Courtesy Grand Lake Plumbing and Heating
The guise was pretty simple when the owners of Grand Lake Plumbing and Heating dispatched their team to Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply in Fraser under false pretenses on Dec. 13.
In a hoodwinking perfects the holidays, the employees were told they were all going to the store to learn the building’s systems, so in the event something might happen, they would already be familiar with the building and its equipment.
When the company’s workers arrived at the store, however, it was anything but the ordinary. Soon they all discovered the truth: Their bosses were giving everyone hearty Christmas bonuses — in the form of cold, hard cash.
“It’s a fun place to be right now,” owner Travis Appelhans said of the business that’s celebrating its 100th anniversary. “Our staff goes the extra mile. We’ve had some really good months because of our staff going the extra mile, so we were able to share back and thought this would be a fun way to do it.”
The over last century, Grand Lake Plumbing and Heating has seen its share of highs and lows, Appelhans said, adding that this year was one of the best cultural years the company has ever had.
The bonuses were courtesy of the Appelhans family, and they varied in amount. Many of the workers used theirs to put five or six extra presents under the family tree, including install manager Kevin Richards.
He said that all of the employees were pretty emotional after receiving their bonuses right before Christmas and some even shed a few tears.
“I know I sure did,” Richards said. “It was so well received. Even Murdoch’s employees were saying it’s awesome the company did this.”
Later that night, Grand Lake Plumbing and Heating held its annual Christmas party at The Foundry Cinema and Bowl.
“It was just a wonderful day,” Richards concluded.