People
People are the key to our success
At Apogee we understand that our company is only as strong as our people. That’s why we are focused on continually strengthening our team, ensuring that we have the talent and skills across our organization to consistently deliver the innovative products, technical expertise, and dependable customer service that set Apogee apart.
Apogee has an enterprise-wide talent management program in place to hire, train, and develop a diverse team of employees and leaders. We are also committed to our employee’s safety and wellness, with a robust workplace safety program, a comprehensive benefits package, and wellness initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles.
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Talent Management and Development
Talent Management and Development
Apogee’s talent management strategy is led by the company’s HR Leadership Team, a group of human resources leaders from across the company. Apogee’s talent management program is focused on hiring, training, and developing employees and leaders to meet the organization’s needs. Our talent management program consists of several key components:
- Performance management: Managers actively engage with their employees to provide coaching and feedback. Together, they identify training and development opportunities to improve performance in the current roles and position the employee for future growth. Employees and their managers set annual performance and development goals which are tracked and updated throughout the year. Individual development plans and annual performance reviews are also used to help employees be successful.
- Training and development opportunities are provided to employees throughout the company. This includes new-hire training, job specific training, stretch assignments, safety training, and training on Apogee’s Lean Enterprise system. The company also offers leadership development opportunities, such as our Apogee Leadership Program, along with technical training for engineers, designers and sales staff. In addition, the company offers an education assistance program in which eligible employees receive tuition reimbursement from Apogee to help defray the costs associated with their continuing education.
- Management Resource Reviews are designed to ensure the organization has the resources in place to meet critical talent and leadership needs. Apogee’s executive leadership, together with the HR Leadership Team, regularly conducts talent reviews and succession planning, which is reported to the company’s board of directors.
Innovative training programs
In 2016, Apogee’s Wausau Window & Wall Systems business opened a new training lab, designed to better prepare new hires and other employees for their jobs. The lab serves as the primary site for a four-day new employee orientation and operations training program with a strategically designed curriculum. Training includes instruction on CTO, a complex configuration tool that allows assembly workers to use digital blueprints to input specific commands. This is followed by an overview of safety and quality and hands-on training covering subjects such as fabrication, sealing, hanging sash, glazing, and capping.
Since its debut, the training lab program has expanded from its originally targeted audience of new employees, to offer training for a broad-range of skill levels and functions. Some utilize the lab for refresher courses to become reacquainted with operations, while sales representatives have seen value in adding a production perspective to their understanding of the products they sell to customers.Wausau’s complex line-up of designed-to-order window and curtainwall products requires a highly-skilled production team. The implementation of this lab, and the hands-on learning it provides, has given employees increased skills and confidence, which allows them to work more efficiently and accurately. It has also increased the likelihood that employees will enjoy their work, improving engagement and retention.
Employee Recognition
Apogee encourages leaders to recognize the significant contributions of employees. This includes our Distinctive Solutions Awards, which are presented by Apogee’s Chief Executive Officer each quarter to recognize individuals and teams throughout the company who have made significant contributions to further our strategic goals. Individual Apogee business units and locations provide numerous other recognition opportunities, such as the Silver Salute, which acknowledges contributions from employees in Apogee’s corporate headquarters. In 2020, Apogee introduced the Apogee Impact Award to recognize employees across the company who go above and beyond to make a positive impact in their communities, through volunteer service and leadership.
- Performance management: Managers actively engage with their employees to provide coaching and feedback. Together, they identify training and development opportunities to improve performance in the current roles and position the employee for future growth. Employees and their managers set annual performance and development goals which are tracked and updated throughout the year. Individual development plans and annual performance reviews are also used to help employees be successful.
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Diversity and Equal Opportunity
Diversity and Equal Opportunity
Apogee’s diversity and inclusion program promotes a workplace where each employee’s abilities are recognized, respected, and utilized to further the company’s goals. Our aim is to create an environment where people feel included as a part of a team because of their diversity of outlooks, perspectives, and characteristics, which ultimately adds value for our company.
Apogee’s Equal Employment Opportunity Policy:
It is the policy and practice of Apogee to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disabilities, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are strongly committed to this policy and believe in the concept and spirit of the law.
Diversity in Leadership
Apogee Enterprises is proud to be recognized as an Honor Roll company in the 2020 Minnesota Census of Women in Corporate Leadership. This annual report from St. Catherine University recognizes Minnesota-based companies that serve as models of inclusive workplaces, attracting and retaining highly qualified women leaders on their boards and executive ranks. Apogee and other honor roll companies were recognized April 20, 2021 in an event hosted by Twin Cities Business.
