The Crest Industries Culture Corps is a group of team members nominated and recognized by their peers as examples of our Values in action. Each month, one member of the Culture Corps is recognized as a Culture Champion for their outstanding efforts of living our Values and helping our teams, customers and communities grow beyond what we believe is possible. These Culture Champions receive the “Walkie-Talkie Award” for their commitment to walking the talk and living our our Values every day.
We extend trust, build confidence, and hold each other accountable.
We win when we all win together. We create mutual success and build trusting, lasting relationships.
We are never content with "that's how it's always been done." We question to understand, learn, continuously improve, and innovate.
We ambitiously turn challenges into successes through perseverance, resilience, and a will to win.
Kenny is a part of Mid-State’s team in Alexandria, Louisiana, and he’s left his mark as an encouraging, tenacious, and passionate team member. His Nominator, Ashlee Rashal, says that “Kenny lives by doing the right thing. He doesn’t mind having the tough conversations [by] being upfront, honest, and working to give [others] peace of mind. He is a well-respected member of [Mid-State, and] always [goes] above and beyond to make sure everyone is taken care of and business runs smoothly.”
Aaron joined the team at Optimal in 2017, and his team shares that he is about as close to an ideal team member as you can get. Darnell Gremillion says that “Aaron is always making sure everyone has what [we] need to be successful.” Jacob Fontenot shares that Aaron “truly embraces the values of “we win together” and “we rise to the challenge.” He is always working diligently to be sure we’re ready for the next job."
Ben Parker, MG’s Plant Manager, shares that Tina goes above and beyond to help her team members, and she always does it with a smile. He says he has never heard her tell anyone no for anything. She does her job well, and she also reaches out to help her co-workers when they have a bad day. Her trademark small acts of kindness have made her a joy to be around and a wonderful team member.
Todd has been a part of the CNR team for over 16 years, and he has proven his dedication to the team and our values countless times! His team member said that Todd is “always reliable, hardworking, and not afraid to get his hands dirty or to find a better way of doing things.”
Rob has been with our teams for more than fifteen years, and he is an excellent example of our values in action. He is constantly looking for ways to improve and think outside of the box to create solutions that benefit his team and Crest as a whole. Rob’s nominator said that his dedication to CNR and Crest is “truly impressive” as he values collaboration, is willing to engage in healthy conflict, and holds himself and others accountable to deadlines and commitments. Rob’s approach to challenges, dedication to learning new skills and stretching his technical knowledge are perfect examples of rising to the challenge and questioning the status quo.
Aaron joined the team at Optimal in 2017, and his team shares that he is about as close to an ideal team member as you can get. Darnell Gremillion says that “Aaron is always making sure everyone has what [we] need to be successful.” Jacob Fontenot shares that Aaron “truly embraces the values of “we win together” and “we rise to the challenge.” He is always working diligently to be sure we’re ready for the next job."
Terry joined the DTPS team at the central Louisiana port eight years ago, and he is an incredible example of our values in action – especially when it comes to rising to the challenge and the DTPS core values of “Say it, do it, own it” and “Give.” His nominator says one example of this was in 2022. "we had a bus pipe issue when a vendor was late shipping us a piece for a high-profile project. The customer was going to be at our facility in a few days to inspect their structure, so we were under a major time crunch. Terry helped us come up with a solution and then came in on a Saturday to make sure the job was done before our customer arrived. This affected 2 things: (ONE) Our customer arrived and the bus was up on the structure and they didn't know any different (and TWO) the structure was able to ship on the scheduled date and deliver on time - all thanks to Terry!"
Richard has been on our team for 5 years, and more than 7 team members nominated him to the Culture Corps. "Richard has gone above and beyond in his support of our teams," says Gaylene Davis. "His work ethic is exemplary, and he takes on challenges with intense determination and without complaint. Although he has high demand on his time, he is always courteous, kind, and willing to help others. Richard is a good example to all of us. I appreciate and respect him more than he knows." "When I started at Crest as an intern, Richard helped me develop professionally by always taking the time to explain things to me," says Graham Pearson. "Through his selflessness and dedication to his work, Richard has inspired me and helped me grow beyond what I believed was possible. He truly embodies all of Crest Industries' core values."
Chip Cooper is our Director of Finance at Crest Operations. Chip’s team member Richard Emberly nominated him because of his work to strengthen and continue to develop the culture in the Accounting & Finance group across our company. He leads the AF team to question the status quo at every opportunity and make sure that they're empowered to do the right thing and work together to build trust and success for all our business units. Way to go Chip! We are so happy to have you leading our team!
Each month, we recognize a member of the Culture Corps as CULTURE CHAMPION for their outstanding efforts of living our Values and helping our teams, customers and communities grow beyond what they believe is possible. Our Culture Champion for the month of May 2022 is Chaz Cannova – Corporate Counsel at Crest Operations. Chaz is an incredible example of integrity and doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. He goes out of his way to help and support our teams - doing the hard or unpopular jobs when others are hesitant to step up to the plate. And he does it all with a great attitude and a fun spirit. For example, he is dressed up like the Easter Bunny at our Family Easter Egg Hunt. He was inside a hot costume on a hot day – all so that our little ones could have a special Easter. And he does so much more than this! Like the rest of our legal team, he rises to the daily complex and robust challenges they face while serving all 9 of our companies. Together they build that culture of honesty, accountability, and winning together.
Brian joined our team as a Civil Engineer in 2014. His supervisor, Travis Larrabee, shared how Brian is dependable and has a talent for thinking outside the box to turn challenges into success. Brian’s nominator, Chris Willcutt, says, “Brian is always someone you can count on to get the job done. He meets challenges head-on and independently researches solutions to bring to the table. He is a great asset to the team that helps us win together!”
Lisa's nominator says that “beyond being a dedicated and passionate member of the Crest team, Lisa is extremely personable and kind to those around her. She is incredibly knowledgeable and eager to lend a helping hand wherever she's needed.” Her supervisor, Paul Bordelon, shares that Lisa’s role is unique and vital for the Robison Family and for Crest. The blend of working with the family and corporate side of the business takes someone with the highest level of ethics, professionalism, and an eye for continuous improvement, and “we couldn’t have a better person in the role.”