As we reflect on the past year, I am proud of how we came together to overcome challenges and embrace new opportunities. The hard work, creativity, and commitment of the people at Willmar Electric have driven our success and helped us reach new heights.
In 2025, our company theme was “Own It.” At a recent meeting with all department and regional leaders, we discussed whether the theme had been actively embraced throughout the year. The group shared frequent examples of the theme in action.
They mentioned seeing colleagues stop what they were doing to address issues. Sometimes, when a task needed attention, someone stepped up to own it. Other times, when work needed to be redone or completed, someone took responsibility. Often, a coworker recognized a mistake and corrected it—sometimes it was their own error, but not always. Regardless, the correction was made because it needed to be done.
This fall, during our company meetings, we gathered feedback from this group on potential themes for 2026.
Based on the input we received, we have selected the theme “Be the Difference.” We believe it is the perfect bridge between last year’s theme and our purpose statement of “People Making a Difference for People.”
Every year, our survey results show that people’s favorite thing about working at Willmar Electric is the people they work with.
When interviewing candidates and assessing their fit for Willmar Electric, we always consider whether they will enjoy making a positive difference for others. It was no surprise that the people at Willmar Electric proposed this suggestion.
“Be the Difference” personalizes our purpose statement. It calls on all of us to embody that purpose. We are encouraging each other to “be the difference” for our colleagues and for everyone we interact with at work.
We can “be the difference” by becoming the highlight in someone else’s day.
We can “be the difference” by lending a hand to someone who needs it—by stopping to mentor or train them, even if you think they should already know how to perform the required task. When you take the time to stop and mentor someone, you’re “being a difference.”
I look forward to a year from now when we share stories of how people enjoyed seeing others “being the difference” in the lives of others.
