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FALL 2020

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Distributor's Link Magazine Fall 2020 / Vol 43 No 4

40 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

40 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK EARNEST MACHINE 1250 Linda St, Suite 301, Rocky River, OH 44116 TEL 1-800-327-6378 FAX 440-356-2409 EMAIL sales@earnestmachine.com WEB www.earnestmachine.com EARNEST MACHINE: SHAKING UP THE STATUS QUO Turning Culture Into a Competitive Advantage in the Industrial Distribution Market. When you think of “best places to work” rankings, what companies come to mind? Tech giants such as Google, FaceBook, LinkedIn and Adobe for sure. And then there are non-tech companies with great reputations like Costco and Trader Joe’s. However, there’s an industrial distribution company in suburban Cleveland that is shaking up the status quo by using its innovative culture and exceptional employee focus to drive a best-in-class customer experience. Earnest Machine is a 73-year-old fastener distribution company led by CEO Kirk Zehnder. “The employee experience is about cultivating an atmosphere of fairness and respect,” says Zehnder. “We treat our employees as internal customers.” With this philosophy, Zehnder is building upon the undeniable link between the employee experience and the customer experience. And this approach is working: Earnest has been named to the coveted Northcoast 99 eight times, recognizing it as one of Northeast Ohio’s great workplaces. How do they do it? It’s all about living their core values, which you could say they do earnestly. The definition of “earnest”– resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction – certainly applies to how they promote their core values. Simple yet powerful, these values drive everything they do: ¤ We do what we say we will do ¤ We put the customer first in our decision-making ¤ We respect customers, suppliers and one another ¤ We embrace change To give you an idea of how pervasive the core values are, let’s follow the journey of an Earnest employee, starting with the interview. A Surprising Culture Driven by Core Values When you enter Earnest’s bright, open and contemporary office, you’ll see smiling faces at open cubicle-style workstations, who move from floor to floor via a funky concrete spiral staircase. Even the CEO works out in the open, where he’s always available to chat. It’s not exactly what you’d expect from a third generation “machine” company. In the conference room there’s no large table – instead, there are sofas and sleek coffee tables. Your interview takes place in a relaxed group setting, and the first topic of discussion is always the core values. BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 120

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