Sarpy County company aligns with major brands like Edward Jones and Radio Flyer through an affiliation with Tugboat Institute.

(PAPILLION, Neb.) - Supportworks, a product designer and supplier to the home repair industry, is the first company in Nebraska to complete a rigorous certification process committed to positively impacting the community for the next 100 years and beyond.

The Certified Evergreen® mark is a commitment to lead a company according to seven principles that include being Purpose driven, remaining Privately owned, Profitable, and putting People first.

Supportworks, owned by the Thrasher family, has seen other companies in its industry sell to private-equity investors that can often be unpredictable as it relates to keeping local jobs, investing in the community and maintaining a purpose that is about more than driving money to the bottom line. Supportworks President Dave Thrasher says Certified Evergreen is a promise to the greater Omaha metro to stay private and family-owned, keeping good-paying jobs in the area and contributing to the community's continuing economic vitality.

It also signals to Supportworks customers that they – and the homeowners they serve – can expect the same quality of product and level of service indefinitely. These services help create safer homes and peace of mind for homeowners across North America.

“Think about those great companies that have been around for generations, providing great jobs and security for the long-term," Thrasher said Monday. "These businesses are beacons in the community and are symbols of how the free market has made the United States the greatest country in the world to live.”

Supportworks joins many other national companies, and becomes the first in Nebraska, with the Certified Evergreen status. The process to become certified is extensive, with the company proving its financial ability to withstand economic downturns and continue to employ people in times of business volatility.

“Evergreen leaders like Dave Thrasher believe in the power of People First. They know that by being of service to their employees, their teams will, in turn, be of long-term service to their customers, their suppliers, and their communities, building companies that will add significant, long-term value and make a difference in the world,” Dave Whorton, Tugboat Institute founder, said.  

In a time where many companies are exit-oriented with short-term financial goals for their investors, a change in ownership can deteriorate the culture of the company or its relations with the community. Certified Evergreen companies are those dedicated to maintaining operational independence, financial sovereignty, and private ownership in the interest of those they serve and those they employ.

Certified Evergreen status is evaluated and administered by Tugboat Institute.

For more information on Supportworks and Certified Evergreen, please email news@supportworks.com.

About Supportworks

Supportworks designs, manufactures and delivers a range of foundation and concrete repair products to a worldwide network of home-service contractors. Headquartered in Omaha, Neb., the company was founded in 2008 by Greg Thrasher, the owner of a successful home-services company that was looking to vertically integrate and become a supplier focused on redefining an entire industry. Currently, Supportworks provides products, tools, software and business coaching to more than 100 dealers across North America. The company also received the 2020 ‘Best Places to Work’ designation in the Omaha metro. To inquire about becoming a member of the Supportworks dealer network, visit becomeadealer.supportworks.com. For a list of open positions, go to https://careers.supportworks.com/.  

About the Evergreen Movement

The Evergreen® movement began in 2014 as an alternative to venture capital or private equity investment. Tugboat Institute® is dedicated to supporting Evergreen leaders, their teams, and their companies through recognition, a range of experiences, several publications and programs to bring forth inspiration, new ideas, proven best practices about business, family and life. Certified Evergreen companies have been evaluated against Evergreen7Ps™ principles:

• PURPOSE: Being passionately driven by a compelling vision and mission.
• PERSEVERANCE: Having the ambition and resilience to overcome obstacles and keep pursuing the mission indefinitely into the future.
• PEOPLE FIRST: Engaging a workforce of talented associates who excel as a team and are motivated by the mission and the culture, as well as the total compensation, in the belief that by taking care of them, they will then take care of the customers, suppliers, partners, communities and their families.
• PROFIT: Not mistaking profit as the purpose of a business; but recognizing it is essential to survival and independence, and the most accurate measure of customer value delivered.
• PRIVATE: Taking advantage of the ability of closely-held private companies to have longer investment horizons, greater confidentiality around strategies, and more operating flexibility than public or exit-oriented businesses.
• PACED GROWTH: Having the discipline to focus on long-term strategy, balance short-term and long-term performance, and grow steadily and consistently from year to year.
• PRAGMATIC INNOVATION: Embracing a continuous-improvement process built around taking capital-efficient, calculated risks to innovate creatively within constraints.