East River Energy was presented an award from The Shoreline Chamber of Commerce for “Employer of the Year” on Thursday, February 21, 2019. Don Herzog and Jesse Herzog accepted the award at The Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony held at Amarante’s Sea Cliff in New Haven.
Like all good companies, East River Energy and its affiliated companies provide an array of benefits to its diversified staff of employees: medical, dental, 401(k), disability, etc. Going beyond that is what helps set East River apart.
“Jesse and I have two passions in our lives: our family and our business! ‘Family first’ is our motto and always has been!!”
Don Herzog, President and CEO of East River Energy
As Don Herzog says, “Jesse and I have two passions in our lives: our family and our business! ‘Family first’ is our motto and always has been!!” It is also an extension of the way he and Jesse treat employees–caring about them like family. Contributing to and promoting awareness of causes that affect the lives of employees, such as Dystonia Moves Me; providing support for employees dealing with family matters; sponsoring an annual Health and Wellness Fair (held during regular business hours) for employees and their families; contributing to Wellness Memberships for employees; providing a yearly in-house flu shot clinic; maintaining a company library where employees can borrow current books to enjoy; and, keeping personal wellness items on hand for anyone who needs them are just a few examples of the “Family first” environment. The commitment to employees and their families extends beyond the workplace, as the Company has sponsored recreational league teams for its employees, as well as its employees’ children. Additionally, the Company encourages participation in local mentoring programs, allowing employees to take time during business hours to do so. Many employees have taken advantage of this and have found it to be truly rewarding.
Diversity in its workforce has occurred organically at East River as the “Family First” environment helps make employees of all backgrounds feel comfortable, leading to higher employee retention: nearly half of the 80+ employees have been with the Company for ten years or longer. The willingness of both Don and Jesse to talk to the employees as individuals and care about what is going on in their lives has, in no small part, contributed to the exceptional employee retention rate. When their two passions are their family and their business, you would expect nothing less.