Not everyone enjoys their job — it’s a fact of life; however, that is not the case for employees at Great Lakes Heating, Air Conditioning, & Electrical in South Bend, Indiana. Owner, Mike Ritter, has created a business employees are proud and happy to work for.

“I was in high school working for Great Lakes and worked my way up in the company before getting a loan to purchase it six years ago,” said Ritter.

Since then, Ritter has made all of his business decisions based upon Christian values, and that extends to the way he’s decided to treat his employees. Through training opportunities, giving back, and good old-fashioned kindness, Ritter takes care of his employees, creating relationships with them that go beyond the workplace.

OWNER: Mike Ritter
LOCATIONS: South Bend, Indiana
YEARS IN BUSINESS: 60
BULK OF MARKET: Residential service and replacement
TOTAL SALES FOR 2017: $3.9 Million
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 29
TOTAL SERVICE TECHNICIANS AND INSTALLERS: 16
AVERAGE HOURS EMPLOYEES SPEND IN TRAINING: 11-20 hours per year
BENEFITS BEYOND MEDICAL/DENTAL INSURANCE: Performance pay, paid vacation, sponsorship of staff members' children's little league teams, tiered production pay, spiffs for selling and leads, contests, free maintenance on staff members' HVAC home equipment, personal loans, year-end bonuses, employee of the month, annual company steak cookout, paid North American Technician Excellence (NATE)-certification testing, access to a library with more than 200 educational books and DVD's, free lunch Wednesday with optional Christian DVD study and fellowship, on-site exercise equipment, and ABC Apprenticeship program.
INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION & CONTRACTOR GROUP MEMBERS: ACCA, Service Nation Alliance, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Indiana Chamber of Commerce.
THE NEWS SELECTED THIS CONTRACTOR BECAUSE: Great Lakes offers benefits, numerous training opportunities, and ongoing support and leadership from the owner. Not only does the company give back to the community, but the owner also gives back to staff members on an ongoing basis.

WHEN YOU’RE HERE, YOU’RE FAMILY

If you visit the company’s website, you’ll quickly see it has been family-owned and operated since 1957.

Ritter prides himself on providing people with honest service from a name they can trust in the industry. This mindset is ingrained in the company culture, and employees like it that way.

“The benefits of working at Great Lakes are the caring environment, family atmosphere, business integrity, room for growth, and community presence,” said Amy Scott, senior comfort advisor.

It’s the idea of treating his employees like family that makes working for Ritter a no-brainer.

Great Lakes is a place where employees can better their lives through training and other educational opportunities, something Josh Stoner, senior comfort specialist, appreciates greatly.

“From Mike and Andrea, the owners, I have learned more in the two and a half years I’ve been here than I learned in college,” said Stoner. “Mike makes information available to you. He has a huge library [of audiobooks], and, as a comfort advisor, I have a lot of ‘windshield time,’ so I listen to something from the library to better myself.

“It’s a habit I’ve developed because he made it available to me,” he added.

Ritter makes training opportunities readily available at his company, and employees appreciate the ongoing education.

According to Scott, training plays a significant role in the lives of the employees.

“Great Lakes gives back to employees by creating an environment with opportunities to grow and learn,” she said. “Mike supports me by providing me with opportunities to be the best comfort advisor I can be.”

BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS: "I definitely am going to continue to grow — that is what everyone wants," said Mike Ritter, owner, Great Lakes Heating, Air Conditioning, & Electrical, South Bend, Indiana. "It's very difficult to find individuals that fit our culture, so when we do hiring events, we have most of our staff there to interact with candidates. So, as we grow, we continue to have people who not just I feel good about, but that everyone feels good about on the team."

In addition to the weekly on-site training offered, employees also attend training classes locally, according to Missy Alwine, lead dispatcher and service manager.

“Technicians are sent to training when they are hired and are also sent to training for specialty equipment as needed,” she said. “Mike stays on top of the newest products and services that might benefit our customers and makes sure that everyone is properly trained on all products.”

“My colleagues in the service department have been around the country doing training, and Mike has helped them to receive important certifications,” said Stoner. “I can’t speak for the technicians, as I am technically a comfort advisor, but I know I have been to Dallas a couple of times in the last two years as well as Chicago for technical training. Our installer apprentices also attend a local college to help them get their certifications.”

