CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — On Monday, September 19th, Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc., hosted an Employee Appreciation Cookout as a "thank you" to the 450 employees who work at the Chambersburg, PA, bakery, MFPS Transport and corporate office building.
The cookout marks the second employee appreciation event Martin's has held this year. The first was a company outing at a Hagerstown Sun's baseball game in June. Martin's also has plans to host a Christmas party and another employee outing during the next quarter. Similar appreciation events are also held at the Valdosta, GA, facility for an additional 100 employees.
Monday's cookout celebration ran all day and most of the night–serving food into the early morning hours on Tuesday so the 3rd shift employees could attend. "We are a family company and relationships are important. Appreciation events offer employees the opportunity to connect with other employees," says Julie Griffie, director of human resources. Employees were invited to stop by during their breaks to enjoy food prepared by Martin's management team, which includes members of the Martin family. Joe Martin, vice president of production operations and the grandson of Martin's founders, brought in more than 100 pounds of pulled pork that he had made in his smoker at home for the occasion. Martin's president, Jim Martin, and other members of the Martin family helped to "pull" the pork the night before the event. This smoked pulled pork, along with grilled burgers and hot dogs, was served on Martin's Potato Rolls with sides that included Italian ice.
Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc., was founded in 1955 by Lloyd and Lois Martin and is still owned and operated by the Martin family. The Martins are a close family and they believe that keeping the company family-focused, not just on the Martin family but on the larger "Martin's family," with a foundation in the values of integrity and respect, is a large part of what has made the company a success in the past and will continue to drive their success in the future. The administrative team even goes so far as to call the group of employees as a whole, a "family of coworkers." While this employee "family" continues to increase in size, it still welcomes opportunities to come together as a tight-knit workplace.
Organizing various employee appreciation events is a way to acknowledge appreciation for the hard work and achievement of the employees but also is a way to simply celebrate together. "It is easy to recognize the wins, but it is just as important to take time to recognize the people who journey with you through the process," says Tony Martin, executive vice president.
Martin's leadership team recognizes the dedication and hard work of their employees who support the efforts to "bake the best products and provide the best sales distribution support."
"It takes a team! Our employees do 'whatever it takes,' and we have the number one branded hamburger roll in America to prove it," says Martin.
Source: Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc.
