August 2023 Employee Spotlight

Meet our August 2023 Employee Spotlight, Nicole Urzendowski! Nicole has only been with our EOH company for a few short months but has fully embraced our company culture. Let’s get to know her better:

What is your role? Briefly describe what you do.

“I’m in Inside Sales at the Hydraquip Houston office. I started in June this year and have learned so much already! My responsibilities include answering sales inquiries to assist customers in finding what they are looking for, communicating with our vendors, producing quotes, and processing orders.”

Who/what inspires you?

“My mom will always be my number one role model. She grew up in Venezuela and studied electrical engineering then came to the United States to work in the oil field. At the time you didn’t see a lot of women in that industry, so that always impressed me. She is who inspired me to study engineering in college and has been there for me the whole way.”

If you had to pick one strength you bring the to team, what would it be?

“The strength I bring to the team is my attitude and positivity. I always strive to be a positive person and bring good energy into the office every day I walk through the doors. You will rarely see me in a bad mood or being negative, because life is too short for that!”

What do you like to do in your free time?

“In my free time I enjoy being active and outdoors (When it’s not 100 degrees outside). I like going to the gym, hiking, fishing, surfing, and always being on the beach!”

If I could learn how to do one thing, what would it be?

“I have always wanted to learn how to fly a plane. It seems like such an incredible feeling to just go fly around on your own and explore the world from up high.”

Where were you born?

“I was born in Katy Texas. Then I moved up to Seattle for a couple years and spent the rest of my time growing up in San Antonio.”

What’s the best thing about your job?

“My favorite part about my job is working with the people around me. Since I came here everyone has been incredibly helpful and so welcoming. I can ask any single person a question and they would drop what they are doing to help me.”

What’s been one of your proudest moments at EOHI?

“I’ve only been working for almost 3 months now, but my proudest moment here has to be right after Dylan Butler trained me and trusted me to start doing quotes and orders on my own. Thats when it really hit me that I graduated college, and I made it in the real world. I was trusted to set prices, sell these parts and be able to make an impact on this company’s profit. I can’t wait to see what I accomplish here in the future.”

How do you define success?

“For my first internship, I walked into that company feeling underqualified. All the other interns had experience before me and walked in so confidently ready to start. I even spent my whole first week trying to figure out what my project scope was while everyone else seemed to have theirs down. I wanted to quit so badly, but then it hit me that I must have something going for me if I was the only one hired with zero experience. I knew just sitting there complaining wouldn’t do anything. I may not be the smartest person in the room, but I will always be the hardest working. I walked into the office that second week with a new mindset and a desire for success. With determination, a goal, and a good work ethic I successfully finished my project that summer. Success can’t be accomplished without determination!”

Where is your favorite place that you’ve traveled to?

“My favorite place I’ve traveled to would have to be the Bahamas. They have the clearest water I’ve ever seen and the snorkeling there was unreal.”

June 2023 Employee Spotlight

Meet our June 2023 Employee Spotlight! Michael is a part of our EOH team in Houston, TX. Let’s get to know him better:

What is your role? Briefly describe what you do.

“As the attorney for the company I try to address any and all legal issues. So I am involved with compliance, with contracts, and with over a hundred other things (HR, acquisitions, Intellectual Property efforts, litigation, etc.)”

Who/what inspires you?

“I would say my family and my faith inspire me. My favorite novel is Les Miserables – it inspires me with Victor Hugo’s themes of redemption, charity, and love.”

If you had to pick one strength you bring the to team, what would it be?

“I have so many to choose from this is hard decision [sarcasm]… maybe my speed reading skills.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

“Family trips – especially to Disney properties for some reason…”

If I could learn how to do one thing, what would it be?

“Telekinesis I guess – it be pretty useful…”

Where were you born?

“In a hospital  –  and it was located in Murray, UT.”

What’s the best thing about your job?

“The great people I work with! And a great sense of accomplishment when I see where much effort is fully realized in something positive for the company.”

What’s been one of your proudest moments at EOHI?

“I really enjoy the “Bring your kids to work day” – and getting to impress them with the great works this company does!”

How do you define success?

“Usually I would default to using the Webster’s dictionary definition – but here I say: ‘positive achievement.’”

