Springfield, MO Hamra Enterprises, one of the largest franchisees and operators of Wendy’s, Panera Bread and Noodles & Co in New England, is honoring the 10th year of its company charter created by employees in March 2013. The Missouri-based hospitality industry leader and second generation family-owned company broke with conventional corporate practice and turned to its own employees to define the company’s core values and mission.
“Ten years ago, our employees came together to define our company’s mission and values, which we work together to uphold each and every day,” said Mike Hamra, president and CEO of Hamra Enterprises. “The tremendous growth we’ve had over the past decade would not have been possible without our incredible family of employees and the ownership they have in our shared success.”
Hamra Enterprises owns and operates 170 locations in 8 states, including 27 Wendy’s and 18 Panera locations in Massachusetts, and four Wendy’s locations in New Hampshire. In the 10 years since Hamra employees created the company’s charter, the company grew from 3,000 to 7,000 employees and added nearly 100 locations, and committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture. Since 2011, the company has raised over $1 million for Boston Children’s Hospital.
“We treat each other like family. We always check up on each other to make sure we’re ok, and We always have each others’ backs,” said Jamal Woodbury, crew member for Wendy’s of New England.
“The charter really was created by all of us,” said Maryjo Kiser, vice president of benefits and compensation, who was recently surprised with an all expenses paid vacation to Niagara Falls in celebration of her 40 years of service to the company. “We were able to create the charter that says what Hamra Enterprises stands for.”
“We came together and created a document that shapes how we lead, how we create a culture, and how we make decisions,” said John Addelia, Hamra’s vice president of operations for Panera Bread and Noodles & Co. “We created a future that didn’t exist before. This is the most powerful document we have, and we created it together.”
Hamra Enterprises’ employee-created charter
“Hamra Enterprises is a dynamic organization owned and founded in 1975 by the Hamra family. Our purpose is to provide the highest quality products and services within the hospitality industry. We create exceptional experiences for people and communities throughout the world.
“United, we are world-class leaders diverse in talent and collaborative in voice. We stand for each other being empowered and engaged in moving our business forward. We stand for people living a life they love.
“We are committed to development and growth through training, coaching and learning from one another.
“We can be counted on to be authentic in our speaking and generous in our listening. We are accountable for generating profit as a catalyst for growth and endless possibilities.
“Our Core Values:
FUN: We love what we do
INTEGRITY: We honor our word
FAMILY: We cherish and nurture relationships
SELF EXPRESSION: We embrace our humanity
DISCOVERY: We have the courage to create the future”
Hamra Enterprises was founded in 1975 by the Hamra family and is headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. The company includes three restaurant brands and one hotel brand, and employs more than 7,000 people in eight states: Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Tennessee. Hamra Enterprises is committed to providing the highest quality products and services within the hospitality industry, creating exceptional experiences for people and communities by engaging each of its restaurant neighborhoods through community service, fundraising, and other philanthropic partnerships such as Boston Children’s Hospital, Make-A-Wish of Illinois, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.