Ruppert Landscape honors employees at first ever virtual awards ceremony |
| By edited by Sarah Bunyea |
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The Management Development Days conference was presented to over 500 employees.
 This year, the Distinction Award was collectively presented to team members of the accounting and payroll department, pictured above.
Employees of Ruppert Landscape, Laytonsville, Maryland, were honored recently as the company presented its annual awards at the conclusion of its first ever virtual Management Development Days conference. Typically, MDD is a two-day training event in which managers from across the company come together to learn from one another and celebrate accomplishments. With the challenges presented by the pandemic and keeping employees’ health and safety top of mind, company leadership decided to do a virtual program this year presented to over 500 employees on Feb. 19. The program featured 2020 highlights from company leadership, a look at the next five-year plan, a Q&A with CEO Craig Ruppert and more, culminating in the annual awards ceremony. “While we missed seeing everyone in person, we have enjoyed reimagining this event in a fun new format and were grateful for the opportunity to connect with our team members virtually,” says Phil Key, president of Ruppert Landscape. “Perhaps the most rewarding part of the program was when we recognized stand-out employees throughout the company whose remarkable talent and contributions have benefited our customers and our employees. We are grateful for their service and truly proud of their achievements, especially during a year which put many obstacles in our path. This year’s MDD theme was ‘Adapt and Overcome,’ and these individuals did just that.” Clyde Vadner Merit Award This award recognizes the individual who has contributed continuous, consistent, long-term hard work, dedication and job skill that has helped to shape the company. This award is named in memory of Clyde Vadner, who early on in the company’s history played an integral role in developing the training program which has helped cultivate the many leaders who make up the organization today. This year’s recipient is Michael Vispi, branch manager in the Lilburn, Georgia, landscape management branch, who has been with Ruppert for over 17 years. “One of the things that makes Michael stand out is that he’s constantly learning, knows where his challenges are and is always working to improve,” says Steve Faber, region manager in the company’s landscape management division. “His innate ability to connect with people makes him adept at bringing in new talent and developing his team, and he has greatly contributed to the branch’s outstanding contract renewal rate and highest-ever profitability in 2020. We are extremely grateful for his contributions and we look forward to many more years of his leadership.” Achievement Award This award recognizes the employee who has made a significant contribution in 2020 through outstanding job execution and high-quality results. This year’s recipient is Paul Pestun, director of business development in the landscape construction division, who has been with Ruppert for over eight years. “Paul is very tuned in to the needs and concerns of our customers, resulting in long-term relationships, repeat business and establishing ourselves in many new markets,” says Bob Jones, president of the landscape construction division. “His efforts helped the national construction branch set division records with large-scale projects in cities like Dallas, Austin, Oklahoma City, and Lexington, Kentucky. His proficiency has allowed us to build an impressive backlog of work, putting us in a position to have a successful year right out of the gate. We are proud of all he’s accomplished and are excited to see what the future has in store for him.” Distinction Award This award is presented in appreciation for exemplary dedication and devotion to the principles and ideals of our company. This year, the Distinction Award was collectively presented to team members of the accounting and payroll department. “As our company has continued to grow, this team has evolved, expanded and reinvented itself,” says Key. “Throughout all the challenges of this past year, the accounting team, much like many of our teams in the field, didn’t have the luxury of working remotely. Their tasks required interaction and moving paperwork around, so they got creative and staggered their shifts to ensure that the team could continue to operate safely. This team works cohesively to solve problems, responds to their customers, and helps our organization continue to meet our ever-expanding business demands and we look forward to their continued influence in making our company stronger and more efficient.” Branch Impact Awards These awards are given to the employee whose outstanding dedication and contributions have made a positive impact on their individual branch. This year, there were 27 recipients:
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