Where is your favorite place that you’ve traveled?

“There are several places in the Caribbean that are fantastic – but my island will always be Jamaica.”

EOH Announces Advancement of Bobby Schaible to Vice President of Operations

HOUSTON, TX – June 28, 2023, Employee Owned Holdings, Inc. (EOH) today announced the advancement of Bobby Schaible to be named the company’s new Vice President of Operations. Bobby was previously serving as Vice President of Operations for one of the EOH subsidiaries, Hydraquip, Inc. In his new role, Bobby will report directly to the President of EOH, Richard Neels.

Bobby began working for the company over 15 years ago, beginning in Inside Sales. Bobby later transitioned to working in a purchasing role before later being named as Hydraquip, Inc.’s Purchasing Manager in 2014. Shortly afterwards, Bobby was promoted to be the Operations Manager of Hydraquip’s headquarters in Houston, Texas and in 2022 was promoted to VP of Operations for Hydraquip, Inc., with responsibility for operations at all Hydraquip locations.

Before joining the company, Bobby graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelor’s degree in industrial distribution. Bobby later earned his MBA from Syracuse University with a focus on supply chain analytics and business operations in 2020. His focus for improving efficiencies and streamlining processes can be seen in the assistance he provided in building and launching Hydraquip’s eCommerce platform and in providing structure for inventory, operations & HSE at all Hydraquip locations – overall Bobby has made a profound, positive impact at the company.

“I look forward to working more closely with Bobby and seeing his expertise used to optimize our inventory, drive safety awareness throughout all of the EOH entities and streamline our operations to drive efficiency and profitability in our business,” stated Richard Neels, President of EOH. “Bobby demonstrates the employee-ownership mentality to tackle new challenges and accomplish successful change at our company.”

“I have enjoyed being a part of the executive team at Hydraquip, and now I look forward to building productive relationships with the other company subsidiaries, GCC and SIT,” stated Bobby. “I am passionate about achieving success for our employee-owned company and I am excited to influence positive change in this new role.”

EOHI is a 100% employee owned company based in Houston, Texas and the parent of Hydraquip, Inc., Supreme Integrated Technology, Inc., and GCC, collectively doing business primarily in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Tennessee, Arizona & New Mexico.

May Employee Spotlight

Meet our 2023 May Employee Spotlight, Brent Bromley! He is a part of our Hydraquip, Electric Systems team in Houston, TX. Let’s get to know him better:

What is your role? Briefly describe what you do.

“I am a Drafter at Hydraquip, Electric Systems. I create and update the drawings used for production.”

Who/what inspires you?

“I’m mostly inspired by my coworkers. We all try to meet deadlines and provide quality work.”

If you had to pick one strength you bring the to team, what would it be?

“I guess my greatest strength is my many years of experience.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

“I enjoy fishing and golfing.”

If I could learn how to do one thing, what would it be?

“I think it would awesome to learn to fly a plane.”

Where were you born?

“Don’t hold it against me, Whittier, CA, but I got here as fast as I could.”

What’s the best thing about your job?

“I truly like the atmosphere here; the people are great.”

What’s been one of your proudest moments at EOHI?

“That would be the day I became a full time employee and no longer a contract employee.”

How do you define success?

“I feel successful when another employee comes to me for help. Not to get something done for them, but when they ask me how to do something, and of course when I can show them something.”

Where is your favorite place that you’ve traveled?

“I truly enjoyed Destin, FL. The water and the beach look so clean there.”

February 2023 Employee Spotlight

Meet our 2023 February Employee Spotlight – Jack Hano! Jack is a key player at our SIT Harahan division. Let’s get to know him:

What is your role? Briefly describe what you do.

“I am the Field Service and Logistics Manager. I oversee field service personnel in support of commissioning/startups/field service. I also oversee the logistics department for all 3 SIT locations.”

Who/what inspires you?

“When everyone comes together to work towards a common goal without bringing personal agendas into play.”

If you had to pick one strength you bring the to team, what would it be?

“Having a level head and ability to approach issues logically.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

“Watching football and playing with my sons.”

If I could learn how to do one thing, what would it be?

“Play an Instrument.”

Where were you born?

Baton Rouge, LA

What’s the best thing about your job?

