Member Spotlight: Mission Advancement through Culture Building

Standford Phillips Co-President, Northwest Exterminating 

Northwest Exterminating hasn’t simply built a company culture—they have built a culture that defines the company and how they accomplish their mission. There are no egos at Northwest Exterminating—there are team members who celebrate each other and their successes, and as a result, the company has grown not only in its bottom-line number but in its significance as a contributing member of the communities they serve. This is what drives this company—to celebrate each other within the company and how each team member makes contributions to improve the lives of their customers and their communities.

 

At Northwest Exterminating, they live by the motto, "The Northwest Way." This isn’t just a catchy slogan; it’s a principle that defines who they are, how they act, how they serve their customers and how they contribute to their communities. This phrase is their culture, and their staff takes great pride in delivering on the values of The Northwest Way through its five principles:

  1. Customers First
  2. Do What is Right
  3. Be Humble
  4. Be Extraordinary
  5. More Forward

 

This Member Spotlight shines on the story of Stanford and his team of "more than pest control operators," but rather his team of professionals who are part of a company and culture that is enriching lives while managing pests for their clients and communities they serve. Through this approach, the organization has seen tremendous growth. They love what they do, they love who they work with, and their team celebrates collective success and how they are improving lives. As a result, success has followed.

 

Andrew Richardson, Edge

Culture building at Edge isn’t an abstract idea—it’s something felt throughout the company and strived for at all levels. In fact, CEO and founder Andrew Richardson would describe Edge as being "culturally extreme." In January, Edge held their three-day vision summit where they aligned on cultural objectives and training, ensuring senior members of the team know the direction Edge is headed and why. From there, they’ll have quarterly follow ups, ensuring their Foundational Principles are embodied throughout Edge.

 

For Edge, success is found through positive energy. One of the worst things that can happen to a company is when team members aren’t aligned with one another. This can breed negativity. A company that has negative energy running through it cannot function. Having "tough love" conversations with one another is of the utmost importance so that issues that may arise are resolved quickly.

 

Culture meetings happen throughout Edge once a week. A big part of Edge’s culture is gratitude; making sure supervisors show gratitude toward their team members and ensuring team members show gratitude towards each other. If Edge had a motto, it would be to "wake up every day, and build for others." This is how Edge finds their success.