Business View Magazine - Dec 2023

And everyone does really take it personally. Our customers have the benefit of that.” As for the impact the ESOP has had on Sierra Pacific as a business, Stein conveys, “It’s definitely helped fuel the growth, steepen the growth curve, we’re definitely able to recruit and retain top talent because of it. We really are building retirement wealth for all the employee owners and once everyone gets into the program and sees the benefits of it they tend to stay. We have very little turnover.” CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND RECOGNITION Sierra Pacific’s exceptional customer satisfaction, evidenced by a remarkable 99.5% recommendation rate for five consecutive years, can be attributed to the personalized commitment of its employee owners. With a strong focus on the ESOP, everyone in the company, from sales to accounting, takes customer service personally. This dedication is ingrained in the company culture, fostering a teamwork mentality where every department collaborates seamlessly to prioritize customer needs. “The customer is king, and we’re always going to do our best to provide superior customer service. That is another way that we differentiate ourselves from our competition,” says Stein. Snider points out that this commitment to exceptional service is something that is highlighted during employment interviews. He explains,“One of the things I lead with a lot of times is that because of the ESOP, and because of the teamwork mentality that we have, the ‘that’s not my job’ mentality doesn’t really work around here. Everybody is always focused together at achieving the same goal. It’s not like departments are working against each other. It’s all to serve the customer.” SPEP has also received awards from customers, as Stein recounts, “Typically we’re a lower level component supplier for our customers. We’re not one of their huge suppliers, but they still recognize our efforts. One example is we received an award called the small fry award. We’re not one of their huge vendors, but they still want to recognize our performance and our accomplishments.” The 156 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 12