Penhall Employees embark on Team Building Task
" In those18 boxes- just over 4,000 pounds of non-perishable food items could be found."
Anaheim, California (PRWEB) March 20, 2015
Teamwork and generous acts of kindness are not always a part of an ordinary business conference. For Penhall Company, the 13th annual Safety Conference was not only focused on a Zero Accident Culture but also incorporated the importance of team building and “giving back”. On February 4th, 2015, to kick off the conference, 160 Penhall Company employees from across the country were greeted by local Penhall Company Division colleagues with an agenda, name tags, and pre-determined team numbers for that evenings’ unexpected team building event. Employees were directed to the 5,000 square foot ballroom for the unknown activity.
The morning of the Safety Conference, a few local Penhall employees were hard at work assembling 18 boxes that one could only assume were meant for an industrial size refrigerator. In reality the boxes were the backbone to that evening’s team building event. In those 18 boxes, just over 4,000 pounds of non-perishable food items could be found. The items included but were not limited to; oatmeal, noodles, water, canned vegetables, soup, and graham crackers. Later that morning another piece to the team building puzzle arrived; 18 holes of mini golf, whose layout consumed the entirety of the massive ballroom.
As the Penhall employees made their way into the ballroom and discovered their assigned teams they waited. After much anticipation Ken Moses, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Penhall Company gave instructions to the anxious teams. An obstacle made completely out of the non-perishable food items was to be erected around each hole. The challenge was for each team to work together to create a mini-golf hole from scratch that was both themed and playable. The creative teams imagined concepts such as the Eifel Tower and a Mack Truck. The holes ranged in difficulty from moderate to Green Jacket worthy.
Employees had the opportunity to socialize with others, build camaraderie and turn their creative gears, but they also were aware of the bigger picture. The final destination for the non-perishable food items would go to hungry families via the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The morning after the team building event the LA Food Bank would attempt to collect the 4,000+ pounds of food. The amount of generosity Penhall Company contributed was showcased by the massive amount of donations found within the ballroom. A LA Food Bank pick-up employee was both excited and shocked with the amount of goods that awaited him; he needed to return the following morning with additional help and trucks to complete the 4,000 pound pickup and he was not upset about it!
Although the intent of the Penhall Company Safety Conference is to emphasize the importance of safety and maintaining a Zero Accident Culture, the team bonding that took place enhanced the desire and importance of co-workers going home safely to their families every day. Event Project Manager Elizabeth Wilson sent an email to all Penhall Employees sharing the outcome of the donated food items, “our teambuilding event allowed us to donate nearly 4,000 pounds of food and provided 1431 meals to hungry children and their families, seniors and individuals in LA County.” It is safe to say teambuilding with a cause was a success. Both the Penhall Employees and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank are eager for the 2016 Safety Conference to uncover the next teambuilding adventure.
To learn more about Penhall Company’s Safety Conference: https://www.penhall.com/safety/safety-conference/
To learn more about the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank: http://www.lafoodbank.org/
To learn more about Penhall Company: http://penhall.com