Hats off to a Long-Time Employee
Every once in a while, a story comes along that demonstrates the deep love and passion many ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ employees have for our Company—and reflects the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Principle of Respect for People in action.
A woman named Angela Goodwin from Texas called the reception desk in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½’s Atlanta office asking whether the Company had any ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ hats she could have in memory of her father, Mark Cantrell. Her father had passed away recently, and the last photo she took was of him wearing a ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ cap, so she wanted to give ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ hats to her family members in his memory.
Left: Mark Cantrell in an employee newsletter marking his 40th anniversary with the Company. Photo: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Archives. Right: Even after retirement, he was rarely seen without one of his ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ hats. Photo: Cantrell family
Mark Cantrell worked at ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½’s former Oil & Gas Division plant in Borger, Texas, for 42 years and retired in December 1988.
He spent his entire career at ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, and loved his job, the Company, his colleagues and the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ family. He collected ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ hats and company memorabilia, and over the years had given much of what he had to his children.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½’s Borger operation in 1955. The company’s history in the Texas town started with a carbon black operation in 1929 and expanded to oil and gas exploration in the 1930s. ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ divested its Borger facilities in 2006 and exited the energy industry entirely in 2011. Photo: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Archives
Said Angela, “The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Corporation sustained my father for 42 years, enabling him to provide his 13 children, 36 grandchildren, 56 great grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren with a lifetime of blessings for which we will be forever grateful.” Angela thought that if every family member had a ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ hat, it would be an appropriate way to honor his memory.
When he retired in 1988, Mark Cantrell received a letter from then-CEO Mike ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ offering congratulations and thanks for all he had done for the company. Photo: Cantrell family
With cooperation from numerous employees in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½’s corporate office in Atlanta, a shipment of 100 ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ hats, embroidered with “Honoring Mark Cantrell,” as well as hand-written letters from ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ President & CEO Mike Marberry, and the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Family Council Board, were shipped to Angela in preparation for an upcoming Cantrell family gathering.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ sent hats and letters of appreciation—including a hand-written letter from President & CEO Mike Marberry—to the Cantrell family. Photo: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Corporate Communications
The response from the Cantrell family after the event was expressed in thank-you letters sent from Angela to ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ employees and family members:
“Words honestly can’t convey the heartfelt gratitude that our family has for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Corporation for this incredible act of kindness honoring our father Mark Cantrell. We had a get together this past weekend and I presented this priceless gift to my brothers and sisters and extended family members. The ones who couldn’t be there in person joined via Facetime and were able to share in this extra special moment that you made happen. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as we all reflected upon my dad’s years and memories made at ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ and there was a special sweetness to the day. I can’t tell you how many times we all heard my dad say, ‘Thank God for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ family’ and we all echo those same sentiments.”
Posted June 25, 2019