TREATED LIKE FAMILY AWARD

Among Andy Gump’s 200 employees, the term “family atmosphere” is more than overused rhetoric. The third-generation family owned and operated company, in business for 50 years, is described as a place where co-workers know each other’s kids and wife’s names, where people show interest in each other’s lives, and good work is nurtured, recognized and respected. “It feels like a family, we’re treated like a family, everyone has the same goal, to be the best, it’s as simple as that,” said John Torres, Operations Manager for the North Hollywood facility of the portable sanitation and construction services business. Torres, who has been with the company for 15 years, says the family culture transcends the material perks such as incentives, generous annual bonuses, and even the regular birthday cards – it’s constantly present in the way people relate to one another. “Personally, I love coming to work every single day,” he said. “And that extends into my own family life. My sons [ages 21 and 18] have grown up with the company, it’s an example for them to see their dad come home happy, and I think now they will know not to settle for anything less when they start their [career paths].” Jose Garcia, a quality assurance supervisor, who has worked at Andy Gump for 22 years, said the organization’s culture of treating everyone like they’re members of a family reaches all levels, salaries and job titles. Even back when he started as a service driver cleaning portable toilets and pumping sewage when he was a 20-year-old kid, “it was a place where you weren’t treated like another number,” he said. “The owners or upper level management didn’t walk past you like you didn’t exist, they actually came over to say hi and shake your hand.” At Andy Gump, he said, he’s been able to grow personally and professionally. The company gave him the flexibility that he needed to complete his higher education and he was able to earn a degree in human services with an emphasis in psychology. With continuous training and leadership development, extensive safety programs and opportunities for communication and feedback, the company sends a clear message, he said. “In everything they do, from the medical and dental benefits to the bonuses and incentives, the company tells you they think it’s important to take care of you and also your family,” he said. Andy Gump recognizes employee dedication, loyalty and long term investment, and also promotes a culture that values balancing business success, personal growth and family life, he added. As stated in the company’s mission statement, the organization operates with the belief that no one job is more important than any other and that it’s the people that work at Andy Gump Inc. that make it so successful. Employees still remember the company’s late founder Andy and his son Barry, rolling up their sleeves working side by side with fellow employees to get the job done, and never asking anyone to do something they weren’t willing to do themselves.