Materic Award: Family Recognized for their Influence on Company Culture and Growth of the Western Wisconsin Squeegee Squad Franchise
July 2016, Mel Zehm, franchise owner of the Western Wisconsin Squeegee Squad, cleaned the windows of Teri B, Eau Claire, WI. Their conversation quickly turned into a bond as they spoke about Teri’s family and Mel’s military experience. Teri mentioned that her son, Eric, was serving in the National Guard and was expected to return home soon. She told Mel that Eric was looking for a job for the summer. Mel hired Eric immediately after meeting him. While attending college, Eric worked for the Squeegee Squad and was eventually promoted to Field Supervisor. In a management position, Eric’s strong leadership skills set him apart. Initially supervised three technicians, Eric’s crew was eventually expanded to eight technicians. The franchise business started to grow exponentially during this period. While Mel focused mainly on building business systems, Eric took care of the crews, having a significant impact on the company culture and growth. Eric remembers, “The impact it had on my life was