It’s January 30th, minus 20 degrees (minus 45 degrees with the wind chill), and I am driving to a jobsite to check in on our crew. The expressway is eerily traffic-free, and every radio channel chides me to hunker down and remain indoors.
I count my blessings when I pull into McDonalds to pick up some hot chocolate to warm up my crew and find the fast food giant is “open” for business. As I draw near to the job site, guided by billowing clouds of steam, I realize that the few cars I have seen following in my rearview mirror are headed to the same destination.
That is when I realize the magnitude of the commitment each and every one of these workers share as they brace for the frigid day ahead.
Some industries, and the people they employ, are always ‘open for business’, even in record cold weather, when others have closed their doors temporarily, opting for the warmth and safety of their homes.
Suddenly, I am profoundly grateful for all the “essential services” such as the police, fire department, power plants, water treatment facilities, hospitals and all the second and third tier companies that support them.
These support companies, like Great Lakes Power Vac, often work behind the scenes, invisible to the casual observer, but every bit as “essential” to the industries they serve.
When I arrive onsite, I gather the crew together, and along with a steaming hot chocolate and a bag of cookies, I also offer them a small token of the larger gratitude they deserve:
“Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for your resolve, your fortitude, your willingness to report for duty faced with such challenging working conditions. Thank you for the great job you do representing our company. I am proud of you all.”
Then I proceed to my customer’s shift supervisor to shake his hand and thank him for being there so that my family can remain at home, safe, warm and hopefully, grateful for all the “essential workers” that bite back when nature bites first.
Article written by: Dan Bemi, Director of Business Development at Great Lakes Power Vac