“GSM Industrial has provided a great life for me and my family,” says Ellis Wenger, a recent retiree of the company after 43-years of service. Ellis began his career as a general laborer and retired as a senior level account representative. His hard work, dedication and perseverance have been encouraged and nurtured while at GSM, mostly from Jim Towers, who Ellis says was a very influential person in not only his work life, but personal life as well.
Fading Employee Longevity
Many companies today, unfortunately do not create a long-term environment for loyal employees – sadly this trend has risen over the last several years, and is evident in younger generations who switch jobs every 2-3 years.
In 2014, it was recorded that U.S. workers averaged about 4.6 years of job tenure and that number will likely decrease, with the next generation of Millennials projected only to stay at one job for no more than 3 years. This means they would have about 15-20 jobs over the course of their lives.
For many employers the job-hopping mentality is a real concern, and it is leading them to question applicant motivations, their loyalty, skill level, engagement at work, and their abilities to be team players. However, on the flip side, many employers are not returning the favor of supporting and fostering long-term employees, as they once did.
We Really Do Care About Our Team
We here at GSM Industrial strive to prove otherwise and we continue to care not just about the bottom line, but more about the people behind it. This strategy has worked for us and we couldn’t be more proud of Ellis and his accomplishments over the past 43 years.
Ellis Wenger is no quitter and his loyalty surpasses most, as we’ve mentioned. We spoke with Ellis recently to learn what about GSM Industrial made him stay so long and why.
Q: What was the most important thing you learned about yourself working for GSM Industrial over the years and throughout your various roles?
A: “You can’t get an honest paycheck without working to show them everything you’ve got!” Ellis explained that it takes guts to work hard and he learned this just by sticking to his guns and proving what a valuable employee he could be with hard work.
Q: 43 years is a long time to commit to one employer. What about GSM Industrial made you dedicate your career to us?
A: Ellis says, “Well, I’d like to say that I was quitting since the day I started.” (Chuckles). No, he went on to say what a great company GSM is and how very fair we’ve been to him all 43 years. He said that we not only supported his hard work with compensation, but also gave him a lot of freedom and trust to do things the way he wanted to.
Q: Can you share one memory you have with a GSM customer that really made an impact on you?
A: “My longest running customer I had for about 26 years, Deka Battery.” Ellis explained that they were like partners and that they trusted in him quite a bit. He remembers countless weekends and holidays spending time with Deka and how their loyalty encouraged his with GSM.
Q: What one person at GSM Industrial has been most influential to you and why?
A: “Jim Towers.” Former President of GSM Industrial, Jim Towers was a fine person to work for claimed Ellis. He was always fair and the two have remained friends during his time at GSM and even now, after retirement.
Q: So, now that you are retired, what do you plan to do with all your free time?
A: “Anything I want!”
As you can see Ellis is very much enjoying his retirement. He says he is spending most days doing carpentry work at home, helping his two grown children with their own home improvement projects, and most importantly hitting up a few east coast car shows – a big hobby of his, especially Corvettes.
Ellis’ loyalty doesn’t just reside in his work but in his personal life too, serving in the Marine Corp. and being married 44 years to his wife Judy. The two have had a wonderful life, with two children, and now three grandchildren. Ellis is a true inspiration to any hard working young professional and he has definitely served GSM Industrial very well, and we thank him for it!
GSM Industrial’s ‘25 Year Club’
Did you know… GSM has a ’25 Year Club?’ Yes, the club consists of a group of employees that have been with the company 25 years, or more. The best part is that there are 28 employees as members of this club and more are being added each year! Not many companies today can boast about that kind of loyalty.