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Standing Partnership's Summer Retreat: Focus on Passion

By: Jessica Hartman | 07/06/2011

Our Standing Partnership team recently planned and participated in one of three retreats we have each year.  Each of our retreats focuses on one of our core values (collaboration, passion, innovation and integrity). The most recent retreat focused on Passion.

I find our retreats very enjoyable, and this retreat was no different. It's always nice to get away from the office and have a chance to focus solely on learning more about our clients' businesses and to spend a day with co-workers I don't necessarily have the opportunity to interact with on a daily basis.

We spent the morning of our retreat day sharing Standing Partnership's vision, goals and updates and celebrating new team members. After that, we split into two teams and visited two different locations, each of which embodies passion in their operations.

One team visited a local farm and learned the ins and outs of crop farming, and the other took a trip to Herculaneum, Mo., to visit Doe Run's Primary Smelting Division, the only lead smelting facility in the United States.

Despite the uncooperative weather, the team that visited a local community farm learned more about the entire farm-to-table process. During the visit, it became clear that the only way to succeed in agriculture is to be deeply passionate about the industry. It's hard work! And, agriculture depends on a number of uncontrollable factors, like weather, that require farm operators to be constantly attentive and ready. Perhaps what stood out more than anything else was the sophistication of the farming operation. Hello smart phones, GPSs, sophisticated combines and iPads!

The team that headed to Herculaneum toured the warehouse and casting area (where lead alloys are created for specific customer recipes) and then toured the community of Herculaneum. Even if you're not passionate about lead metal, it's easy to see and understand the passion Doe Run has for the community of Herculaneum.  From providing resources to the school district and building a fire station to providing 200-plus jobs and supporting science fairs, Doe Run is involved in virtually every facet of the community.  As we toured the town, we saw firsthand how much Doe Run cares for Herculaneum.

As our president, Melissa Lackey, shared at the retreat, it's important for us to not just work on our clients' businesses, but to work IN our clients' businesses. At Standing, we do our best to express that kind of passion in our client work and in our community.

Posted in Culture