At the beginning of 2022, most businesses across the country will probably tell you that the most challenging facets of their business are related to Covid-19 and, more specifically, the hiring and retaining of employees.  McLane Company understands both of those challenges all too well.
McLane Minnesota, is a division of the national supply chain provider working in grocery and tobacco supplies. From their 600,000 square foot facility right here in Northfield, the distribute to Holiday, Walmart, Family Dollar and many other retailers from Montana to Michigan. With 560 warehouse and administrative employees and another 180 drivers, they are one of Northfields largest employers.
And if a person would like to work for McLane, Ramiro Bautista would encourage you to give them a call.
Bautista is the Minnesota division’s newly installed president. Starting with the company in their Merced, California location in 1998, he has worked his way from a warehouse worker to the top job in the division, which, he says, is typical for his company.
Bautista is the son of Mexican Immigrants, who grew up in Planada, California, a town close to California’s Bay Area that he says is 95% Hispanic, most of whom are farm laborers. His parents came to the U.S. in the 1970’s.
“Back then, there were small camps around Planada where farm laborers could stay during the summer months,” he said. “If you had a skill, there was year-round work available.
Bautista’s father developed skills, found year-round work, and eventually built his own house.
“It’s the American Dream,” he said.
Today he, his wife and two kids love living in Northfield.
“We really like it here,” he said. “It’s very peaceful. It’s very calm.”
And he loves working for McLane.
When talking about his company, he uses phrases like “family oriented,” and “worker driven.” McLane, he says values its employees.
“This is a great place to work,” he said. “We pay a good wage, we offer full benefits, good vacation time. Almost all of our teammates are able to provide very well for their families.”
McLane is an example of an employer that follows through on its stated values. Their driver training program, for example, will hire a person who meets specific criteria off the street with no prior truck driving experience. That person will enter a four-week program, 160-hour program to earn their Class A license, and then will spend time in what amounts to an apprenticeship after that. They pay their trainees $20 an hour during the program and will be held to a two-year agreement to work for McLane. That trainee will have a full-fledged career, be provided with thousands of dollars' worth of training, and make money while they are learning.
The commitment to providing good jobs in the community is one way McLane engages with Northfield. Bautista said they are also very involved with Channel One Food Bank, they give to the Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service and the police department. They’re also a sponsor of the Northfield Raiders football team.
“We have been pretty active in the Defeat of Jesse James Days Parade,” he said. “Not last year {because of the pandemic,] but you can count us in this year.”
The McLane philosophy is to take care of the community and take care of their employees.
“I like to tell our supervisors that we’re in the business of taking care of people. Just take care of your teammates. They’ll do the work for you. All you have to do is take care of them.
“It means a lot for us to be able to provide for our teammates.”