Best Places to Work: Zeon builds success on family-first philosophy

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—When you're hired at Zeon Chemicals L.P., you're not joining a company or even a team.

You join a family.

That's how it was for President and CEO Mike Recchio, who stepped into his first position with the company three decades ago. And it's just as true today as he leads Zeon into a new year full of new opportunities.

"I have been here 30 years, which means my kids grew up while I was working here," said Recchio, who was named CEO two years ago. "And, through all that time, I had a lot of great friends—and still do—at Zeon. They were there when my kids grew up, and I was there as their kids grew up.

"And so, I see that family nature—that traveling with somebody and knowing about their family. All of that (creates a culture) where you learn to trust each other because you know more about them. You build that relationship, so you trust them."

That family-first philosophy is at the heart of Zeon being named among Rubber News' Best Places to Work for the second time in three years. Because for Zeon, taking care of employees goes beyond benefits—though  401(k) matches and employer-backed health care for current and some retired employees are important facets of what Zeon does. Caring, Recchio said, means ensuring that employees know they are appreciated and that their hard work not only is noticed, it pays off.

"One of the things you really get out of working at Zeon is that you get to make an impact," Recchio said, noting the company has just more than 300 employees in the U.S. " ... You are not a cog in a wheel somewhere, you are making an impact with your decisions. And that feels good, knowing you can have an impact on someone."

For Zeon leadership, creating a sense of family comes naturally, though it can be tricky to maintain, especially as challenges from COVID-19 take shape and its impact on the work environment continues.

"How do you build that culture when people aren't going around as much?" Recchio asked.

You do it, he said, the way any family would—with communication. Teams working at home stay in regular contact. Managers check in on their employees to ensure they have what they need to succeed in their work and feel supported both in and out of the office. Moreover, each department has set days when everyone is in the office working together to help keep that sense of togetherness—the work equivalent of Sunday dinner.

And when it's safe to do so, Zeon hosts company outings, including the popular day at the races at the famous Churchill Downs. It wasn't possible for the team to have its annual outing in 2020, but when Kentucky's COVID numbers dipped in the fall, everyone was excited to return to the track, where the company had reserved a banquet room.

Zeon also supports employees by emphasizing flexible hours—known as Zeon Flex. When possible, the company works to be sensitive to the needs of its employees, whether that involves taking a few hours for appointments or adjusting the work schedule to accommodate childcare.

"Childcare has been a real issue," Recchio said. "For some, maybe they or their spouse needs two or three hours in the middle of the day (to care for kids), and that's fine," he said, noting that the employee adjusts their schedule to ensure they work the necessary hours.

Managers also are keenly aware of how much hard work their employees put in, and they encourage employees to take needed steps back. If someone works on a weekend or has put in overtime working on a project, managers encourage the employee to take much-needed breaks.

"We may say, 'You were in early, why don't you leave early today?' " Recchio said. "(American) culture has always been you come to work when you're sick and you put in the extra hours. … With the stress that people are under now, we are proactively trying to encourage them (to use compensation time), not just waiting for the employee to ask this."

For those working on the manufacturing side, adjusting schedules for appointments and childcare is trickier, but managers do the best they can to support the team, particularly with scheduled days off.

Proactively helping employees achieve a work/life balance is important, especially in today's climate, Recchio said. It's why Zeon has worked to improve the available mental health resources for employees.

"These are stressful times," Recchio said. "We have been proactive about talking about that with employees so they know what's available."

Helping to manage stress also means taking time away from work. Recognizing this, Zeon has changed its vacation policy, offering more time up front to the newest employees. As of Jan. 1, Zeon employees receive three weeks of vacation in their first year.

Zeon also recently instituted leave for fathers/spouses welcoming a new baby, ensuring that employees don't have to save up vacation time to welcome the newest family members.

"I don't want those people to have to worry about that," he said. "So having a couple of weeks for them when they need it has been very positive."