Intimidating was my first thought when I began working at VAST. The first half hour of my first day was spent at that week’s Monday morning staff meeting. The meeting is highly focused around goals and the importance of growth and reaching/exceeding said goals. I thought to myself that this company and the employees never quit, and must work ALL the time (no time for vacation, etc). Long story short, this may be the case with many other companies, however, this certainly is not the case at VAST. As the meeting continued I realized, “Okay, this is not so bad. … Continue reading

Welcome to part three of our series on workplace culture. The focus of this blog is on the group of people at VAST who enjoy technology, and everything that comes with it. This group is eloquently known as “The Nerd Herd.” If you look in the Merriam-Webster dictionary you will find the word nerd defined as, “An unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits.” I am writing this today to tell you that I respectfully disagree with that definition. Look around you in popular culture, and nerds have become what I call … Continue reading

I’m following up on Katrina’s last blog, only this time, focusing on the FUN committee. As you may have noticed here at VAST, we like to have fun! Although all of our employees are a part of our workplace culture, the FUN committee’s primary responsibility is to plan events that are random, celebratory, interesting, and you guessed it – FUN! To give you a glimpse of what this looks like in action, the following is a small sampling of events we have celebrated: Monthly celebration lunches [VAST purchases the food] to celebrate the birthdays and work anniversaries of all employees … Continue reading

Here at VAST we take our workplace culture seriously…well most of the time, except when we have events such as watermelon spitting contests or VAST Olympics. We take great pride in the culture we have created, which is the perfect balance of fun, healthy and working hard. Our core values define what our culture is, and we focus on those values daily. We even have a book that shows what our culture is all about. We also have committees that help to define our culture and keep it strong. Our three main committees are the Nerd Herd, Fun, and Zen. … Continue reading

Check out our latest video blog which takes you on a tour of our new website. Explore the current features plus some new ones that will be available soon.

In the year 1885 a company was started in Marquette, Michigan. The name of that company was Sidney Adams Real Estate, Insurance, and Loans. Following the old saying that all you need is a dollar and a dream, this company was started by a man, who in 1850, had come to Marquette with only a dollar in his pocket. Over the years this company has changed locations, names, and faces. Yet, 130 years later this company, now known as VAST, is not only surviving but thriving. The biggest question is; Why? Simply put, it is this writer’s opinion the reason … Continue reading

4:45am: Roll out of bed, throw on my workout clothes and head to the gym for a quick workout. 6:00am: Get myself and two boys ready to go 7:20am: Out the door to bring the boys to daycare 8:00am: Arrive at VAST for work 12:00pm: Lunch-pick up the house and prep for dinner (the more I can get done now the more time we have with our boys after work). 5:00pm: Leave work and head to daycare (there is a little bribing involved but I finally convince my 3 year old to leave). 5:45pm: Arrive home, make and eat dinner … Continue reading

By now we know that the Compliance Safety + Accountability (CSA) system is  here to stay. It may change and adapt, but will continue to have a big impact on the way our clients do business.   The scores trucking companies have under CSA are based on 7 different areas of operation.   Poor scores can be an indicator of red flags in the way a company operates.  Current and potential customers have access to the CSA scores of companies via the internet.  Yes, your clients and prospects are looking at your “grade” online.  These numbers can have a huge impact … Continue reading

Last week I discussed the first two “Blue Rules” that I’ve come up with from my first year of working at VAST. This blog is a continuation of those rules, so let me pick up right where I left off. LESSON # 3 – GIVE BACK This is both simple and complex at the same time. VAST is an extremely philanthropic place. I was amazed to learn just how many causes and charities that are donated to. But it ends up being so much more than just giving money to a cause. Where VAST amazed me is that nearly every … Continue reading

“What a long strange trip it’s been.” These words were cemented in history in the 70’s by the iconic jam band known as The Greatful Dead, but on January 16th of this year I found myself using these same words. That day marked my one year anniversary of being hired at VAST, and it caused me to sit and reflect about where the past twelve months have taken me. I’ve learned some lessons along the way, and I’ve compiled them into four “Blue Rules” instead of golden rules because here at VAST “Blue Culture” reins supreme, but more on that … Continue reading