The Hytrol Story

expansion would dramatically relieve the cramped conditions at the Jonesboro plant. Plans were approved and the expansion began. Soon, the area behind the Jonesboro plant was a beehive of activity as construction workers began pouring the concrete for the floor. Then, the huge concrete posts began to be erected which would support the walls and roof of the new building. One day, Sam Leone was visiting the Jonesboro plant and observing the construction. As he stood looking at the forest of concrete posts, he thought about how these posts, which would support the new building were, in a way, symbolic of the Hytrol distributors which supported Hytrol. He visualized them as “Pillars” - Pillars of support made possible by the “wise use of Hytrol products and effective sales of the distributors who are selling Hytrol products” as he would write later in one of Hytrol’s newspapers. “The same kind of support that these pillars were going to provide for our building.” Sam began to formulate a plan using these “Pillars of Wisdom” to honor the Hytrol distributors who had done the most to make the building expansion possible. As the idea developed, it was decided that each building column would be assigned to a distributor based on certain criteria. There would be a special, prominent sign, bearing the distributor’s name, placed on the column to remind each employee of the distributor’s importance. These first “Pillar of Wisdom” honor and awards were based on the following criteria: • The number of years the distributor has been in the Expansion and the “Pillars of Wisdom” Hytrol distributor family would be counted. • The distributor’s overall sales volume would be totaled. • When the distributor accrued a total of $250,000 of Hytrol sales, the Pillar Award would be given. • At that time, a column or “Pillar of Wisdom” would be dedicated to that firm. • The Pillar, of course, would be in the Hytrol building, but each recipient would also be presented with a miniature pillar award to display in their office as a reminder of Hytrol’s gratitude for his contribution to Hytrol’s progress.