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March 22, 2016 02:00 AM

Second generation owners know Bales' employees like family

Jeannie Reall
Correspondent
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    Bales Metal Surface Solutions
    Bales Metal Surface Solutions employees play WhirlyBall, a combination of basketball and bumper cars played with a whiffle ball.

    Stacey Bales and her sister, Sara Mortensen, have a unique relationship with their employees.

    “A lot of them have seen us in diapers,” Stacey Bales said in a recent phone interview. “The majority of them have worked here 15 years or longer. Some of them grew up with us.”

    Bales has been president of Bales Metal Surface Solutions since 2009; her sister is vice president of sales and marketing. Each owns 50 percent of the company, which ranks No. 12 in Plastics News' Best Places to Work list for 2016.

    Their father co-founded the company in 1978 in Illinois and set the precedent for good employee relations.

    “He took care of his employees,” Stacey Bales said. “He gave them a lot of extra little perks” like paid holidays and birthdays off, turkeys for Thanksgiving, paid hourlong lunches and, in at least one case, bailing a worker out of jail.

    It's the little things that count.

    Jessica Jordan

    But he also took care of the bigger things, like showing them respect and incorporating their families into events, which Bales said strengthens the company's culture. “We meet everyone's spouses and kids, sometimes their grandkids,” she said.

    In fact, Bales Metal was recognized with the 2015 Award for Business in the family business category from the Daily Herald Business Ledger of Lisle, Ill.

    Also, Stacey Bales was named one of Plastics News' 2015 Rising Stars.

    Bales Metal has operations in Downers Grove, Ill., and Harlingen, Texas. It applies proprietary coatings and finishes to molds to prevent corrosion, abrasion and wear. A marketing push has led to growing sales and business, prompting the company to hire five new employees last year, bringing the staff roster up to 37.

    “It's nice that we're a smaller, family-owned company,” she said. “We can really take the time to sit down with each employee … and find out what resources they need, things to make them more efficient. Because we're flexible, we can accommodate those requests.”

    Bales said her open-door policy helps keep things on an even keel.

    “Employees will come in sometimes just to vent. By nipping things in the bud early on, letting them speak their minds, it kind of prevents things from reaching the boiling point. We give them the opportunity to communicate before little problems turn into big ones.”

    What also helps, she said, is giving employees a safe physical outlet through competitions like bowling and WhirlyBall — which is sort of a combination of jai alai and basketball played in bumper cars with a whiffle ball.

    “I'm not the best player, but I give it the good old college try,” Bales said. “We have a few beers. It's nice and it gives the employees a chance to gang up on us [managers]. We might try paintball next year.”

    Something else employees appreciate: holiday parties, summer outings, a 401(k) with matching contributions, and year-end bonuses based on length of employment and how profitable the company has been. Also at the end of the year, Bales Metal presents a certificate and gift card to each of at least 10 workers for their attendance, leadership and attitude, among other things.

    The company also recognizes employee anniversaries in five-year increments with increasing cash bonuses, lunches with upper management and eventually, engraved watches.

    Bales Metal pays for training such as productivity or time management workshops, and English as a Second Language classes.

    Find an overview of the selection process and links to other Best Places to Work here.

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