In an era when workforce retention and employee experience are becoming true rarities, Primary Freight has managed to be an exception to this rule. That’s because we’ve come up with a more effective solution to the company culture “problem” that many businesses are facing: we invest heavily in our employees — not only in their ongoing happiness and general well-being, but also in their futures by providing them with opportunities and guidance to spur career development and personal growth.

This approach doesn’t just benefit the employees themselves: it’s also proven itself to be a great business strategy, bolstering loyalty, productivity, and ultimately, generating more value for our clients.

Plenty of Room to Grow

Katherine Karalekas is the perfect example of an employee who demonstrated clear ambition and was therefore provided with the necessary tools and opportunities to succeed.

11 years ago, Katherine joined the Primary Freight team as an Import Clerk — and we were immediately impressed by her work ethic, motivation, and drive. “I just made the decision to put my head down and work hard,” she recalls. “I had confidence that if I put in the time and effort, it would get noticed.”

After an eventful first year — which saw the birth of her first child — Katherine was promoted to Import Manager, and even traveled to Italy to meet with some of our key international partners and gain a more nuanced understanding of the complex network we operate within.

As Katherine’s desire to take on more responsibility persisted, Primary Freight provided her with leadership training and mentorship to help her achieve her goals. “The company doesn’t just encourage people who demonstrate an interest in moving up — they provide all of the necessary resources and guidance to help us get where we want to go,” she says.

Katherine’s training helped her gain key managerial skills in listening, innovative thinking, and developing customer connections — talents she combined with her loyalty, experience, and interpersonal skills to ultimately secure her current position as General Manager of the New York branch.

A Vision We All Share

Like many members of the Primary Freight team, Katherine has stayed on throughout the years because she knows it’s a place that truly values good ideas, hard work, and continued personal and professional growth.

Our culture emphasizes opportunity, support, and respect, and thus, Primary Freight employees feel encouraged and motivated to do the best job they possibly can, contributing to a vision we all share. As Katherine puts it, “Primary Freight’s leadership are true believers in the idea that a happy employee is a productive employee.” By providing team members with both the support and opportunity necessary to advance in their careers (and improve the quality of their lives), we’ve been able to cultivate a culture of employee retention, experience, and dedication — the foundation of any successful company.

Livelihoods often hang in the balance when you’ve got to complete a huge shipment, and you want to work with a shipper who understands the real human interests that exist beyond dollars and cents. One of Primary Freight’s founding principles is a regard for people over products — and its company culture shows it. Trust is built on an ability to foster and value human relationships, and one of the easiest ways to tell whether a company deserves your trust is to look at whether it treats its employees as real people, not digits on a ledger line.

Culture Counts

“That’s the big difference: we’re not numbers here,” says a calm and cool Ana Perez. A Primary Freight employee since 1999, Perez says she can’t imagine leaving the company that’s become her “home away from home.” A huge part of what makes Perez feel so comfortable and confident here is that her ranking has no bearing on her ability to enact change within the organization; Ana’s input is valued here, even when she’s discussing something outside of her department.

If someone notices a problem or has come up with a new solution to an existing issue, co-founders John Brown and Kathy Hogan make a point to listen to, learn more about, and often implement that person’s idea. It’s that openness to feedback that instills a sense of lasting purpose in employees, and ultimately betters both company culture and client services. It’s this same earnest belief in people that attracts Primary Freight’s customers, as well. “Honesty is what we strive for,” Perez says firmly. “We try to be honest with them, and that’s what keeps them coming back.”

The Bottom Line

Taking the time to invest empathic capital in your business is the key to fostering happy, trusting relationships with both employees and customers. “I enjoy coming to work still every day,” Perez notes. “And I think that’s a big deal.”

These days, the internet is abuzz with all of the amazing amenities trendy tech companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google offer their employees: free on-site baristas, rooftop lounges, concert tickets, midday naps — sounds pretty great, right? Not so fast.

Sure, in-office perks, and cushy benefits are all well and good, but they don’t help raise an employee’s children, offer emotional support when someone they care about gets sick, or hold their job for them when they have to put their career on pause to deal with a real crisis.

At Primary Freight, in addition to providing a number of wellness programs and other perks, we’ve found something to offer our employees that’s even more valuable: empathy. We employ real people living real lives and experiencing real problems. When a Primary Freight employee needs help or support, they receive it, plain and simple. There’s a reason over 41% of our team has been here for more than 10 years: we’re not just a company — we’re a company that cares.

Offering Support Where It Really Counts

What’s it really like to work at a family-first company? Just ask Monique Lewis, who has been with Primary Freight for 16 years.

Monique began her relationship with Primary Freight as a client, and would speak with President and Co-Founder Kathy Hogan on a regular basis — then one day she discovered that she was going to be laid off by her employer.

As Monique recalls, “Kathy happened to call me one day to see how I was doing. I told her that I was going to be out of work. She immediately said, ‘No, you’re not — come in and see me.’ So I went to see Kathy and I actually started work that same week.”

Kathy knew Monique was a diligent and dedicated worker, of course, but she also recognized her predicament as a fellow mother, and the incredible stress unemployment puts on a family — especially when you’re a single mother of three young children like Monique. “That’s the first thing Kathy told me when I was hired: family comes first.”

Since day one, Monique explains, Primary Freight has proven time and time again that this philosophy isn’t just a bunch of idle talk — they really walk the walk. “[CEO] John [Brown] and Kathy have both played an instrumental role in my children’s lives,” she says. “My oldest is getting ready for her first year at Howard University — without their help, both in terms of financial planning and general encouragement, I don’t think this would’ve been possible.”

The Business Case for a Family-First Culture

As John points out, a family-first approach isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s good for business as well. When an employer demonstrates to its employees that they genuinely care about their well-being, those employees tend to stick around longer, work harder, and care more. According to Monique, “It’s not about the money. It’s about knowing someone really cares, and that they’ll be there for you if anything happens.”

At the end of the day, when it comes to generating long-term value, building a support system that employees can really count on is always going to trump flashy perks and open office spaces. As Monique explains, “I’m motivated to do a great job every single day because I genuinely believe in what I’m contributing to, and I know it believes in me.”