UG2 in Action

Thanksgiving 2021: Notes on Gratitude

By John F. Correia

This Thanksgiving, as we find more opportunities to safely come together, I’ve never been more grateful for my community here at UG2.

We talk a lot about “the UG2 family.” It’s easy to say those words, but any of us fortunate enough to be part of this organization know the truth in them.

That family includes the customers who have navigated this difficult time alongside us. Difficult times help you to see who you can count on. The past 20 months have confirmed what I already believed – that our employees and customers make UG2 a place where people come to stay. I’m proud of the fact that we have people seek us out who worked with us as colleagues in the past, and that once people arrive at UG2 they rarely leave. It reflects on how the company treats our most valuable asset, our employees, and how our employees treat each other and our customers. We bring out the best in one another and challenge each other to reach new heights

I’m grateful for the ways we are continuously learning from each other and constantly improving. We came through the worst of the pandemic with a whole new standard of best practices to keep each other and the communities we serve safe. We recognized that our best ideas come from within. We raised the bar on what it means to serve, we worked as hard as ever, and today we are stronger for it.

We celebrate and support one another. Covid-19 challenged us on many levels. One thing I heard, over and over again throughout 2020 and 2021, was how our employees and customers missed the little moments of connection that we lost when we were social distancing, from shared lunches and coffee breaks to the times you said hello and caught up with a customer on an elevator and asked how things were going. Those small moments are what make a community, and I so appreciate that UG2’s culture is built around the things that bring us closer.

I’m thankful for the notes of appreciation we’ve received from our customers. The hard work of our employees is so often done behind the scenes. Once in a while, someone takes notice of a Team UG2 member going above and beyond and takes a moment to call it out. I am grateful for the countless, unacknowledged ways our employees improve the lives of others. We see you, and we are thankful.

This year, I’m going into Thanksgiving with extra gratitude on my plate for my UG2 family. If you are reading this, you are part of that family. I am thankful for you and wish you and those that you hold dear a Thanksgiving filled with food, friendship, and the people you love.

John F. Correia
Chief Operating Officer