Sliters Lumber and Building Supply was recently honored with an employer award from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

The Department of Labor and Industry said the Montana State Employers’ Council gives out their annual Employers of Choice awards in three different categories based on the number of employees. Sliters won in the under 50 category, nominated by Manager Glenn Dutton, who said the family-owned company offers great benefits.

“Sliters offers benefits that are — bar none — the best a small employer in the valley can offer,” Dutton said. “Benefits include insurance and retirement plans, an employee discount, flexible schedules, and extra days off around the holidays for employees to spend with their families,”

Sliters President Andrew Sliter said they are “humbled and honored” by the award. He said they prioritize teamwork to make sure everyone can enjoy flexible schedules and time off. At Sliters, he said they understand that work isn’t the only thing going on in people’s lives.

“We're all humans and we all have things going on,” Silter said. “So, if I can cover someone during their shift and they can do the same if I'm in a situation where I need to be away, or I need some flexibility, that’s working as a team. When you truly can work as a team, that's when the magic happens.”

He said there’s a common courtesy among everyone who works at Sliters, that you can’t just “abandon ship,” if you need to take a leave. The team emphasizes the value of flexibility while also being a dependable employee. They use a “eyes wide open approach,” communicating openly about the best way to accomplish work while meeting everyone’s needs.

For example, there’s no hard and fast rule they follow when taking lunch breaks. Rather, they communicate with each other until they find a way that works well.

“What we end up finding is that people tend to appreciate that, that it's not a factory, we're not Fred Flintstone where the whistle blows and we're banging our head against the rock until the whistle blows again. They appreciate that we're a group or a team— sometimes we've got hard work to do, but let's communicate with each other, and we'll get the job done,” Sliter said.

Attitude is the most important quality they look for when hiring new employees. They also look for people who enjoy puzzles, helping people and being part of a team.

“In an industry like this, there tends to be a fair amount of variety, whether its customers who are problem-solving, asking how to fix things or being naturally inquisitive. So, hiring for the right attitude is probably our benchmark. We can teach the rest,” Sliter said.

Sliters has been involved with job service and other professional organizations like the Flathead Job Service for recruitment, employment and best practices resources. It was through organizations like these they caught wind of the employer choice award and floated the idea to their employees. He said the award is “pretty special,” adding that it’s in their disposition to work in the background and continue to do good things for each other, their customers and their community.

“That's the lifeblood of our businesses are our people, it's what makes Sliters a special place. There's products that we sell and services that we offer, but what really makes us special is us — our people,” Sliter said.