ROMASCO

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In his statement, Roberts praised the employees for their skills, dedication and work ethic, especially at an early age.  “All of these individuals are under 25 years of age, but have an incredibly strong work ethic and maturity normally found in older, more “seasoned” employees.  These young adults understand the importance of cooperation and teamwork in the workplace … and they work together very well”. 

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Roberts also noted that … “for the business to continue and grow, changes have to be made … placing these individuals in management roles is a big change for us … until now, only the owners have had this kind of responsibility and authority.  It’s part of our long-term business plan to remain viable and be able to serve our customers for years to come.   It also broadens our ability to serve our market.  Each employee has a voice in how the company operates.”

 

Early in it’s existence, our business served primarily agricultural customers.  Although we still continue to stock some agri-related product lines … we’ve experienced growth in serving industrial maintenance customers.   Ironically, the majority of our local industrial community is agricultural (produce and poultry).   The local industrial community and supporting contractors have become a larger portion of our business now.   The way we think about our business, the products we offer and the market we now serve is different than it was 50 years ago.

 

Roberts also commented on the recent shortage of human resources that he, and other local small businesses, have encountered during and after Covid-19.  “We compete with other small businesses and  local industries for human resources … and we depend on good, dedicated employees to remain successful.”  Roberts noted “it hasn’t been easy … we have three full-time employees and we normally have at least five … sometimes as many as seven … during this time of year.   Each employee multi-tasks … learning and performing the job duties of their co-workers and jumping in to help when the need arises”.

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Hiring after Covid-19 has been a difficult task.  “Not everyone wants to work for a small company, but then again, not everyone is cut out to work for a larger company either.”  Roberts pointed out that small companies are sometimes more flexible (and perhaps more understanding) than large industries when it comes to employees needs.  “We are not only co-workers, we’re friends … we enjoy seeing each other and working together during the week …. and we enjoy seeing our customers … it’s just part of the small business environment that we have created here”. 

 

The company is now in it’s 53rd year of operation and plans are to continue operating.  “Will we continue to change in order to remain in business? … yes!” Roberts said.  “We must listen and respond to what our customers need … and these individuals are the absolute right people for this job … if anyone can manage this business … it’s these people!”

 

To learn more about Roberts Machine & Supply Company, our employees, the products we offer and the customer markets we serve … visit our website at www.romasco.net or look us up on Facebook. 

 

Romasco is an acronym adopted by the business about 12 years ago and represents the company name.

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                     -online release: September 19, 2022