Best Places to Work: Leadership, employees ‘all in' at R.D. Abbott

CERRITOS, Calif.—If there is one thing that is self-evident at R.D. Abbott Co. Inc., it is that the firm takes an employee-first stance in its operations and safety considerations.

The 62 employees at R.D. Abbott seem to genuinely have a good time at the 70-year-old materials science, engineering and distribution company, as evidenced by the company camaraderie, choreographed Christmas videos, game days and corporate events open to immediate family.

And it is this employee-centric attitude that helped R.D. Abbott earn a place on Rubber News' 2021 Best Places to Work list.

"The last two years have been very difficult for our employees, both professionally and personally," President Keith Thomas said. "Times like these make relationships all the more important, and I believe we share a genuine concern for one another that goes far beyond the workday.

"Work is a big part of life, and who you choose to go through life with matters."

R.D. Abbott is staffed with a mix of rubber experts and novice professionals; equipped with state-of-the-art, U.S.-based laboratory and manufacturing facilities (between California and Barberton, Ohio); and stocked with elastomer products in warehouses throughout North America, said Jerry McCall, vice president of sales and operations.

"Our culture is hospitable and synergistic," McCall said. "In fact, curiosity is at the root of nearly every business decision and strategic action we take at R.D. Abbott. It's how we approach every technical inquiry, every sales opportunity, and it's modeled in our genuine desire to serve our customers efficiently and effectively. No task is too small and every voice matters."

Rubber News' Best Places to Work program recognizes companies in the industry for outstanding employee satisfaction.

The ranking evolves from a two-step process: evaluation of participating companies' workplace policies, practices and demographics; and employee surveys to directly assess the experiences and attitudes of individual employees with respect to their workplace.

The combined scores determine the top organizations and the final ranking.

One of the more remarkable statistics provided by R.D. Abbott is the low 5-percent turnover rate (in 2021) during perhaps the most challenging time for hiring and retention in recent memory.

"Attracting talent comes with reputation," Thomas said. "Keeping it comes with culture. Employee retention starts with hiring the right people, focusing on character and not just skills. People like to invest themselves in a winning team. At the simplest level, a company is a group of people collaborating around a common goal, so to be successful it must be goal-oriented, collaborative and people-focused."

This balance between company profits and a focus on employees and their families is what sets R.D. Abbott apart, said Brian Eidsness, a member of the inside sales team at R.D. Abbott.

"We are all one team, one fight," Eidsness said.

The company continues to push its employees toward continuing education, as it relates to their own leadership skills and industry technology.

"R.D. Abbott has been highly deliberate about creating a work environment in which people can come and flourish through curiosity, engagement and proactive education," Thomas said. "This is true in all functions, not just technical. Helping people to find a better version of themselves is our goal—training and education being an important part—but so is mentorship and adherence to shared values.

"Having the privilege of watching people grow and develop has been the greatest reward of my career."

Like so many businesses during this unprecedented time, R.D. Abbott has had to improvise and overcome.

Office work was limited to warehousing and lab services, and remote work was encouraged.

"Nothing is easy right now," Thomas said. "Logistics, supply constraints and inflation remain an ongoing headache."

Thomas, who has led the company for 20 years (the average tenure for a CEO/president in the Best Places to Work survey was 10.9 years), said it is important to recognize what can be controlled and "to put our energy there."

"In response to all the chaos, we are increasing staffing levels in critical areas, as well as moving forward with the implementation of a new ERP system," he said. "It is our belief that we will be able to simplify processes, automate routine tasks and communicate more effectively through improved data exchange with our partners."

Lincoln Gilmour, Canada business and sales manager, said R.D. Abbott's challenges during the pandemic are common to many businesses—but the company's responses have been unique.

"When you look around and see each one of your teammates working hard to solve these problems, beat these challenges and become better as an organization and individuals, I'd say my attitude could be characterized as 'all in,' " he said.