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.
Congratulations to Stacey Hayes, Office Manager at Beta Engineering. Stacey has been a part of the Beta Engineering team for more than 25 years, and she has become a key example of what it means to live our values. Stacey was nominated by her coworker, Kim Long, and Kim was passionate about celebrating how Stacey has empowered her and other team members to grow and be the best they can be. She never lets the stress of the job interfere with her heart for our teams and makes sure we all have all we need to succeed. Other team members share how she is a fantastic representative for the Culture Corps as she goes out of her way to welcome, support, and empower the teams at Beta and beyond.
Congratulations to Nick Thomas, Factory-Built Substation (FBS) Technician at DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations. Nick started at our Product Support Services (PSS) facility at the Alexandria Regional Port almost two years ago, and his teammates have noticed how he shows up and gives it his all every day. Nick’s nominator, Cedrick Wilson from DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations (DTPS), says that Nick “really gives 100% daily and is always willing to learn, accept responsibility, and grow. He values the ideals, goals, and standards of the company,” and we are lucky to have him on our team.
Congratulations to Jimmy Eubanks, Inventory Manager for DIS-TRAN Steel. Jimmy has been with DIS-TRAN Steel and Crest Industries for more than two decades! With his 20 years of experience, without a doubt, he is a huge asset to Crest’s team. Jimmy has many connections and has purchased steel in just about every market. However, it is Jimmy’s ability to lead through influence and live out our Crest Values that help enable DIS-TRAN Steel to succeed on an unlimited scale. Jimmy’s competitive. He’s determined and rises to every challenge. His teammates say it best, “Jimmy is Jimmy and that’s why we all like Jimmy.” Crest is thankful to have Jimmy as a member of its Crest family.
Congratulations to Pat Abernathy, Counter Sales Manager at Mid-State. Pat is someone who challenges you to do better every day and will be there for you anytime you need him. Pat was nominated by his teammates who spoke about his talents and compassion as a coworker, supervisor, father, and friend. They say that Pat is one of the best human beings that they know, and many of his teammates would not be who they are today without the help and support from Pat.
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."
Cody joined the team at the Pineville plant more than 10 years ago, and his supervisor, Shawn Dabbs, says that Cody is a true leader at DIS-TRAN. “Cody has proven his leadership abilities by always showing support to his team and helping others to succeed. He is reliable and dependable and leads with confidence. He is passionate about the work he does and the success of the teams who work with him.”
Before moving to his new position, Scotty was a Senior Estimator for the team where he supported Beta’s growing proposal requests and headcount. Last year, the Proposal group at Beta underwent substantial growth, and his then collogue, now supervisor Chris Lohman, shared that without Scotty's mentoring, the team wouldn’t be where they are today. “Scotty [took three new estimators] under his wing and has been a major part of their growth and learning.”
Renee’s supervisor and nominator, David Ducote, shares how she has taken on new responsibilities while working remotely from North Dakota and how she rises to the challenge every day. Recent supply chain issues and the development of Epicor have created some large challenges over the past year, and Renee has managed the changes very well. David says, “Renee approaches every situation with a positive energy and see's things through to the end.”
Susan has been with our team for 5 years, but she has risen to the challenge over the last few months in her new position. She welcomed the opportunity and has excelled in her role supporting our teams at Optimal both in the hiring office, in the field, and our offices in both Texas and Louisiana. She lives the Optimal values "we take care of our people" and "we value relationships" through the work she does and the strong support she brings to our team.