Companies do not change industries.

People drive change.

A company is only a collection of the people who work in it. Therefore:

You cannot change an industry unless you build a culture that supports that change into your workplace!

Any fan of BuildDirect knows that we have BIG dreams!

Our people work tirelessly to transform the building industry - to provide more value and give incredible service. But it is equally important to us to be able to give back as we do so.  I think one of those ways of giving back is to be able to transform the lives of the people who join us on our adventure.

I want to share with you a resignation letter that recently came across my desk. I fully realize that it is not without irony that the inspiration for this blog post is a resignation letter.

“It is with regret that I must leave my employment with your company, effective June 17, 2011, in order to further enhance my knowledge, skills, and abilities through additional post-secondary education.

I have enjoyed working for your company immensely, having acquired not only immeasurable professional experience within the building supply/warehousing industry, but have also had the delight of enjoying many laughs and overcoming numerous job related obstacles and challenges alongside the fine staff of your company.

I would like to thank Dave Donnelly, for his endless patience and the respect he shows for the warehouse team, Jim Hourigan for all of his efforts to keep the warehouse staff informed and current on BuildDirect’s mission and goals, as well as Robert Banks and Jeff Booth for having created a company wherein which each and every employee’s opinion and ideas are valued, and no one feels like an anonymous cog in the wheel.”

Martin H. 

In the end it’s not some faceless company that changes an industry. It is the people within a company whose ideas, hope and ambition allow a company to thrive.

It gives me goosebumps that our people feel like that about BuildDirect. For the people who leave, my hope is that they can take something from this special place into their future careers. Then, as we grow and develop more people, we not only transform an industry, but maybe leave the world in a little better place than we found it.

Related posts:

1. Never give in
2. What type of corporate culture allows people to thrive?
3. Corporate Values
4. Finding success through passion
5. A little better every day really adds up