“There is always something that will come up and keep life interesting.”

What’s been one of your proudest moments at EOHI?

“I am proud of all my moments at EOHI because I know I give my full effort to any task given or required.”

How do you define success?

“Being proud of the work you provide and having the trust and respect of coworkers.”

Where is your favorite place that you’ve traveled?

Langley, WA

January 2023 Employee Spotlight

Meet our January 2023 Employee Spotlight, Alfonso “Fonzi” Mendoza! Fonzi is a Client Service Representative in our Hydraquip Houston office. Let’s get to know him:

What is your role? Briefly describe what you do.

“Inside Technical sales – Assist customers with their requests and assist account managers with their key accounts.”

Who/what inspires you?

“Simple Answer – God, friends and family.

Complex Answer – Knowing I will never be completely satisfied with who I currently am. There is no finish line to growth, in any sense. I will always chase to be better me. If I do not strive to be better than who I am in the present, it is an injustice to friends, family, God and myself.”

If you had to pick one strength you bring the to team, what would it be?

“I would like to think that my work ethic is a strength that I contribute to the team. I do not like to be outworked.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

“I like to work out, fish, hike, surf, grill, and play my instruments (guitar mostly).”

If I could learn how to do one thing, what would it be?

“I would like to learn another language – French, Italian, Japanese, Nahuatl.”

Where were you born?

“I was born in Baytown, TX.”

What’s the best thing about your job?

“The amount of knowledge there is to consume. It is a never-ending pool of learning.”

What’s been one of your proudest moments at EOHI?

“My performance in the EOHI football game. In celebration of ESOP awareness month, I had the pleasure to participate in a friendly game of flag football alongside co-workers and take home a win!”

How do you define success?

“I define success as a never-ending journey, not defined by any destination but the by amount of work put into traveling along its path.”

Where is your favorite place that you’ve traveled?

“My favorite place that I have traveled to is the Yucatan, Mexico. I had the opportunity to see Chichen Itza, one of the 7 wonders of the world.”

December 2022 Employee Spotlight

Meet our December 2022 spotlight – Bill Stock! Bill is a part of our GCC Northwest team. Let’s get to know him:

What is your role? Briefly describe what you do.

“I am the Operations Manger for GCC in the Northwest. This includes Kent, Spokane and Portland. I oversee HSE, Inventory, Shipping and Receiving and Quality Control.”

Who/what inspires you?

“Teamwork! It is inspiring to be part of and help coach a great team of people that all have the same goals and ambitions.”

If you had to pick one strength you bring to the team, what would it be?

“Problem Solving. I like getting a challenge handed to me that I can tear into and find solutions to solve it.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

“I spend as much time as I can with my family and in the outdoors. For the past 12 years I have also competed in BBQ competitions around the Pacific Northwest going as far as Montana, California and British Columbia. I also volunteer whenever I can to cooking BBQ for Veterans and First Responders.”

If I could learn how to do one thing, what would it be?

“To weld as good as Kim Wallis, he is an artist with a tig welder!”

Where were you born?

Anchorage, Alaska

What’s the best thing about your job?

“Diversity. I am never working on the same thing from hour to hour and I can be part of all departments and divisions.”

What’s been one of your proudest moments at EOHI?

“Gaining the position of Operations Manager in 2020.”

How do you define success?

“Setting a goal and seeing it through. Whether it is a sales goal, work or home project, success to me is meeting your goals.”

Where is your favorite place that you’ve traveled?

“Driving the Alcan Highway from Alaska to Washington.”

November 2022 Employee Spotlight

Meet our November 2022 spotlight – Loyd Hall! Loyd is a part of our SIT Houston team. Let’s get to know him:

What is your role? Briefly describe what you do.

“I am the General Manager at our SIT Houston location. I direct Operations for SIT, handle the QA and HSE programs, and work with EOH to promote safety and quality.”

Who/what inspires you?

“My wife. She constantly encourages me and keeps me focused.”

If you had to pick one strength you bring the to team, what would it be?

“The attitude of getting the job done, no excuses.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

“Play golf and work in the yard.”

If I could learn how to do one thing, what would it be?

“Play a musical instrument.”

Where were you born?

“Houston, Texas (Native Houstonian)”

What’s the best thing about your job?

