Mid-Valley Engineering wins title of "Region's Top Employer"
October 2, 2005
Modesto Bee - By KRISTINA SEWARD



For Kirk and Cathy DeLaMare, running a successful engineering firm is as simple as heeding Mom's old adage: Treat others as you would like to be treated.

And by treating their 95 employees well, the DeLaMares, who own Mid-Valley Engineering, have earned the title "Region's Top Employer."

Voting for The Bee's contest started Sept. 5, and over two weeks readers cast more than 200 votes for 43 employers.

"Cathy and I came to this company with the philosophy that we wanted to treat people the way we wish we had been treated as employees," said Kirk DeLaMare, 45, Mid-Valley's president and chief executive officer.

Mid-Valley Engineering has been in business in the Northern San Joaquin Valley since 1969, and the DeLaMares bought the firm in 1996.

Consider the DeLaMare's secret to being effective managers and keeping employees happy in the following Q&A with Kirk DeLaMare, Cathy DeLaMare and Erik Piller, director of land planning and marketing:

Q: Describe your company's work environment.
A: Kirk DeLaMare: "Family."
Piller: "There is a nice family atmosphere here. Kirk and Cathy make sure it's a pleasant environment where people enjoy coming to work each day. There's a lot of camaraderie among employees."

Q: What is your management philosophy?
A: Kirk DeLaMare: "Evaluating people on a daily basis. We don't have a formal evaluation process here. We evaluate our people daily — not once a year."
Piller: "We take the open-door philosophy to another level here. Kirk and Cathy's doors are always open to all employees, any time."

Q: What key changes have you made over the years to maintain a positive workplace?
A: Kirk DeLaMare: "When we got here, there were nine people, and it wasn't a very fun place. Today, there are 90 employees. The changes we've made have been dramatic. "We've tried to instill pride throughout. We went after some really nice projects. It's rewarding for employees to work with the best clients in the industry, and on high-profile projects."
Piller: "We have an open-air office for better communication, and we provide employees with the best computers and software to get their jobs done."
Cathy DeLaMare: "We provide our employees with extensive training." She added that Mid-Valley offers tuition reimbursement for employees who want to further their education. "We also have a monthly company newsletter that keeps employees informed. On the newsletter is a suggestion box, and we respond to every single suggestion." Cathy said employee suggestions range from adding another vending machine to starting a recycling program.

Q: What is one key thing your business does to keep employees happy?
A: Kirk DeLaMare: "Make them feel like they are part of the family, and make sure every employee feels like they make a difference."

Q: What do you look for when recruiting and hiring new employees?
A: Kirk DeLaMare: "Character. It's more about attitude and character than how skilled they are. If they have the right attitude, they'll learn the skill." DeLaMare added that Mid-Valley has an extensive hiring process, which begins with scrutinizing and grading résumés. Candidates then go through a phone interview, then a face-to-face interview with six managers. If the managers recommend the candidate, they meet with Kirk individually. "By investing this much time in the process, we get the best people."
Piller: "This process is for every employee, from a receptionist to a civil engineer."

Q: Money or respect: Which do you think your employees want most and why?
A: Kirk DeLaMare: "I think they want respect."
Piller: "Engineering is a pretty hot industry right now. It's competitive, and our competitors are after our people. We offer Bay Area pay in the Central Valley, but that's just part of it. A big part is the atmosphere Kirk and Cathy have built here."
Kirk DeLaMare: "If they are shown respect and feel a part, they tend to not look when somebody comes asking."

Q: What is your advice to others in management?
A: Cathy DeLaMare: "Know and listen to your people."