Question: What has your company’s philanthropic giving or activities done for the morale of your workforce?
Bo Calbert
President
McCarthy Building Companies Southwest Division
Sector: Construction
Heart Hats is the volunteer-based community outreach arm of McCarthy Building Companies’ Southwest Division, based in Phoenix. Heart Hats is organized by McCarthy employees and their families to support the communities in which we live and work by participating in programs and volunteering for community projects together, to have a positive impact.
Since the Heart Hats giving and projects are directed by our employee-owners and supports programs they are involved with, it has become an awesome way for our people and their families to connect outside of work. They regularly talk about how much they appreciate opportunities to come together outside of the job and share in the rewarding feeling of helping others. Our project teams also take on community projects together, which develops strong bonds and builds morale. At McCarthy, there is an enormous amount of pride in the fact that we are able to do good for others in our community. Heart Hats has helped us to build stronger teams and foster a familial workplace, of which we are all proud to be a part.
Bo Calbert is president of McCarthy Building Companies Southwest Division. He oversees construction operations in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. During his 30-year career with McCarthy, Calbert has led the division to being one of the most successful in the company, and is responsible for establishing and growing the Heart Hats program.
John Lines
President and CEO
Surplus Asset Management
Sector: Auction House
Being truly successful in business extends far beyond a revenue metric. Real success is giving back to the community and remaining true to one’s conscience beyond the business realm. It’s a mindset that I actively engage in and that I promote heavily in my workforce. It’s important to me that employees know that they work for a company they can be proud of, that cares both for them and for the community.
This mindset carries on into workforce morale; time and again employees have told me that the success they pursue is in great part related to knowing that our company’s growth benefits not only them but the community at large. SAM gives avidly to multiple charities, ranging from community baseball teams to Phoenix Children’s Hospital to St. Jude’s. We also donate equipment and services to organizations that benefit from our expertise and from the resources we have access to. Most recently, we made a large donation of mastectomy bras to a rural Arizona hospital, which was lovingly packaged and delivered by our staff.
A life-long Valley resident, John Lines founded Surplus Asset Management at the age of 24. What began nearly 30 years ago as a service company focused on fixing equipment for grocery stores has burgeoned into one of the nation’s premier auction, sales, liquidations and reverse logistics companies.
Jason Mitchell
Owner and Founder
The Mitchell Group
Sector: Real Estate
Being actively involved in the community has empowered my team at The Mitchell Group at Realty Executives — both professionally and personally. Growing up in Detroit with a single mother, I experienced the financial struggles my mother went through. My childhood empowered me to give back to those less fortunate, and showed me the importance of being a positive role model in the community. These are the values I have built my business on, and have instilled into my company culture, empowering my team members to work hard but give back to the community even more. The result is a high-achieving team and invaluable community relationships that have helped grow my business. As active members of Helping Hands and the Care Foundation, I have witnessed my team members become unified, building team camaraderie, support and dedication to each other and their work. Many of my team members are now actively involved in other community organizations that they are passionate about, continuing the cycle of empowerment in the community.
Jason Mitchell founded his residential real estate company, The Mitchell Group, in 2006 specializing in the Greater Scottsdale and Phoenix markets. He is ranked the No. 1-producing real estate agent under 40 in Arizona by Realty Executives International; his team, with each agent in the top 5 percent of realtors in the U.S., is Realty Executives’ No. 1-producing team. A leader in the industry, Mitchell mentors realty agents and young professionals, including hosting “Millennial Money Club” on Money Radio 1510 AM.
