Community Service
This is a story about how an owner’s manual for a used 10-year-old John Deere garden tractor became more than 40 new jobs. It is also a story, according to at least three people, about the mysterious ways that God works. Read more to see how a lawn and garden landscaping company gave birth to a highly successful online eCommerce business that supplies OEM and aftermarket parts across the country and around the world.
The Wells County Chamber of Commerce held its 106th annual dinner and awards program, with the top honors going to John Reinhard as the Citizen of the Year, Outdoor Concepts (Steve, Gayla, and Landon Gerber) as the Business of the Year, and Ginny Vogel (Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School), Dee Yonker (Lancaster Central Elementary School), and Chris Painter (Southern Wells Junior-Senior High School) as the Educators of the Year.
While the holiday season is a time of joy and cheer for most, it brings pain and isolation for others. Spending Christmas away from your family is never easy, especially if the separation comes from incarceration.
Steve Gerber was in a meeting when he was told he had to leave due to something “very important.” Unbeknownst to him, all of his staff and members of the Wells County Chamber of Commerce were waiting for him. Erin Prible, executive director of the chamber was emotional as she told him that Outdoor Concepts had been selected as the chamber’s Business of the Year.
One of the benefits of working at Outdoor Concepts and The ROP Shop is the opportunity employees are given to serve their community. Throughout the year employees are given 16 hours that they can use for Community Service. These hours can be used by each employee for institutions close to their heart, but the company also keeps an eye out for opportunities to serve at local organizations.
What better way to pour back into our neighborhoods than to serve those who serve others? This past Wednesday (Nov. 6th, 2019), The ROP Shop teamed up with our parent company, Outdoor Concepts Inc (local outdoor equipment store and landscaping service provider). Together we gave some love back to our community by tending the grounds of Gateway Woods.