THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 15, 1995 TAG: 9512140144
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
IF YOU WORK FOR Scot Creech of E.L. Creech & Co., you can forget everything you've ever known about rewards for faithful employees.
Ten years of working for him doesn't get you a celebratory dinner, a framed certificate or a grip and grin picture of the boss handing you a check as a small (very small) token of his esteem.
Gayle Drummond, the insurance company's office manager, can testify to that.
``Teri Cowan has been here 18 years now,'' Drummond said. ``When she reached 10 years, Mr. Creech surprised her with a dinner and gave her a watch.''
Not a Timex, not even a Longines. This was the real thing, a Rolex.
A few years later Judy Thow, the company's personal lines manager (that's insurance talk for the kind of policies bought by individuals) got one, too. And so did bookkeeper Betty Becraft.
Recently it was Drummond's turn to be honored.
``I was bought 10 years ago,'' Drummond said with a laugh. That was when Creech purchased the firm Drummond owned and put her on the payroll.
She knew that she could expect a major token of appreciation when she reached the big one-0 with the company, but the surprise that Creech came up with surprised even Drummond.
``He knows my husband and I are big NASCAR fans,'' she said, ``so when it came my turn, he gave me a pair of tickets to next August's Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis.''
And, as it turned out, all of the trimmings to go with them.
Like air fare, a rental car, room and board and a little pocket money just in case he had overlooked anything.
The tickets alone were a mind-boggling gift. ``I don't know how he ever managed that, those things are impossible to find,'' Drummond said of the tickets that NASCAR fans dream of.
Creech admitted to pulling a few strings. ``I got in touch with a company we do business with in Indianapolis,'' he said, ``and we went from there. They were glad to do it, it's good will all around.''
Especially in the house of Drummond.
Gayle and Doug, her husband of 33 years, have followed the circuit for decades. ``When we first got married, I was what you call one of those racing widows,'' she said. ``Then I got interested, too. Now we have a motor home and we go to as many races as we can.''
For a number of years she was president of the local Ricky Rudd fan club. Susan Falk, wife of Busch Grand National driver Eddie Falk, was one of her employees when she had her own agency. Many of her other employees were members of the Rudd fan club as well.
``We were just one big racing family,'' she said.
When she went to work for Creech, she got him and his sons interested in the races as well. The two families frequently attend races together.
For his part, Creech takes a practical businessman's approach on the subject of generous gifts to dedicated employees. ``Ten years is a long time in this business. People in the agency kind of look forward to the gifts and my customers are impressed with the idea. Besides,'' he added a little sheepishly, ``when you do it one time, it's hard to get out of it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JO-ANN CLEGG
Ten years ago, Scot Creech purchased the insurance agency Gayle
Drummond owned and put her on the payroll. He paid back the office
manager's loyalty with two tickets, air fare, rental car, room and
board and pocket money for next August's Brickyard 400 in
Indianapolis.
by CNB