“I enjoy mentoring our employees – helping them to achieve higher goals by certifications and encouraging them to always do their best.”

What’s been one of your proudest moments at EOHI?

“Going from the HSE Manager at EOHI to the General Manager for SIT Houston.”

How do you define success?

“Seeing your employees grow and achieve. It’s not about managing, it’s about leading.”

Where is your favorite place that you’ve traveled?

“Cabo San Lucas, Miami FL, and Fredericksburg, TX”

ESOP Awareness Month

Employee Ownership Month occurs every year in October and is an opportunity for ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) companies across the nation to educate employee-owners, the media, the public, and government officials about the benefits of employee ownership.  It’s a terrific celebration of the spirit of employee ownership.

What does it mean to be an ESOP company?

An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is a tax-qualified retirement plan authorized and encouraged by federal tax and pension laws.

When companies launch an ESOP, they form a trust that purchases some or all the company’s shares and holds these shares in retirement accounts for employees. When the stock value increases or decreases, so does the value of employees’ accounts.

ESOPs provide unique benefits to the employee owners, the institutions, and the surrounding communities that they are involved with. ESOPs have been proven to motivate employees, increase productivity, improve employee retention, excel at providing employee training, keep jobs local, counter wealth inequality, contribute to business health and longevity, and so much more.

ESOP Celebrations

To celebrate our ESOP culture, we have brought employees from all locations to our corporate headquarters to recognize their hard work and dedication to our employee-owned company. Each of these employees received an award based on our core company values:

  • Acts with Integrity
  • Laser Customer Focus
  • Work Smart
  • Always Seeking Improvement
  • Produce Results

Congratulations to the following employees on their achievements:

  • Antuan Weddington
  • Jasper Cunningham
  • Jolene Stroup
  • Michael Tafolla
  • Alfonso Mendoza
  • Sandra Blanchard
  • Belinda Lee
  • Scott Wood
  • Grant Baudoin
  • Ben Ledet
  • Patrick Cotton
  • Oscar Bogarin
  • Hector Millayes
  • Matt Eckert
  • Don Overton
  • Chelsea Buff
  • Brian Sweet
  • Alex Poole
  • Rosa Moya
  • Michael Davis

We concluded our celebrations with a fun flag football game amongst employees. Team Red brought home the victory and bragging rights until next year! We enjoyed bringing all of our employees together and look forward to next year’s ESOP celebration!

September 2022 Employee Spotlight

Meet our September 2022 Employee Spotlight, Alex Poole! Alex is a part of our Employee Owned Holdings team in Houston, TX. Let’s get to know him better:

What is your role? Briefly describe what you do.

“My role as recruiting coordinator for EOH is full of opportunities to travel and recruit students. I am currently traveling to several universities for career fairs. This is my first job out of college, and it has been a wonderful opportunity to learn from many different aspects of a company. I have worked on projects with marketing, HR, and operations.”

Who/what inspires you?

“My mother is my biggest source of inspiration. She received two masters while my father was overseas. She set a great example of a strong work ethic and perseverance.”

If you had to pick one strength you bring the to team, what would it be?

“Hunger to learn and succeed.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

“I am an active member of Founders Baptist Church. I also enjoy spending time with my cat, Lauren, and magnet fishing with my good friend.”

If I could learn how to do one thing, what would it be?

“Fluid power: I want to be a more effective recruiter and understand the technical aspects of the jobs I’m hiring for.”

Where were you born?

“Camp Pendleton, California”

What’s the best thing about your job?

“I love having getting to meet qualified people and offer them opportunities with our wonderful family of companies. I also love the group of people I work with.”

What’s been one of your proudest moments at EOHI?

“Every new opportunity to expand my responsibilities has made me proud. I enjoy enlarging my scope of projects and responsibilities. I look for any way I can contribute to the success of the company.”

How do you define success?

“The great Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant carried a prayer in his wallet –

‘This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is very important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving something in its place I have traded for it. I want it to be gain, not loss — good, not evil. Success, not failure in order that I shall not forget the price I paid for it.” – Heartsill Wilson’

Success is living without wasting a moment because the price of every day is a day of your life.”

Where is your favorite place that you’ve traveled?

“Guatemala and Alabama.”