Brian Gustaveson – 2018 BAF Values Hero!
We are delighted to share that Brian Gustaveson was selected as our annual Values Cup winner for 2018!
At Basic American Foods, we believe a job well done is worth rewarding. Not only do we ask that our employees uphold our company values, we also take the time to acknowledge when they do so by encouraging our employees to nominate their colleagues for living out any of our six values:
1. “Keep it going”
2. “It takes a team”
3. “Make things better”
4. “Find a way”
5. “Mean what you say”
6. “Let your inner hero shine”
Every quarter we choose one of the nominated employees to honor, and at the end of every year, one of the four quarterly winners is chosen as the annual winner.
Brian, one of our valued plant managers, was our Q3 Values Hero recipient, and during 2018, he received nominations for living out our “Make Things Better,” “Find a Way,” “Keep it Going” and “It Takes a Team” values. But Brian recognizes that he did not achieve this alone. When asked what his favorite Basic American Foods value was, he responded without hesitation, “It Takes a Team.” Brian firmly believes that accomplishing what he did would not have been possible without the incredible teamwork from his plant and facility team. “It’s foundational. If I don’t have an effective team and they aren’t performing well together, we’re not going to be successful. So, I feel that’s the most important one,” Brian remarked.
As a second-generation employee, Brian is carrying the torch his father lit as one of the very first employees at Basic American Foods. Having grown up watching his father thrive at a company that truly puts employees first, Brian believes in Basic American Foods because he has seen the employees work together almost as an extended family. Twenty-two years later he reflects, “I saw that growing up and wanted to become a part of that.”
Brian left Basic American Foods for a short period, but always wanted to come back. He missed the employee appreciation – “the feeling of knowing you had a good day and being recognized for it.” No other companies he’s worked for have ever offered that kind of environment. This is one of the many reasons Brian feels like the Basic American Foods family is home for him.
Thank you for representing what it means to be a true BAF Hero, Brian! Congratulations on a job very well done.
(Left – Brian Gustaveson; Right – Bryan Reese, BAF president & CEO, and Brian Gustaveson)
