It’s All Relative
Galen & Nevin Nell cutting steaks for The Butcher Shop at Weavers.
Family businesses have been around since our distant ancestors first began practicing specialization of labor. It makes sense; what better way is there to find trustworthy individuals to enter into an endeavor with than to look at those you have known your whole life? At Weaver’s of Wellsville, we often tout that we are a family business, but we are well aware that is not a unique claim to fame. What we should be clarifying is that we are a “families” business. Of our 63 employees, 24 have close relatives working alongside them.
As you enter our office one of the first friendly faces you encounter is Peg, who was brought to us by her sister Ardella, our deli specialist. Peak around the corner and you see Julie and Tracey, who are cousins by marriage. Behind them the eponymous trio of Weaver’s of Wellsville Cole, Seth, and Craig will be undoubtedly loudly discussing issues facing the company. After passing through the office you enter our cutting room where brothers Nevin and Galen are cutting steaks side by side. The floors are clean because of Galen’s son, our sanitation expert Galen Jr.
Destiny our packaging manager and her husband Anthony Robinson our day-time warehouse manager.
You hear a horn honk as Galen and Nevin’s nephew Jordan rumbles by in the Weaver’s of Wellsville big rig. Taking a few more steps, you will be in our packaging room, where our warehouse manager Anthony may have snuck off to chat it up with his young bride Destiny, our packaging manager. Moving towards the back of the building Damion can be heard loudly cracking jokes as our production manager, a trait and position he inherited from his recently retired father Brad. Meanwhile his two team members Val and Mark, who have been together for nearly 20 years, shake their heads as he rapidly jumps from subject to subject. A hallway leads from production to our distribution business. Inventory control manager Kyle is listening to 90’s rap hits while unloading trucks with his brother in law Josh and Josh’s little (but much taller) brother Brock. Finally you arrive at the truck loading docks at the back of our facility, Rich is parked beside his nephew Dakota, who is parked beside his father Mike. At the final two docks, in the very back of our building, Ken Shetter, the longest tenured employee at Weaver’s of Wellsville and son Justin are loading their matching sparkling blue Kenworth trucks.
In business it is always said that a referral is the sincerest form of flattery. For members of our work family to invite members of their real family to join us is a badge of honor we will always proudly wear. While many family businesses come and go, we will always remain a “families” business.
