heart to heart blog

We’ve all been there: your car breaks down on the side of the road and you don’t know what to do, or you’re having a bad day and could just use some comfort food, or you split your pants before a big presentation. (ok, maybe not ALL of us have been there)

Here at Graco, this happens to the best of us. Lucky for us, we don’t just make baby gear. The Graco building also houses a tailor, a baker, and a baby blanket maker. (oh- and a car repair shop too) These aren’t just any craftsmen; these are the best in the business. (well at least at our business) These are the hidden talents of Graco- the talents that give us a sense of security, that if you are in a bind- someone here can help.

On any given day, you could come across the following scene in our parking lot during lunchtime :
Car hoods open, tools scattered about, the feet of a stroller engineer sticking out from under a car, another engineer peering under the hood, and a distressed-looking car owner standing by. The car repair team, usually led by stroller engineer Mike Dotsey and Roy Dean, will always find a solution to your mechanical problems. These guys are pure genius when it comes to making things (strollers included!) run correctly. (They’ve also saved many of us thousands of dollars.) Graco stroller owners out there- you can rest assured that you have the right guys making sure those strollers run smoothly! (because getting to work in a stroller just wouldn’t cut it!)

Split your pants? Lose a button? Need new drapes? The Graco sewing room can help. With efforts led by Vicki Kuhns, these ladies can fix just about anything in minutes. They are both talented, and efficient, all the while making you laugh about whatever mishap you may have brought to them! (Not to mention they will keep any embarrassing moments confidential!)

There are those times when things can get a little stressful around here. When the pressure heats up, in comes the comfort food! Rosemary Reppert in our fashion department is well known for her baked goods, particularly her heath crunch cookies and her banana cake. These treats have always seemed to make an intense meeting a little sweeter! For those who need something any day of the week, there is a supply of value priced candy and snacks in this building. Since this is a covert operation, I can not reveal its location or operator- but most of us know where to find it when we need to!

Given the baby boom in this office over the last few years, we’ve had a many baby shower. At these showers, we often find a special gift from Kaye Hansen- a hand stitched baby blanket. These blankets are absolutely gorgeous. No matter if it’s the first time you’ve seen one or the fifth, it always gives you goose bumps picturing the new baby wrapped in their soft new blanket. It’s the moment that makes it real.

So are we experts in baby gear? Absolutely! But I think it makes us feel that much better about our products, knowing the type of passion our coworkers put into everything they do.

(oh and before I even posted this, there have been some, apparently talented, folks that have told me this will need to be a series because they aren’t featured in this one!)