3680 N. 126th St., Brookfield
Founded: 1986
Industry: Manufacturing wholesale
Employees: 26
2016 annual revenue: Not disclosed
Brookfield-based Gross Automation LLC recently celebrated 25 years in business, and has since been on a mission to adapt to changing economic and political landscapes, emerging technologies and an ever-evolving workforce.
In the past year, Gross Automation has added employees to its global sales team, outside sales team and value-add production team while entering new markets, including maritime, aerospace and transportation.
In the past 18 months, the company has implemented and completed new training programs for its employees in Entrepreneurial Operating System Traction Management, Scale Up Milwaukee Scalerator 3 and Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.’s ExporTech that will allow it to adapt to the changing work environment and encourage continued expansion.
Employees at Gross Automation are “required” to keep a sense of humor and maintain the fun by participating in quirky holiday celebrations like Squirrel Appreciation Day, Pi Day, and birthday and anniversary luncheons.
“Happy employees are productive employees – that’s a basic tenet of business,” said David Stauff, sales and marketing manager. “We have frequent in-house gatherings where employees from different departments get to know each other, which in turn creates a bond where they want to help each other succeed. We also encourage our managers to have off-site outings with their teams to help the teams understand how to best use everyone’s particular strengths. Non-business activities like these bring out different dimensions in people that you would not find while in the office.”
The company has installed a Customer Experience Center equipped with six flat screen TVs, a smart board, remote Skype ability and seating for 20, along with a pool table, shuffleboard and pingpong.
