The difficulty in finding and retaining talent has been a common lament at companies in nearly every industry these past several years, and promo is no exception.

Not to be deterred, Top 40 supplier Tekweld (asi/90807) – the highest-ranked extra-large company on this year’s Counselor Best Places to Work – took lemons and made lemonade. Instead of contending with frustrating searches, the 20-year-old company started intentionally focusing on giving existing employees (many of them in the customer service department) the opportunity to advance within the company.

“We wanted to further develop career paths,” says Gregg Szpicek, vice president of business development. “A lot of CSRs have gone into sales, operational management and quality control. They came here at the right time, and they’ve shown that they want to grow with the company and keep their talents here.”

Indeed, the company scored well among employees on the Best Places survey in a number of areas, including “I’m given a real opportunity to improve my skills in my company.” That speaks volumes about management’s intentional focus on career mobility within its walls.

It’s also been critical in recent years to develop talent in a number of diverse areas since Tekweld has expanded its products and services beyond the sanitizer, lip balm and drinkware it’s long been known for. They’ve knuckled down on custom items developed domestically, including high-end custom influencer boxes. Meanwhile, TekSource, the company’s overseas division, was established as an opportunity to work with cut-and-sew factories to create custom apparel, accessories and bags.

That expansion also means many moving parts – and Tekweld has responded in kind. The company has launched a revamped CRM and a CSR ticketing system, and sales reps also now have dedicated CSRs.

Other areas where Tekweld scored well among employees include “My talents are used well in the workplace” and “The people I work with cooperate to get the job done.” That’s by design, says Szpicek, who rejoined the company in August 2022 after six years at other industry firms.

“We want to see everyone as leaders in their roles,” he says. “If they have a territory, we want them to take ownership. We want them to take the reins and run it like it’s their own business, and we’ll give them the resources to do that. We want to empower team members – there are no egos here.”

“We’re service-oriented. And that means we have to care for our internal clients – our employees – as much as our external ones.” Gregg Szpicek, Tekweld (asi/90807)

Tekweld currently has a hybrid work setup – teams in production, operations, HR, graphic design, purchasing and finance are full-time on-site, while CSRs and outside sales (some of them in other states) are hybrid. It also offers health insurance, a 401(k) matching plan and PTO. “We have lots of parents here, so we’re flexible and don’t put people under a microscope,” says Szpicek. “It’s never boring.”

At the end of the day, it’s about serving the customer, says Szpicek. “In this industry, no matter what position you’re in, no matter whether you’re a supplier or distributor, you’re a customer service company,” says Szpicek. “We’re service-oriented. And that means we have to care for our internal clients – our employees – as much as our external ones. The secret sauce is to make sure you’re servicing your internal customers too. Listen and find solutions – employees should be happy.”