Caring

Through the economic turmoil of the Great Depression, Dohmen’s values still extended far beyond the bottom line. By the mid-1930s, nearly every customer had fallen into debt or bankruptcy. Despite decades of careful financial planning, Dohmen was now struggling. Concern for the company and for one another drew the employees closer together. Soon they crafted a plan. To avoid layoffs, each employee volunteered a week of unpaid vacation time. In two years the company was back on track. Grateful for such devotion, Dohmen not only reimbursed each employee for that week but gave retroactive raises to all.