A Quarterly Review of Shepherd Chemical

A Note from Kelly Wray, General Manager

I began teaching my children about teamwork at an early age. Stories like The Ant and The Grasshopper and The Little Red Hen were favorites that demonstrated the benefits of teamwork and the pitfalls of avoiding work, of being lazy and going it alone. Angela and I signed Trevor and Connor up for basketball, baseball and other team sports, both to have fun and knowing that they would learn to work together and play together with a team. I’ve read dozens of books and collected quotes and stories about the importance of teamwork. Here is one of my favorite quotes:

“Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” (Vince Lombardi)

In a world where divisions seem to be multiplying it behooves us all to remember Lombardi’s words and to recommit to helping each other to work better together, including our families, our company, our communities, our country. We can care about each other and do good work together while recognizing and respecting our differences.

Growing up I wasn’t involved in team sports but I have been on teams throughout my life, every one of which helped me succeed and overcome obstacles. It was not until I was in my thirties that I went back to college to earn a degree in Chemical Engineering. Calculus was particularly challenging, and I was blessed to have eight young fellow students who saw me struggling and invited me into their study group. They knew that I needed them to pass calculus. They invited me onto their team and, even though I could not help them with calculus, they valued my life experiences and the perspective that I brought to the team.

We should consider and appreciate the strengths that different people bring to our teams. Varied perspectives enhance the problem-solving ability of our teams, whether in families, in sports or in business. While I often talk about individual accountability and self-reliance, I do not encourage isolation or detachment. That is why I like Vince Lombardi’s quote, it reminds us that we must each make an individual commitment to our teams for everyone to succeed. If every member of our teams accepts that they are accountable both to themselves and to each other, we are all stronger and better. We are also more likely to treat each other with kindness and respect.

At Shepherd Chemical, I have the joy of working on some wonderful teams. It is an honor and a privilege to serve at Shepherd Chemical and to do my best to foster the trust and clarity that are essential to good teamwork. Thank you for your commitment to Creating Value that Brightens Lives together. May you each enjoy being a part of our team as much as I do.

~ Kelly

 

 

JOIN US IN CONGRATULATING OUR NEW RETIREES!

After an INCREDIBLE 52 and 31 years, respectively, Ken Inabnitt and Mick Reed have both retired from Shepherd. We hope they are enjoying every minute of their retirement, and know how missed they are by so many here. Please join us in appreciating their many years of loyalty and service to our company!

 

WELCOME TO OUR NEW HIRES!

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST SHEPHERD BABIES!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SHEPHERD FAMILY 2022 GRADUATES!

 

BABY BEAR

Recently, some members of the Inorganic team rolled up their sleeves and volunteered at Baby Bear. They acted as personal shoppers for trusted care providers and helped with set up and tear down.

 

CINCINNATI SQUASH ACADEMY VISITS SHEPHERD CHEMICAL

We recently hosted the Cincinnati Squash Academy summer camp at our facility for an afternoon of hands-on demonstrations and a plant tour. Thanks to all that volunteered and made it a successful and fun day!

EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY 2022 – Happy to be together again!