Business View Magazine - May 2024

“All of our people go through technical training every month from all the different product lines and stay up to date with their latest technology, and how to apply it,” Mannillo explains, confirming once again how consistently diligent H&C has been with investing in its employees. Those investments have surely become the hidden factor driving much of the company’s culture and overall outcomes. Like many companies under the ESOP model, H&C’s culture is one of shared passion, ownership, and teamwork. This culture starts at the top but is reinforced by co-workers, creating a sense of community and collaboration. “H&C is the kind of company that gets into your blood… you work there for a while, and the way [we] treat people begins to get into your system. Then you blink and it’s been 20 years,” Waltzer says, commenting on how powerfully the company’s culture influences its employee retention. Employees are encouraged to be proactive in solving problems, contributing to a positive work environment that they all realize they have a stake in. The ESOP structure provides employees with a tangible stake in the company’s success, and that tangible vested interest contributes to fostering a sense of value, healthy pride, and commitment to the company’s goals. Because of this, H&C’s leadership invests a lot of time and energy into helping employees understand how they fit into the ESOP, emphasizing that when the company’s value improves, so too does their personal value. Considering that H&C’s ESOP share prices have consistently outperformed even the S&P 500, it is easy to see how one could become so committed to a company that pays back so much in so many ways. Looking ahead, H&C plans to continue investing in technology, vending solutions, and employee development. 103 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 05 H&C TOOL SUPPLY CORP.