It was noted in last week’s Advertiser and included in this week’s Inside Wellington portion of our paper that the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce named our operation as large business of the year.
The contest was open to firms with over 15 employees. At the moment, our employee complement is 44 full- and part-time staff working in the main office and mailroom. In excess of 125 contractors deliver our paper by motor route and door-to-door to homes each week. In business it is easy to get caught up in the crises of the moment, or get on a treadmill and lose sight of where a business is heading. Without key people in key positions there is a very real risk of losing the battle for market share through great customer service, making a great product better or offering a service that the public is willing to buy. There needs to be leadership if a company is to flourish.
Along the way, there have been a great many people that have brought something to our organization. Without naming names at the risk of missing someone, we have known many people in addition to our current staff who have helped along the way – from reporters to salespeople to graphics people and administrative staff.
Perhaps the concept we are getting at was summed up during one Christmas grace by a good old guy when he suggested all staff, regardless of their role, how big or small, added to the team. Everyone felt good when he said that – it’s about the team.
Today, we find ourselves on the cusp of another expansion. We are advertising for another person to join our production department doing graphic design work, typesetting and working on our internet projects.
Our sales staff and reporters are extra busy these days as the season of renewal and new growth captures the imagination of homeowners looking to make their property extra special this year. Chances are more help will be needed there, too, in the near future.
The rest of us in the office find our days very busy, between processing paperwork, keeping the workflow organized and planning for the future.
Our mailroom this week is dealing with over 400,000 flyers – sorting them to their designated addresses across Wellington County. The move to an automated inserting department has eased the pressure a bit, but there still is an incredible amount of work that goes into preparing an excellent package for homeowners.
The carriers take the paper on its final leg, delivering it door-to-door and drivers going from rural mailbox to convenience store. We now have three cargo vans on the road, starting delivery very early Thursday morning, just to get papers to the many people performing home delivery. We recall no time that the paper missed getting out, which is no small feat in 42 years of service.
On behalf of all those dedicated people, we thank the many businesses who continue to support our enterprise through their advertising dollars. It’s a simple formula that continues to work. The readers who support those businesses who advertise with us, allow us to offer up News and opportunity for citizens here in Wellington County.
In that respect we view this award as a win for all. With continued hard work, we hope to flourish and expand for decades well into the future.
