2015 WOW Day Recap - Celebrating 2014!

Crystal D held their annual WOW Day to show appreciation for all of their employees on February 6, 2015. We honored a great group of individuals for their dedication to making the company succeed.

The event was carnival-themed, and balloons and candy made a prominent appearance. We played carnival games and won prizes ranging from cotton candy to whistles, and one lucky person, John Stefani, won an iPad!

We handed out a bunch of awards to some very deserving people too!

Our attendance award, called Never Fear Always Here, was given to: Mike Blees, Joe Christensen, Bridget Dahlgren, Will Hutchinson, Mike Irvine, Vantha Khou, Ann Kirch, Cathy Klein, John Nelson, Sandy Nichols, John Stefani, Kyle Nordby, Terikay Thein, Toua Yang, David Saatzer, Sarah Chang, Kim Kiefat, Mike "Zito" Vitali, Todd Zimmermann, David Schaeppi, Jen Contreras, and Richard Denn.

Our Rookies of the Year were Jason Herlofsky who is our Virtual Production Artist, and Panda Thammavong, who works in production. The Rookies of the Year have worked for Crystal D for at least five months but no more than one year, have aligned themselves with our values, and are leaders in the company.

The Above and Beyond award is given to the person or people who puts Crystal D first by putting in extra hours without being asked, not letting their team down, and goes out of the way to help others. This year, we awarded John Nelson, who works in marketing, and Kyle Nordby, who works in art.

Vantha Khou, who works in production, was presented with the Expect Excellence award this year. This award goes to the person who is always looking out for our customers, they have a "not good enough" attitude and go the extra mile, and they demand the best all the time.

The Kick Ass Attitude award went to Allison Robbins, who is our Solutions team manager, this year. The award goes to the person who positively influences their coworkers, has identified problem areas and has actively worked to make a change for good, and doesn't take "no" for an answer.

Sarah Chang, who works in production, and Mike Blees, who works in art, were awarded with the Rising Star award. We give this to the person or people who have been with Crystal D over one year who has shown significant development and outstanding performance over the past year and will keep growing with the company.

Our Step Up award went to John Mingo, who works in purchasing. This award is given to the person or people who steps up and takes responsibility, even though it is not their responsibility. They don't give excuses, they don't accept failure as an option, and they give solutions to problems.

The Leadership Award went to Cathy Klein, our accounting manager. This award is selected by Chuck after nominations from managers. Coworkers follow their lead, and they lead by example, being selfless and keeping promises as well as providing an incredible customer experience.

This year, we honored just the third recipient of the President's Award. This award is chosen by our President, Chuck Dahlgren, at his discretion, and it is not necessarily an annual award. The winner of this award aligns with and lives all of our Core Values consistently. The winner of this award is an obvious selection, their contributions have impacted Crystal D's past and future, and their actions speak for themselves. Questions Chuck asks himself when deciding on whether to select a winner include: Would Crystal D be what it is if this person did not play a part? If this person left Crystal D, would there be a legacy? and Did this person make a difference? This year, we absolutely had a winner that embodies everything that Crystal D stands for and has impacted our company significantly. This winner is Mike "Zito" Vitali, who works in production, our master of the sandblaster.

We crowned our new Value Champions and Grand Value Champion at WOW Day. These people are nominated by their coworkers and ultimately selected by the management team. They embody the core value they were nominated for, and the Grand Value Champion embodies all five of our core values.

To become a Value Champion, an employee must have worked for Crystal D for one year or more, and they can be nominated by any employee, including management. In addition to peer nominations, winners are chosen because of their impact on Crystal D, their positive attitudes and energy, and their solutions and teamwork.

The Commitment Value Champion award went to Paula Doll, who works in accounting. This award goes to the person who embodies the Commitment value: "We are dedicated to the ongoing viability of the company." The winner maximizes their efforts to assure Crystal D will be profitable and works in the best interest of Crystal D. "Paula is kicking butt and teaching her customers how to work with Crystal D," said Ann Kirch who works in the art department. "This saves time for not only the customer but also Crystal D. She is very willing to call the customer, she is quick and does a lot to make sure things are handled and ready for Art and Production. She makes our jobs easier."

The Integrity Value Champion award went to Kim Kiefat, who works in production. This award goes to the person who embodies the Integrity value: "We do what we say we will do." The winner fulfills all obligations, is reliable and trustworthy, and admits mistakes and fixes them. "Kim caught that an order was masked wrong," said Todd Zimmermann who works in production. "She found the mistake and asked me to resurface them so the customer would get a correct order."

The Passion Value Champion award went to Sandy Nichols, who is part of our business development team. This award goes to the person who embodies the Passion value: "We have the burning desire to achieve in all we do." The winner takes pride in all they do and never gives up. They are always doing their best and looking for a positive solution. "Sandy is passionate about her customers," said Terikay Thein, blank and sample manager. "She is dedicated to our Minnesota backyard and has brought many clients into the showroom for that hands on approach. Sandy shares her excitement with all of us and with her customers. She'll go the extra mile."

The Quality Value Champion award went to Todd Zimmermann, who works in production. This award goes to the person who embodies the Quality value: "We have the unyielding persistence to improve." The winner continually pursues excellence, encourages purposeful change, and sweats the details. They are always asking how we can do better and exceeds expectations. "Todd buffed a record amount of pieces by 10 a.m.," said Richard Denn who works in production. "There were almost 100 awards with a disgusting amount of errors, and Todd hammered through them with his Barney Rubble laugh!"

The Respect Value Champion award went to Brenda Peralta, who works in customer service. This award goes to the person who embodies the Respect value: "We treat people the way we want to be treated." The winner knows respect must be earned and treats their coworkers, customers, and vendors in a considerate manner. They say "thank you" and lives by the Golden Rule. "Brenda is one of the most respectful people at Crystal D," said Angel Zook who works in customer service. "Every day, I hear her on the phone with her customers as well as interacting with her coworkers. All I hear from her is 'thank you,' 'you're the best,' 'I appreciate you,' and 'you're welcome.' Brenda always has something nice to say about everybody."

Our Grand Value Champion embodies all five core values. They must have worked for Crystal D for two or more years, they must be a past Value Champion, and they must show leadership throughout the company. Their dedication and loyalty to Crystal D is never in any doubt, and they must be a unanimous decision by the selection committee. This year's winner was Ann Kirch, who works in the art department. Ann's past value champion win came in 2011 for Respect.

Here are some reasons why Ann is so deserving of the Grand Value Champion:

"In any given time that I work with Ann, she is always respectful to me in knowing that I do not know her job," said Brenda Peralta in customer service. "She is always available to help and shares what she knows and teaches her skills so that I can understand."

"Ann has a massive binder full of chunk-trainings, preparatory lists, a Crystal D glossary, and ideas for standard work," said Ian Hanson who works in the warehouse. "She has a knack for breaking down complex processes into simple parts. She's helped sculpt the way art does work, and she thinks of how that relates to the work we do as a company."

We had an awesome time at WOW Day, and we love celebrating our amazing employees!