“We’re big on training,” said Ritter. “We have over 12,000 audiobooks. If there is anything my employees want to learn, they can find it, and it doesn’t have to be HVAC related. We purchase it, they check it out, and it goes back into our library. I feel someone who is well-rounded is someone who is happy.”

GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND

Beyond training opportunities, there have been other ways in which Ritter has given back to his employees.

“Mike has a fun rewards program that, I believe, helps aid in the prevention of burnout,” said Stoner. “Our techs have an opportunity to win fun prizes in our yard sign contest. Every week, there is a small prize with some big prizes offered at the end of the year. He also offers things throughout the year to our employees, such as South Bend Cubs outings; a Baldwin camping trip; Deep River Water Park; an escape room outing; and, this year, Mike took the entire team to Kalahari Water Park in the Wisconsin Dells. We also have the Great Lakes Open House, which rewards our customers and employees alike with food and prizes.”

The company goes above and beyond giving back to its employees, according to Alwine. In addition to the big company events, like Stoner mentioned, Great Lakes’ leaders do a lot of little things that add up, too.

“We have company picnics in the summer and a Christmas party in December where every employee gets presents and a bonus,” Alwine said. “Every Tuesday, we have a company meeting with doughnuts. On Wednesdays, we have company-provided pizza for lunch, and anyone who is interested can also join us for a video, which is chosen by employees and usually something Christian-based or a self-improvement video. At the end of the year, one employee and their spouse, along with a customer and their spouse, win a cruise with all expenses paid for. The employee, customer, owner, and their spouses all go together. I actually won it one year, and it was a blast.”

But it’s going beyond perks that makes Ritter the best contractor to work for.

“Well, when employees get into a tight situation, which happens, we will personally help them out financially,” said Ritter. “Be it moving, help roofing, whatever it is, we will do that during work hours if there is extra time.”

“In 2009, my husband and I had a son born in June, and I had to have a caesarean due to complications,” said Alwine. “My son was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, a rare chromosomal disease where the number 18 chromosome is present three times in every cell. These babies have a 1 percent survival rate. Our son lived 10 precious minutes. Due to the surgery, I was unable to return to work for eight weeks. When I was off recovering, Great Lakes paid me every week. They even brought dinner to my house for over a week straight.”

GOING FORWARD

Ritter’s efforts have certainly paid off, and the company continues to serve South Bend residents with honest hard work and a personal touch. His employees salute his efforts to make Great Lakes a place they are proud to work for.

“I have been with Great Lakes two and a half years, and I can honestly say I love my job,” said Stoner. “I have been a Sunday school teacher for 14 years. I wasn’t about to do or say anything that I didn’t feel ethically comfortable saying or doing. Mike doesn’t ask me to do anything my conscience doesn’t allow me to do. I really do love my job and care for the people that have allowed me to serve them in my community. That passion and desire is achieved by hiring the right people and leading them with character. If that is your criteria for ‘Best Contractor to Work For,’ Great Lakes is your winner.”

MEET THE TEAM: From left to right: Amy Scott, senior comfort advisor; Andrea Ritter, co-owner; Missy Alwine, lead dispatcher and service manager; and Josh Stoner, senior comfort specialist. Since purchasing the company six years ago, Ritter has made all of his business decisions based upon Christian values, and that extends to the way he's decided to treat his employees. Through training opportunities, giving back, and good old-fashioned kindness, Ritter takes care of his employees, creating relationships with them that exist beyond the workplace.

“Mike deserves this recognition because he goes above and beyond to create an atmosphere that fosters growth and development,” said Scott. “It is truly a family business that is family oriented and supports employees in all areas of life and professional development.”

Alwine said Ritter is more than just a boss, he is a friend, and he is someone they all look up to.

“Mike deserves this award for always being honest, professional, helpful, caring, giving, and selfless — not just to his employees but to our customers and our community as well,” she said.

Going forward, Ritter hopes to continue to grow his team and business; however, his main goal is to maintain the culture.

“I definitely am going to continue to grow — that is what everyone wants,” said Ritter. “It’s very difficult to find individuals that fit our culture, so when we do hiring events, we have most of our staff there to interact with candidates.

“So, as we grow, we continue to have people who not just I feel good about, but that everyone feels good about on the team,” he added.   

Publication date: 1/22/2018

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