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Event Program | Tuesday , June 14 , 2022
Writing History for Navigating Uncertain Times in a Family Business
Jordan Thieme , Director of Operations , Amigo Mobility International
Bring your child to work day is a universal holiday celebrated one day a year . Kids get to hop in the car and spend the day with mom and / or dad at their workplace . For me , this was much more than a holiday and I would take advantage of tagging along to work any chance I could . I came to Amigo with my parents starting at eight years old during the summer where I would work on maintenance and production ( or any task they would give a hands-on eight-year-old ). And today , I still get the privilege of working alongside my parents each day .
My father , Al Thieme , created the first Amigo in 1968 and continues to run the business today alongside my mother , Beth . With over 50 years in the manufacturing industry , our family has undergone many ups and downs . As the next generation of the company , I am thankful that there are five decades of experience to turn to when situations arise that cause us to change our operations and ways of thinking . However , in 2020 , we faced a situation unlike any since the 1960s and it forced us to get creative .
As a leader in motorized shopping carts , our production team creates nearly 100 shoppers per day , all affixed with a wire front basket . When suppliers began halting the shipment needed for wire baskets , our company moved towards an alternative option – eliminating the dependence on one supplier and finding a more renewable option .
The polymer basket is just one way Amigo sought new outlets to withstand effects of COVID-19 and this mentality is preparation for unexpected tests to our business in the future .
Turning to domestic inputs , relying on teams to be adaptable in working on different products and collaborating with departments to be creative in finding whatever avenue would best keep business moving are takeaways we will bring into the future of Amigo . Whether it is improving technology , reworking the warehouse or changing the workweek schedule , we are thankful for our team for helping us move forward .
If 53 years of business and a worldwide pandemic has taught us anything , its that optimism and hardworking employees , constantly finding a better way and strong relationships with our customers and suppliers can get us through anything . We are proud to continue shipping products to our customers , dispatching service providers , expanding into a new building , hiring local talent and even launching new innovative products .