Forty-eight managers from BW Converting showed up for a charity bike build in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Nobody expected the afternoon to end with bikes for local kids. The company had been working through some organizational changes, and communication between teams had gotten tougher along the way. Leadership decided to try something different. Instead of more presentations, they brought in something a little different that would push people to work together in a way no meeting room ever could. Teams spent the afternoon competing, laughing, and ultimately donating bicycles to children through the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Bay & Lakes Region.
BW Converting is a strategic alliance of Barry-Wehmiller companies that designs, manufactures, and services high-performance converting and packaging machinery. The company serves the tissue, nonwovens, hygiene, and printing industries with trusted brands and dependable engineering solutions. BW Converting supports manufacturers around the world through innovative technology and long-term partnership.
BW Converting Turns Their Company Meeting into a Charity Bike Build in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Nobody walked in expecting much more than a standard meeting. That changed fast. Once teams figured out what was happening, the room came alive. People who had been navigating internal friction for months suddenly found themselves working side by side. The task had nothing to do with any of that friction. The competitive side of the program kicked in early, and so did the humor.
As the event went on, something interesting happened. The tension that had been sitting in the room started to ease. Managers who didn’t usually work closely together found themselves trading parts, offering tips, and cracking each other up. Nobody was thinking about org charts or quarterly updates. Throughout the afternoon, that simple shared focus did more for team morale than a dozen presentations ever could.
At the end of the program, the bikes went to local children through the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Bay & Lakes Region. For a group that had been working through a tough stretch, seeing those bikes lined up gave the whole afternoon a sense of payoff. The Boys & Girls Clubs serves youth across northeastern Wisconsin with programs designed to help young people grow, learn, and build confidence.
A big thank you to BW Converting for choosing to do something meaningful with their meeting time. We’d also like to thank the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Bay & Lakes Region for showing up. They do meaningful work for young people throughout the area.
If your team could use more than just a meeting, a charity bike build might be exactly what you’re looking for.