People Matter At The Motz Corporation

I have played my share of sports growing up. Still, I honestly never would have imagined myself getting so excited about a company that builds turf for athletic fields.

But I get very excited when I think about The Motz Group (and its sister company– USGreentech, which focuses on turf infills). It is one of the fastest growing and most respected companies in its industry not because of the quality of its product (although the quality of its product is superior), but because of its focus on bringing out the best in people, and inspiring integrity and values in everyone who comes in its path.

The Motz Corporation, parent company of The Motz Group and USGreentech, has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2019 honor by The Cincinnati Enquirer. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey. In 2016, it became a certified Evergreen company. Evergreen companies strive to positively impact their employees, customers, suppliers, communities and families. It was named to Forbes 2018 Small Giants list for valuing greatness over growth – the same year became an employee owned company.

I first came to know The Motz Corporation when I saw a tweet about three initiatives to give back to the community. It pointed to a page that explained them:

The Impact Fund – an annual impact fund that is funded by employees (and matched by the Motz Corporation) to create grants for nonprofit organizations
Make It Grow – a holiday effort where the company gives every employee a dollar amount to spend as they wish with one stipulation, they must use the money to do good.
Personal Time Off for Charitable Volunteering – in addition to the company having a volunteer service day (which is tied to the company’s annual Service Dinner celebrating employees and spouses) they are each given four days of volunteer time off annually to help a cause of their choice.

I had a feeling there was more to this story than what I read, so I set out to learn more.

Ross Vocke, USGreentech operations manager chairing the company’s Culture Committee, told me his story beginning about five years ago. He was young in his career. He was challenged to give back. He began flex time, coming in to the office late on Thursdays so he could tutor at a local school. It has become habitual, every Thursday morning since. “It rejuvenates me,” he told me. “It makes me forget about the issues I may be working on, or gives me a new, positive perspective on them. I am more willing to go out of my way to help others now because I see the impact. Personally, it makes me want to do more whenever I can and others here have done it too.”

The Motz Corporation actually has three main focus platforms – developing community, individual and company – each with its own committee of employees who come up with impact ideas and how to implement those ideas. The Motz University Training Center to develop a passionate, engaged team is one example. A few other examples include providing as much flexibility as possible for employees (focused on deliverables rather than hours worked), open book management that is transitioning into an Employee Stock Ownership program, and the ‘Keep It Real’ program which is about “taking people in leadership and saying that you are never too big to get into the field and work side-by-side with the front line,” described founder and CEO Joe Motz.  On the community side, among its projects, the company has an annual Service Day and partners with its suppliers to create even further good.

For its 2019 Service Day, employees of The Motz Corporation spent a day in April volunteering at Holmes High School.

“Our employees are provided with the support and encouragement to give back,” Ross said. “and it has a ripple effect. When you do something nice for someone else, that person will do something nice for others.”

On the day that I visited, it just happened to be Thankful Thursday. That is a monthly event where employees set aside time for some beers or other beverages and celebrate for what they are grateful, and what they accomplished – personally and professionally. What an incredible idea!

Their headquarters are in an inconspicuous little office building just a short drive – and actually within walking distance – from my favorite scenic canoe livery (50 West). In the grassy area that surrounds the parking lot, there is a vegetable garden. That is where employees grow produce for the Newtown Interparish Ministry (with help from pantry volunteers who have been recipients of the generosity). Up the flight of stairs and through the front door, the first thing that struck me was the sign painted on the wall, (actually on two walls) so large it can’t be missed. It reads, “Welcome to where people matter”.  And truly, this is the atmosphere I felt with every interaction with every person I met.

A container on the front desk was filled with little accordion folded hand outs that explain the The Motz Corportion’s 34 fundamentals. Every week, company-wide, they focus on one of those values via emails and discussions. Before every meeting of three or more people, the first item of business is sharing thoughts around that week’s focus.

These are just a few of those fundamentals:

Act with integrity. Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing, especially when no one’s looking. Always tell the truth, no matter the consequences. If you make a mistake, own up to it, apologize, and make it right.

Listen to understand. Listening is more than ‘not speaking’. Give others your undivided attention. Minimize distractions. Be present and engaged. Let go of the needs to agree or disagree. Suspend your judgement and be curious to know more before coming to conclusions.

Assume positive intent. Work from the assumption that people are good, fair, and honest, and that the intentions behind their actions are positive. Set aside your own judgements and preconceived notions. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Believe in second chances.

At the helm

So, how does a turf company have such an incredible culture? It really starts with a leader who believes in the potential of people. That believer is Joe Motz, a ‘typical Type A person’ as he describes himself. But typical he is not.

His parents are his biggest inspiration. Joe described his father (who passed away in 2013) as a ‘color blind’ man. “He was that way when it came to people,” Joe said. “We would come home to dinner and there could be a homeless person or the staunchest liberal there with eight kids (noting that his dad was a republican). They all came over the years. There was a senator. There was someone who was down on his luck. My dad treated them all equally and that impressed me. He taught me that no one would ever be below us. You should never see your pecking order as above anyone else.”

As for Joe’s mother, he remembers her saying on partly cloudy days, “What is the other part? Which part do you want to see?” From her he learned that you find what you seek to find. “It feeds into how you present yourself. Seek to find the good and that is what you find,” he told me.

In 1977, Joe started The Motz Group with a pick up truck and a shovel.  “I got into it thinking I could build better grass than anyone else,” he said. “Then I quickly realized I needed a team. Then I realized what I was really doing was building people.”

What is he most proud of when it comes to his employees? “The trust that is real,” he said. “The pride in seeing them take ownership and realize what that means. The more you give, the more you receive if done in an honest way. It is really gratifying to see all that my employees are doing. I pinch myself with this team because they are a lot smarter than me.”

Yes, this is definitely a company where people matter!

Stay tuned to learn more about Joe’s upcoming 6500 bike ride across the Unites States to raise money and awareness for Parkinson’s.