Below is Wright Service Corp. Chairman and CEO Scott Packard’s speech for Wright Service Corp.’s Annual Awards Banquet that took place on March 9, 2017 in West Des Moines, Iowa. 

Let’s talk about milestones and how they got Wright Service Corp. to where we are today. Our successful past will provide a great deal of information about our future. 2016 was a year of many successes, and 2017 is proving to top that. And as we look to 2018, we’re on the right track to continue this upward trend.

We’re approaching the 85^th anniversary for Wright Tree Service, and the 90^th anniversary for Wright Outdoor Solutions.Those milestones are more than just an anniversary – they’re a testament to how we’ve run our businesses, how we’ve treated our employees, and how we are delivering on our values.

2017 will mark our 15^th year as an employee owned company. Being an employee owned company is something we’re proud of and have felt the long term benefits it has provided us.

We’re on the threshold of 3,500 employees for the first time in our company history – a milestone that cannot be understated.

These accomplishments are monumental and wouldn’t have been possible without our employees. As we have grown, our employees have remained our greatest asset. Our success can only be attributed to our employees who work every day to get the job done. You should feel proud of these achievements and your efforts that led to making them possible.

In a little over a year, I will mark my 20^th year with our family of companies. It’s been a privilege serving this company, and I’m still looking ahead to what’s to come.

We have groomed employees who have later taken leadership roles within the company. As I look to my remaining time at the helm, my principal aim will be to effectively transition the leadership to guide this great company into the future…those who share the vision and reflect the values.

A little over a year ago, we began crafting leadership development programs to ensure the future prosperity of our company by continuously training, educating and preparing employees to take on higher leadership roles in the company.

Our continued growth has created an even stronger demand and opportunity for individuals to step up and take the reins to guide our vision. This leadership program will serve as the catalyst in preparing the future pipeline of leaders at the company.

I’m sure that you have all heard the adage “Leaders are born, not made” or to the contrary. Maybe a different view might be they are self-made. I believe that leadership is composed of three traits:

Competency – the ability to perform

Goodwill – the value of people and the desire from them to achieve

Integrity – do what is right, no matter the consequence

It was said that the art of leadership is in the ability to make people want to work for you, while they are really under no obligation to do so. Leaders are people who raise the standards by which they judge themselves and by which they are willing to be judged. The goal chosen, the objective selected, the requirements imposed, are not mainly for their followers alone.

We need to realize it’s about people, not things. Put your people first. Take smart risks and do not fear failure, for it is only an opportunity to try again, only smarter.

As always, uphold our highest value, safety.