the most important product we offer, and we will project and maintain our 'Can-Do' attitude." A&E developed its principles 11 years ago to reflect the values of the Gremillion family, which owns and operates the firm. According to Chuck Gremillion, A&E's president, the company hasn't changed its principles once. "They truly represent how we conduct business," he says.
A&E's commitment to customers and employees has earned the firm numerous accolades, including two last year. Printing Industries of America's Graphic Arts Industry Network recognized A&E as a "Best of the Best" Workplace in America for the second consecutive year. Houston Business Journal named A&E the eighth-best place to work in Houston among firms with 101 to 250 employees.
Strength in Diversity
Charley Gremillion founded A&E in 1964. Today, he's retired and serves as the company's chairman. His five sons and one son-in-law operate the business, but the firm isn't a one-family show--many others hold key management positions. "One of our challenges is to prove to non-family members that they play just as important a role in A&E's success as family members do," Chuck Gremillion says.
When A&E opened, the company provided blueprints for architects and engineers (hence the name A&E). Today, A&E--The Graphics Complex provides documents, binding, signs, posters, banners, finishing services, scanning services and more for a wide range of customers. A&E handles most printing jobs internally, but outsources offset jobs (mainly brochures, stationery and newsletters) and other ones it's not equipped to handle.
A&E plans to open its first branch store this month and a second one in April. These stores will operate as storefronts--places where customers can drop off quick orders or request larger ones to be fulfilled at A&E's main building. Each store will include a graphics expert, an assistant manager, an equipment driver and customer service employees.
To reflect the company's new wide range of product and service offerings, A&E changed its name last year. According to Reid, the firm chose the word "graphics" because it's a user-friendly, common term for the word "printing." The word "complex" signifies A&E's diverse capabilities. Employees at the company quip that A&E stands for "anything" and "everything."
A&E's diversity extends beyond its offerings. Its employees hail from more than 15 countries other than the United States. "This is something we really value," Reid says. According to Dougherty, a placement service for refugees contacted A&E about 15 years ago. Since then, the firm has strived to create a richly diverse atmosphere. "People realize that we're a diverse company and therefore feel more comfortable here," Dougherty says.
The word "diversity" at A&E means more than where a person was born. A&E also takes pride in its employees' diverse lifestyles and preferences. According to Dougherty, the firm's interviewers make it clear to prospective employees that they'll likely work with people who look, worship or vote differently than they do. "We screen people with negative preconceived ideas," Dougherty says. If a prospective employee seems averse to diversity, he or she won't be hired and experience A&E's intense training program.
Strength in Knowledge
A&E prides itself on maintaining a well-trained staff. According to Reid, a typical training program for a new employee takes three to four weeks. Training includes orientation, a visit with Chuck Gremillion, classroom training, department visits, customer-service and safety discussions, and phone and computer training. "It's pretty intense," Reid says. A&E's focus on knowledge echoes another of its quality principles: "We are committed to the continued training and education of our most important resource: our employees."
According to Reid, 38 percent of A&E employees train for more than one position. All customer service representatives, account managers, phone operators and production managers receive continuing education classes throughout the year. "It's very important to be all-knowledgeable," Reid says. Employees who better understand different aspects of the company are better able to cover for fellow employees when they're sick or swamped, she says.
Reid, who has served A&E for almost eight years, is an example of an employee who has benefited from cross-training. Reid has worked in five different departments at A&E and as a culture and communication coordinator. Employees who cross-train for more than one position are better able to find their most suitable one, she says. Reid, who is expecting her second child, says many of her friends have asked if she'll return to work soon after giving birth. "I would stay at home, but I have a great job," she tells them.
Strength in Each Other
A&E offers programs and incentives designed to create more satisfying work experiences for its employees. The company recognizes employees' birthdays and anniversaries with hand-written notes from the president and catered lunches once a month. Dougherty says the company holds barbecues to celebrate accomplished goals. "The Gremillion family does all of these things for people not because it's trendy or popular right now, but because they're truly good people," he says.
There's more to a satisfying work experience than parties. On a wall calendar that lists birthdays and anniversaries, A&E employees can post photos of their children and other personal items. Managers and fellow employees can post Helping Hands awards to recognize jobs well done. Letters from customers also are posted on the wall, which A&E employees affectionately call The Brag Board. "It's a place where people can share information," Dougherty says. "We're all so busy and many of us work different shifts. This is our home site, a place where people can check in."
A&E employs 240 people, but strives to create a family atmosphere. For example, if an employee suddenly finds him or herself in financial hardship (for reasons such as a medical condition), the company pools its funds to help the person. "We show a lot of support for each other," Dougherty says.
A&E's employee-centered culture also is evident in the company's open-management policies. The company schedules quarterly open-book meetings in which managers share profit reports, explain why the company is gaining or losing money, discuss future plans and answer questions from employees.
"By far, the best part of working as part of a family business is the trust and understanding that already exists," Gremillion says. "Trust is the basis of everything that we do."
Kara Gebhart, a freelance writer in Cincinnati, is a former assistant editor at Print Solutions. Email us your comments at bholt@printsolutionsmag.com.
