What we are all about

After some reflection, I have identified four values that (in my opinion) get to the heart of what we are about at HFW. They may not be perfect, but I think they come pretty close to capturing the essence of what has kept HFW churning as a business for 75 years.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about what we do at HFW Industries, Inc. As we look to the future, what will be the bedrock that supports us as a business?

This is where our values come in.

I think it is easy to push aside company values as some overhyped, feel good thing. And they certainly can be that if they’re not in sync with the business’s reality.

To me, it’s actually quite simple: the best values are not created. Instead, they’re merely embodiments of what is already playing out in the business. That’s it.

What drives us?

What keeps us in business?

How do we behave each day?

After some reflection, I think I have identified four values that (in my opinion) get to the heart of what we are about at HFW. They may not be perfect, but I think they come pretty close to capturing the essence of what has kept HFW churning as a business for 75 years.

1)     We build our people, our business and our community. In that order.

Building our business starts with building our people. Our people take care of our customers, who in turn take care of our business. Financial success allows us to offer stable careers and investment in our community.

2)     Steady is the way.

Much of our success can be attributed to being an extremely reliable employer and vendor for decades on end. In the words of a customer: “When we have a crisis, we say ‘send it to HFW, they’ll figure it out.”’ That reputation wasn’t built overnight.

3)     Small is an asset.

We are proudly a small business, and we like it that way. Even as we look to grow, we want to maintain the lean, performance-oriented culture we have. We don’t have an unlimited budget, but we also prioritize execution over red tape. I firmly believe that leaning into our “smallness” will be a key attribute in allowing us to grow.

4)     Effort & attitude > skill.

Many of the men and women who have built HFW into what it is today had little to no experience when they were hired. A legendary plant manager, Ron, started at HFW sweeping the floors. Our spray shop supervisor, Eliezer, grew up in the public housing right around the corner and is now one of our company’s key leaders. One of our company’s emerging leaders, Jacob, is still in school but has already reconfigured our shipping department. The common theme here is not technical aptitude; it is a relentless work ethic and a positive, “can-do” attitude. We strive to hire for culture, train for skill (a term that I stole from a speech by Bruce Broxterman that I still reflect back on—thanks Bruce!). That is tough to do in a business like ours where the learning curve is so steep, but our results over 75 years have spoken for themselves.

This is not a comprehensive list (working on that!). And these values will evolve. But intention matters, and I think that by having a strong idea of what we are all about, it will help us better shape the future of our company.

Photo Credit: DaVon France