Company Culture: Need a personal day? If you’re an employee at TCAG (asi/170136), that’s no problem. “We put a focus on employee wellness and feel if an employee needs a day off, they should take it without repercussions,” says President & CEO Jim Harker. “We trust our employees and in return this policy isn’t abused.”

TCAG prides itself on being transparent and treating customers, vendors and employees with respect. Started out of Harker’s basement with five original employees in 2006, the distributor readily supports both professional development and achieving personal goals.

The company is also unafraid to load up on the perks and fun: birthday party potlucks, care packages, holiday decoration contests, gym memberships, free TCAG gear and team-building events. It readily chips in for numerous employee charity initiatives, from community fundraisers to adopting families for the holidays.

COVID Changes: TCAG always allowed for flexible schedules, but when COVID descended, it encouraged all positions to work from home at first, and then created rotating in-office schedules to ensure the safety of its teams. Currently the company takes a hybrid approach and allows employees to work from home as needed. “A main focus is on what’s the best setting for our employees to be able to have success in the position we hired them for,” Harker says. “We also feel it’s important to have a team-based approach so that everyone has someone to support them when needed.” During the pandemic, TCAG kept its entire team working without any disruptions to salaries and bonuses, and readily sent supplies like masks and COVID tests to employees – “anything needed to keep the families of our employees safe,” Harker adds.

Parting Tip: “During the interview process, ensure you have an understanding of an employee’s current and future career and life goals,” Harker says. “Money is important, but it’s not what’s going to keep your team together.”