The Spirit of ‘Giving Without Expectations’ Continues at Fifth Annual Ranger Distribution Inc. Event in Elkhart, Ind.
ELKHART, Ind. — At the Ranger Distribution Inc. fifth annual Giving Without Expectations event last night, three-time Paralympian gold medalist and Middlebury, Ind., native Sam Grewe provided a moving and inspirational message for the audience of about 250 Ranger customers, suppliers, financial institutions and team members.
Founder and Chief Revenue Officer Brent Diver told RVBusiness that the company started the event in the second year of its now seven years of serving the Elkhart RV industry and manufacturing segment.
“Each year we try and bring in somebody that can add something special to everyone that attends,” shared Diver before the event began. “When they leave here tonight, we hope that they take something with them to help them succeed. Our mission is help others succeed. It’s a simple statement, but it’s meaningful to us.”
Founder and COO Rod Humphreys explained that the evening — marked by good will, libations, and good eats — is meant to provide a venue that sets business aside to make way for an inspirational evening of sharing.
“We have a big customer base invited here tonight,” explained Humphreys, “We have a big vendor base invited here tonight. Our banker, pretty much anyone affiliated with RDI and whoever they choose to bring. We’ll have some coming in with large groups. Some with just one or two people. It’s just our way of reaching out to everybody who helps make us who we are. But there will be no business or sales done here tonight. We’re set up to do between 150 and 200 people. And hopefully they will go home inspired.”
With the tables set in white linen amidst the shining concrete inside the distribution center the gathering mingled at the bar with the food trucks parked just outside the loading bay. The stage was set for this year’s inspirational speaker, Sam Grewe.
Grewe is an American Paralympic high jumper and soon-to-be physician. Grewe contracted osteosarcoma on Christmas Eve of 2011 at the age of 13 which resulted in the amputation of his right leg. This Paralympian high jumper and three-time gold medalist, World Champion took what life handed him, beat cancer and went on to success graduating from Notre Dame and University of Michigan Medical School to become a Resident in Pain Management and Rehabilitation (PM&R), completing his residency at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston.
But this fifth year’s night of inspiration and sharing was a special night as Sam Grewe, from Middlebury, Ind. is the son of Randy Grewe, a team member working at Ranger Distribution.
“He high jumped for the University of Notre Dame where he graduated and went to the University of Michigan for his doctorate, and he’s now in residency in Boston becoming a doctor,” said Humphreys proudly. “Randy will be the guy that’ll introduce Sam tonight.”
This is a people-first company with its values displayed high on the wall above last night’s affair. The first is “Our Purpose, we help people succeed”.
Most don’t know, but Ranger Distribution is the sponsor the Summer Reading Challenge with the Elkhart Public Library every year.
“We also have a book club here every quarter,” shared Humphreys. “Every quarter, every single person that works here reads a book. We talk about the book. The big thing is, most people aren’t really big on reading books, but the goal is that you take something away from it.”
But nothing speaks more to a great place to work than team loyalty and member retention.
“In seven years we’ve only lost two employees,” concluded Founder and CEO John Curran. “And they left on their own and we helped them move on.”
