Nominated Business: ADAMS & Son, Inc. Heating, Cooling & Fireplaces
Who are the owner(s) and/or principal leadership in this company? Barry Adams & Tracy Adams are the owners of ADAMS & Son, Inc. And, Brady Adams is the Service Manager!
Where is it located? Benton Harbor
Nominated by: Tracy Adams
How many people work at the company you are nominating? We have 12 phenomenal employees!
Tell us the story behind the nominated company. What does it do, and what sets them apart from other companies in the region?
Our story consists of hard work, sweat, long hours, a great love for each other and also a great love for exceptional service to Southwest Michigan. ADAMS & Son, Inc. Heating, Cooling & Fireplaces was born 26 years ago out of sheer guts & determination in 1999. Barry & Tracy (husband and wife) are the owners. Back in 1999 their son was just one years old at the time… little did they know then that 27 years later Brady would become a Mechanical Contractor himself and a pivotal reason for the company’s success. Probably the most unusual difference between us and our peers… is the family behind the name itself. Barry, Tracy & Brady all share a hands on approach to every aspect of customer service. They also share an enormous amount of respect, trust & love… Three ingredients paramount to a company’s success.
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?We don’t have employees who ‘work for us’, we prefer to flip this dynamic and see things rather as we are happily ‘working for them’. We have an incredible amount of respect, trust & gratitude for Ryan, Anthony, Dillon, Tyler, Justin, Junior, Joe, Melissa & Skye. And will move heaven & earth to help them professionally or personally.
What makes workers proud to say they work there, and keeps them a part of the team?
They’re heard, seen & valued beyond measure! They do not feel like a nameless, faceless body. They feel our genuine respect & trust. Our office, is their office. They’re welcome at any time to discuss any matter, ask for help, share any ideas. We in turn, do the same for them & seek their input, guidance or advice.
Let’s pretend you’re writing a review for Google or Indeed. Give us your best recommendation for the nominated company that would make the rest of us wish we worked there, too.
I’ve never worked for a company like this before! I’ve never had an employer so transparent with company operations. The level of trust & belief they have in me is felt deeply. The owners want to impress me, as much as I want to impress them!
What three key words best describe why this company is a Best Places to Work caliber company?
Excellence
Honesty
Talented
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?
We already possess the ability to magically slip our feet into customers shoes
We already possess the ability to foresee and circumvent potential issues before they occur
Tell us about the leadership of the nominated company and what they do in order to:
A] Keep spirits and motivation high? Barry & Tracy compliment express their thanks everyday for a job well done & reward excellence through many perk incentives.
B] Keep innovation and fresh ideas advancing? Investments are made continuously in new updated tools and heavy equipment for the guys to reduce back breaking work & increase safety. Continuing education opportunities are also always encouraged, as well as in-house training on every line of equipment we touch.
C] Keep communications open? Our office is their office! They can walk in anytime, sit behind any desk they choose & make themselves at home… because they are!
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.
During the pandemic, we were the only Heating & Cooling company who did not lay anyone off. In fact, we designed and engineered hand sanitizer stands and PPE holders eventually found in over 200 places of business, schools & government offices throughout Southwest Michigan. Our efforts caught the attention of Fred Upton who honored us with the Congressional Recognition Award.
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? Frequent praise, Highlighting on Social Media posts, Attendance bonuses, no call back bonuses, positive customer feedback bonuses, gifts throughout the year on holidays, extra vacation time with employment longevity and a very nice Christmas bonus annually. In addition to PTO, 401k matching & insurance.
B] How does the nominated company socialize as a team? We bond together daily working side by side in stressful situations. So we prefer to actually help our employees socialize with their families, lol in that we do not require work on weekends, excessive overtime or being on call. The family covers these areas as best they can to reduce stress & burnout of staff. Employee work life balance is important!
C] How does the nominated company get involved in community events? We established a Human trafficking campaign in 2023. In part because I-94 is a pipeline of human trafficking activity between Chicago & Detroit. Cars need gas. And, we are in & out of gas stations daily. This campaign still continues today, by being on alert during gas station stops for any conspicuous behavior & knowing how to report it.
D] How does the nominated company celebrate life? We celebrate life by celebrating each other! By sharing the highs & lows with each other both personally or professionally. By having each other’s backs & by being a safe place to share vulnerabilities. By being honest with one another & by truly enjoying each other’s company.
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?
How do we stand out in an ocean of peers? By slowly but surely doing the next right thing everyday by each other, by our customers & by our community. There’s no need to shout it. We’re a humble company, we’re really good at what we do and we’d rather attract employees & customers vs. loudly promote ourselves. We also actually diagnose units quickly because we understand the technology behind each system & repair it correctly vs. throwing parts at it or recommending a new unit when it’s not necessary at all. We are not salesmen disguised as service techs. We are not paid on commission. Would you want your auto mechanic to be paid on commission? Or your Doctor? No? Why not? Whats the danger there? Exactly! We feel the same way. Our honesty is our calling card.
Give us three employee perks or benefits that you think make the company you have nominated worthy of a Best Places to Work trophy?
Benefit 1: We do not have adult vision coverage in our health insurance plan. Yet, every year any employee with glasses gets a vision exam and two new pair of glasses if needed on us! We do not have dental coverage, yet if there’s an expensive dental need, the owners are happy to help!
Benefit 2: Purchasing snacks daily at gas stations is expensive for our guys. So we built a snack bar inside our shop with everything from chips, cookies, slim jim’s, pop tarts, muffins, etc. to medicines like advil, Zyrtec, tums, etc…as well as, a fridge fully stocked with soda, water & gatorades… all for free!
Benefit 3: The owners help with personal expenses beyond work if needed, i.e.; new tires for personal car, additional paid days off, advances on check & sponsorship of children’s sports teams. Plus a large bonus at end of year to ensure each family who works for us can have a good Christmas!
Anything else you’d like to mention about this company, its’ leadership, etc?
Barry, Tracy & Brady are the first to arrive at work. Barry’s there by 6am. Tracy & Brady are the last leave by 6pm. They empty their own trash & clean the community bathroom themselves. They serve their employees any way they can, they never ask anyone to do something they wouldn’t do themselves. They form a camaraderie with every employee & demand the most out of themselves first, before asking others for their best as well. But most importantly, they’re so profoundly grateful to for this moment in time to do what they love together with their son & their incomparable staff. Life is good! We’re ADAMS & Son, Inc. & you’re going to like us … A LOT!!
