To celebrate the end to another successful quarter, we stepped away from the office and raced down to Essex Speedway for an evening of fun with family and friends.

We kicked things off with a hands-on ergonomics training by Amy, a physical therapist at Injury and Health Management Solutions (I find myself adjusting my posture as I type this), followed by company updates and an awards ceremony recognizing employees who continually go the extra mile for our customers and company. Congratulations go out to this quarter’s award recipients:

Business Development Award: Naomi Firlik
Customer Service Award: Seth Piontek
Operational Excellence Award: Todd Hall
Technical Excellence Award: Bill Hickson, Tyler Ortiz, Nathan Brown

After the meeting concluded, family and friends joined us to partake in homemade BBQ, lemonade and yummy desserts – and of course the many amenities at Essex Speedway, including go-karts, bumper cars and arcade games. Even our littlest of guests had a ball eating hot dogs and bouncing in the play structures.

In a busy company, it’s important to step away from our desks and enjoy time together, while celebrating the people who make what we do possible. The gathering allowed team members to hang out with people they might not typically get a chance to talk to. This cross-function work team interaction encourages new perspectives of the business as a whole. Since we were encouraged to bring significant others and our families, everyone feels more personally connected and is now able to put faces to names.

What does your company do to show appreciation for your work? Comment below and share great ideas!