Small Business Monthly Names Woods Basement Systems Top St. Louis Workplace

This article was originally published in the November 2014 issue of Small Business Monthly:

At Woods Basement Systems the company culture is all about its friendly, family atmosphere. “This is partly because this is a family business but also because we have the luxury of having a team that shares the same values,” says Wayne Woods, General Manager. “We care about our employees and do our best to be sure that each team member has all of the necessary tools, resources and support to perform at a high level and provide ‘wow!’ service to our customers, co-workers and community.”

While employees know they have a job to do, the team at Woods Basement has fun doing it. “I believe that this approach makes everyone enjoy their jobs more, and our customers appreciate working with happy employees,” says Woods.

To perpetuate fun in the office, the Woods family hosts many events to celebrate its team members. “Every year we host an Employee Appreciation Dinner to celebrate our team achievements, in which we recognize each department’s top performers with various awards,” says Woods. “Dinner is free for our employees and their spouses or guests. Owners Rick and Anna Lee Woods host the annual company picnic, dubbed WoodsFest, which includes good food, a fishing derby, horseshoes, swimming and cool prizes. Additionally, we host an annual team golf scramble where employees play for free.”

On a regular basis, team leaders will organize and cook breakfast for the company’s production and service crews, and employee birthdays, holidays and other important days of the year are celebrated with office parties and potlucks.

The bottom line at Woods Basement is that its people make all the difference and that happy employees lead to happy clients. “Every day I come to work with my friends,” says James E. Lord, Digital Marketing Manager. “The people – from the owners to new hires - are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever worked with. Everybody wants everybody to succeed, and we all help each other provide the best experience for our customers and have fun doing it.”