Shelby Charles has worked at Lounsbury Excavating for three years. She nominated the Paw Paw-based company for this honor, and she says the experience has permanently changed her expectations for what a workplace can be.
Lounsbury Excavating has been part of Southwest Michigan since 1945, providing commercial and residential excavation, site development, underground utilities, construction, and landscaping across the region. With 95 to 100 employees, it’s one of the larger operations in its field locally — but owners Michael Hiestand and Michael Lounsbury have kept the culture grounded in a belief they’ve stated plainly at company-wide meetings: family comes before work.
That’s not a slogan. When Charles won second place at an art show outside of work, Lounsbury posted it on their Facebook page. When a coworker races cars at Kalamazoo Speedway, the owners, leadership team, and colleagues show up in the stands. When an employee’s family experiences a loss or welcomes a new baby, the company responds with time off, support, and flowers.
The internal recognition is just as consistent. A monthly Safety Champion program highlights employees who exemplify the company’s standards, with winners taken to lunch of their choice and featured in the company newsletter, In the Trenches. Weekly Friday meetings bring management, owners, and accountants together to review job progress and keep everyone aligned. The company also uses an excavator vortex training simulator and drones to keep crews sharp and current with modern equipment.
Community involvement runs just as deep. Lounsbury sponsors the annual Grape Lake 5K, supports Paw Paw Public Schools athletics and robotics, contributes to the Lakeview Foundation golf outing, and has participated in suicide prevention awareness alongside other construction industry partners through Construction Angels.
Charles came in with little experience. They took a chance on her anyway, supported her through college, and gave her room to grow. She says she could go on and on. The list of ways this company shows up for its people is that long.
