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 our Culture Champion for October, Kristal Ducote! Kristal is the Procurement and Billing Supervisor at DIS-TRAN Packaged Substations, and she has made an incredible impact on our teams while living our values and inspiring those around her. Kristal was nominated by several people throughout the past few months, and they all commented on her passion, positive attitude, and commitment to our teams and values. Kristal is no stranger to vulnerability and rising to the challenge. From taking on new opportunities to facing personal struggles, her resilience is undeniable, and we are excited to celebrate her example of vulnerability, trust, and perseverance!
Congratulations to Jeannette Corley, Office Specialist at Mid-State Supply, for being inducted into Crest's Culture Corps! Her nominators, Vickie Glen and Robert Anderson, say that she is vital to the success of Mid-State and instrumental in taking care of our teams and customers. She leads by example and is always ready to step in if her teammates need her support. One of her teammates says, “Whenever there’s a problem with any accounts, billing, or you name it, she is always there to help solve it with a smile on her face.” Jeannette – thanks for going above and beyond for our teams and living out Crest and Mid-State’s values!
Congratulations to Courtnie Ivy on being inducted to the Crest Industries Culture Corps! Courtnie, Project Support Specialist at Beta, joined the Crest Family earlier this year, and from day one she has been a passionate advocate for the Crest Family. With an eye for continuous improvement, she is not afraid to question “why” and look for innovative ways to solve a problem or reach a goal. Her nominator, Rich Landen, says that she’s done a “magnificent job coming up to speed” and helping the B627 Agile Project. Congratulations and thank you for everything you do for our teams!
Congratulations to Eric White, Production Supervisor for DIS-TRAN Steel Ohio. And both his nominator, Wendy Gintz, and supervisor, Alex Brouillette, share how Eric has stepped up in countless ways to ensure the company’s long-term vision comes to fruition. Industry and product knowledge are incredibly valuable in Steel’s manufacturing processes. Eric recognized the struggles DIS-TRAN Steel Ohio was going through without having someone on-site with the same level of experience we have in Pineville, so he made a huge investment and moved more than 900 miles to Washington Courthouse to help that team grow into the production facility DIS-TRAN Steel needs to be successful. Eric, thank you for being a true example of rising to the challenge. We are incredibly lucky to have you on our team!
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.