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Workplace Safety
Our Approach
At Apogee, not only is safety part of our Core Values, we believe our long-term success is dependent on ensuring the health and safety of our employees and stakeholders. To do this, our business’ safety programs are designed to comply with stringent regulatory requirements and to meet or exceed best practices in our industry. This commitment requires focus and dedication to fundamental aspects of our business to minimize the risk of accidents, injury, and exposure to health hazards.
Apogee utilizes a safety culture assessment process along with a safety compliance audit to monitor safety programs within our businesses. These assessments and audits provide suggestions for continuous improvement in safety programs and measure employee engagement. In addition, the programs encourage the development of a proactive, inter-dependent safety culture in which leadership and employees interact to ensure safety is viewed as everyone’s responsibility.
Guiding Principles
- We believe that safety is an essential obligation of all employees.
- We believe that all injuries and occupational illnesses are preventable.
- We believe in a continuous improvement culture, always looking for ways to improve safety.
- We believe in a ‘safety first’ culture.
- We believe that strong employee engagement results in a strong safety culture.
Results
Apogee has consistently had a lower accident incident rate than our industry. In 2020, we recorded an accident incident rate of 1.98, the lowest rate in the past decade and one of the lowest rates in our company’s history. We are working to continue this trend and look forward to further improving our safety results in the future.
Accident Incident Rate is number of incidents per 100 full-time employees per year. The Industry Average is based on NAICS 332, Fabricated metal product manufacturing.
Safety Culture Assessments
Each of Apogee’s business units performs an annual safety assessment, conducted by members of our Risk Roundtable and external resources. Current safety performance is evaluated on ten dimensions and the results are used to set goals and specific action plans to improve safety in the coming year.
Safety culture assessment scoring areas:
- Leadership commitment to safety
- Incident reporting and investigation
- Safety participation and awareness
- Safety training
- Interdependent behavior based safety
- Safety investment level
- Safety visibility/visuals
- Audits
- Discipline system
- Risk assessment and hazard identification
Safety Recognition for Apogee’s Business Units
GlassecViracon
- 2019 TEGRA Award for Work Safety
Harmon
- Contractors Recognizing Excellence in Safety Training (CREST) Award Top 3 Finalist – FCA International
- Top Safety Contractor – Austin Commercial; American Airlines project; Fort Worth, TX
- Lowest incident rate – Greater Hamilton Safety Council; Cincinnati team
- First Annual 2018 Safety Award for Excellence – Ryan Companies NW Office; Kirkland Urban jobsite
- Safety Crew of the Month – DPR; KMPG project; Orlando, FL (middle)
- Lone Star Safety Award – DWC; Dallas team, Kirkland, WA (left)
Linetec
- 2017 Wisconsin Corporate Safety Award – Wisconsin Safety Council (right)
- 2018 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Award
Tru Vue
- 2019 Outstanding Award in Occupational Safety – Minnesota Safety Council (MSC)
- OSHA Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP)
- 2019 Operational Excellence Achievement Award, from the National Safety Council
Viracon
- 2021 National Safety Council's Significant Improvement Award
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Health and Wellness Programs
Health and Wellness Programs
Apogee is proud to offer a comprehensive health and wellness program for employees across its business units. We have wellness teams throughout our organization that seek opportunities to engage employees in healthy habits and mindful living. In addition to standard health programs including medical insurance and preventive care, Apogee has a variety of resources available to employees free of charge.
From healthy vending machines to wellbeing challenges to organized walks, Apogee’s wellness teams do a great job of advocating for health and activity. One specific success story comes from Linetec. For five consecutive years, Linetec has organized a 5k event, inviting associates and their families out for a morning consisting of exercise, music, snacks, prizes and camaraderie.Physical Wellness
Annual biometric screenings are offered at all locations so employees can better understand their individual health scores and establish goals for improvement. Flu shots are administered free of charge for employees and their dependents. All employees are also invited to participate in Apogee’s wellness program, which is a video-based app that offers education and tools in the areas of exercise, mental health, sleep, nutrition and financial wellbeing. Challenges and incentives are offered through the program to encourage physical activity and promote friendly competition.
Mental Wellness
In addition to physical health, Apogee has programs to help employees manage their mental health. An employee assistance program is available, offering eight face-to-face visits annually with licensed counselors. We also provide our employees free access to an online cognitive behavioral health program that provides tools for coping with anxiety, depression and sleep disorders. The program also matches users with a personal health coach.
Apogee’s benefits program supports employee health and wellness
Apogee provides a benefits program with the flexibility to meet employee’s specific needs. We are committed to making a sizeable investment toward our employee’s health, security, protection, and future opportunities.