Sullivan Tire Co. Inc. wants its workers – over 1,200 of them -- to know they are valued and appreciated by their employer. The company’s Holiday Club program is a generous perk that aims to improve the quality of life of employees all year long.
“People are your most valuable assets and as a business owner or a supervisor you have to reach out to your people and make sure they are getting ahead in their personal life,” says Paul Sullivan, vice president of marketing. Money from the Holiday Club can be used for “whatever comes up in the household budget,” he says. “There’s not a tougher job today than managing a household budget. We try to make sure that we’re a part of it in helping employees not only manage their budget but to get ahead in life.”
Employees can contribute money each week throughout the year into the Holiday Club Plan. Starting with $2 a week after two years of employment, employees can set aside the dollar amount equivalent for every year they’ve worked at Sullivan Tire. At the end of the calendar year, Sullivan Tire will match each employee’s contribution to the dollar and the total amount is returned to the individual.
Longevity plays a role, as the more years a person is employed at Sullivan Tire, the more he or she can contribute. “So, if you’ve been with us 20 years, you put $20 away per week, we match it, and at the end of the year you get a nice check,” says Sullivan.
About 80% of eligible employees currently participate. They can use their money toward anything from buying gifts to replacing appliances to helping grandchildren through college. “It’s their money,” says Sullivan.
In addition, a similar program called the Investment Club Savings Plan is available to employees. Like the Holiday Club, the company matches employee contributions based on the number of years they’ve worked at Sullivan Tire and deposits the money into a mutual fund. At the beginning of May each year, the employees receive their money. “Once again employees can use the money at their own discretion. Some decide to keep it in the mutual fund, and it behooves them especially in light of the market conditions we’ve experienced for the last few years; their money has grown,” says Sullivan.
The Holiday Club and Investment Club Savings Plan are just two benefits available to employees. The company also offers health care, dental and vision coverage; 401(k) retirement savings; a profit-sharing program, tuition reimbursement and a fitness benefit that gives an employee $150 a year toward a fitness club membership.
Sullivan says the benefits “absolutely” help attract and retain employees. More than 25% of employees at Sullivan Tire have been with the company for 12 years or more and nearly 40 employees work alongside one or more of their own family members.
Sullivan Tire promises customers to be “always here to get you there.” To fulfill that brand promise, Sullivan Tire needs employees who understand their company is “always here” for them, too. Perks like the Holiday Club and Investment Club Savings Plan help create happy employees who want their customers to be happy.
“If employees don’t feel like they are getting ahead, then are they coming into work each and every day treating their customers as you would want them to be treated? Well, the answer is probably no,” says Sullivan. “But if you’re reaching out and giving them a pat on the back and asking how their holidays were and asking about the grandchildren, they see that you care about them and that it’s genuine. We want to make sure that people feel good about themselves when they go home at night. It’s all about the employees to us.”
Founded in 1955, Norwell, Mass.-based, Sullivan Tire offers automotive and commercial truck services at Sullivan Tire and Auto Service locations throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine. With 84 outlets, the company is No. 14 on the Modern Tire Dealer 100.
