Whether his brothers are, in fact, miffed at Thomas Oldenburg for telling the great story of the family-owned Oldenburg and Sons Excavating, Inc business in Harbor Country or not may remain a family secret, but his bid was successful in convincing the judges that the Sawyer firm is worthy of recognition among the 20 Best Places to Work in Michigan’s Great Southwest. The fact that the Oldenburg crews fancy their culture as one of a team of artisans, and literally run their own jobs without interference from the bosses certainly is a best practice that many companies could benefit from. Realizing, too, that spirits are uplifted by the philosophy that they “would rather laugh than cry,” and the majority of the staff has been on board for 20 years, drew the eye and admiration of the judges. Armed with a tradition of going above the call of duty, Oldenburg and Sons Excavating will move the earth for you, literally and figuratively, as a true Best Place to Work in our region. Read on for the rest of their story.
What is the name of the business you are nominating?
Oldenburg and Sons Excavating Inc.
Who are the owner(s) and/or principals in this company?
Mick, Thomas, and Chad Oldenburg
Business Contact Information
Thomas Oldenburg
5758 Browntown Rd., Sawyer, MI 49125
How many people work at the company you are nominating?
12
Tell us the story behind the nominated company. What does it do, and what sets them apart from other companies in the region?
Besides making out of the box thinking, we can provide contacts to provide resources to accomplish your goal.
In your own words, why do you think this company deserves to be declared to be one of the 20 Best Places to Work in Michigan’s Great Southwest?
The culture of our employees is more like the culture of artisans — highly skilled and not afraid to disagree if it’s in your best interests.
What makes workers proud to say they work there, and keeps them a part of the team?
There’s a lot of freedom with our employees, they run their own jobs and are given the resources applicable to their situation. Our success depends on them.
Let’s pretend you’re writing a review for Yelp! or Trip Advisor. Give us your best recommendation for the nominated company that would make the rest of us wish we worked there, too.
They left it looking better than it was.
What three key words best describe why this company is a Best Places to Work caliber company?
- Competitive wage 2. Training 3. Typically 8-10 hour day, excluding emergencies, which happen.
As a Best Places to Work company “Super Hero,” what are the two most magical “Super Powers” this company seems to have on a day-to-day basis? (i.e., Ability to read minds, fly, invisibility, etc) And why?
Super Power One: The clean-up.
Super Power Two: Diagnosis and repair
Tell us about the leadership of the nominated company and what they do in order to:
A] Keep spirits and motivation high? We would rather laugh than cry.
B] Keep innovation and fresh ideas advancing? Out of the box thinking is admired and rewarded.
C] Keep communications open? All of us brothers think everyone has a right to speak their mind.
Explain a specific “wow!” moment in this company’s history that is virtually “Hall of Fame” or “Best Practices” worthy, as an example to other companies in the region.
My brother Chad, pushed to get a material processor. Thru his efforts we were able to recycle topsoil that landscapers request to this day. Overall, it’s the honesty that has kept us going almost 60 years.
Best Places to Work have a reputation for not only working hard, but also for playing hard.
A] How does the nominated company honor or reward success? Paid vacations, providing healthcare thru our provider, direction of investments.
B] How does the nominated company socialize as a team? Every morning there is a Safety Meeting, regardless, the Boss is always available. Just walk in the office, he will make time for you.
C] How does the nominated company get involved in community events? We provide emergency work for anyone, as long as we have the means.
D] How does the nominated company celebrate life? Brother Mick is a 20 year+ Firefighter/EMT for Chikaming Township. My brother Chad is heavily involved with Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bridgman. I am a member of the Masonic Lodge in Three Oaks, and my amazing wife is Pastor at both Hinchman and Scottsdale UMC.
Write a brief, but compelling, recruitment ad telling people about why they should come and work there, too.
We need you, especially people with a Commercial Drivers License. This is not a factory, we work in about five counties. If you like variety, a constant change of scenery, and like to be challenged, this may be right for you.
What one thing is special about your nominated company that most people in the community have no idea actually happens there, but should be shouted from the rooftops because it’s that cool?
Sometimes we have situations where we are out all night on a repair, like a water main or sewer main. We work in the freezing cold, we work in the heat. Our goal is to fix it with as little impact to you as possible.
Give us three employee perks or benefits that you think make the company you have nominated worthy of a Best Places to Work trophy?
- The majority of our employees have been here for 20 years.
If this is your company and you win, write the best headline ever for your company newsletter describing your successful selection to the list, and be as specific as you can about how you would celebrate the win if money were no object.
Oldenburg and Sons; a tradition of going above the call of duty.
Tell us anything else you want about this company that you suddenly realize we haven’t asked you about, but you’re sure will be the thing that puts you squarely into the winner’s circle! (Wait a minute! Can you put a square in a circle?)
Well, my brothers would probably be pretty miffed that I’m doing this. They work so hard, all the time. They’re very humble, very unselfish, and I do love them so. They are people worth emulating, still trying to do business on a handshake. I appreciate this opportunity, you have my thanks.
