By Anne Welliver-Hartsing
When I was on the verge of taking over my family business, I received some professional advice. As the incoming President I should make a couple big moves or changes to display my leadership as well as to make sure everyone knew I meant business. While I understood the strategy behind these thoughts, I knew that the one thing I didn’t want to mess with at Welliver was our culture. We have not been around for five generations and 125 years because we made drastic changes. We have persevered because my forefathers chose to live by several key principals, and I live by these same principals in my tenure as President. Work hard, take care of your people, always do the right thing, give more than you receive, and always hire people smarter than you.
With every new generation of leadership comes change. There are new ideas, better efficiencies, faster technology … and yes, we most certainly pay attention and keep up with the times. These tools help us do our work, but the people ARE our company.
For 125 years we have hired the best in the business. They work hard each day and often go above and beyond for our customers. They are problem solvers. They are experts at their craft. Most importantly, they are people that care about doing their job well and solving problems for our customers. They do the right thing.
We are a Company of people that live, work, and play in the facilities we have had the opportunity to construct. We are often the end-users of the schools, higher education facilities, healthcare facilities, museums, arenas, sporting venues, and childcare centers that we have built. As a child I would ride around with my father as he proudly pointed out the work of his own hands and I’m sure that he, too, did the same with his father. Every employee at Welliver feels that same pride in being able to take credit for the structures we build.
125 years doesn’t happen by chance, it happens on purpose. If you have a strong foundation, you can build anything on top of it.
Representing the fifth generation of Wellivers, Anne began her career with the company in the accounting department before becoming a Partner in 2008 and promoted to Vice President in 2010. During that time, she was responsible for maintaining the financial health and growth of the organization. Named President in 2017, Anne is instrumental in implementing the company’s strategic plan and leading the company forward. She has significant experience in finance and operations as well as a deep knowledge of the construction industry. Her focus is to drive profitable growth and achieve operations excellence, all while maintaining the company’s character and identity. One of the reasons Welliver has excelled over the years is the culture and values as a company. Anne continues to champion these workplace qualities where the people drive its success.