Balon Corporation’s altruistic approach maintains employees, serves customers, and supports the community

While many companies struggled to maintain full employment levels during the initial height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chamber Member Balon Corporation decided to take a solution-driven and community-centered approach to the situation. They not only took care of their employees and customers during this difficult period, but their altruism expanded throughout the city.

Balon Corporation is an Oklahoma City-based manufacturer that produces 100% American-made valves, primarily for the oil and gas industry. They employ about 850 individuals in our community and have found great success as a locally owned family business for nearly 60 years.

“Balon is family-owned and has been for all 56 years of its existence. We started small in a 2,400-square-foot building, and now we have over 1.5 million square feet. Because we manufacture valves that are used in primarily oil and gas applications, our business fluctuates with the oil and gas market. Even though we are a lot bigger than we were when we started, the company has maintained a family-oriented approach to business operations in the way we care for our employees,” said Stephanie Chapman, General Counsel at Balon Corporation.

Last year, when the pandemic put significant strain on the oil and gas industry, they made the decision not to lay off any of their staff members. Instead, they kept them employed, maintained their benefits, and gave them the opportunity to volunteer at local non-profits until they were needed back at the plant.

“The company has dealt with dramatic downturns and upturns throughout history, and early on, leadership realized that giving employees the opportunity to keep their jobs helps maintain a more stable workforce for our customers. They are already trained and skilled, so it’s important to keep them available to serve our customers. The employees who work hard and give their best earn Balon’s loyalty in return,” said Chapman.

In April of 2020, Balon began rotating work schedules to maintain safe working environments during the pandemic. They also started paying people to stay at home, aside from a few individuals who needed to be at the facility for essential functions. In June of 2020, some employees returned to the plant and others began working at the Regional Food Bank, Oklahoma State Fair, and Oklahoma City Zoo on a volunteer basis.

According to Chapman, Balon’s employees were made aware that they would be sending people to volunteer off-site during working hours until business demands returned. Several years before, in 2009, and again in 2015 and 2016, when the oil and gas industry suffered reductions in demand, employees were given a similar opportunity. The family that owns Balon knows that the food bank, zoo, and state fair all greatly benefit our city, and they wanted to support the positive impact that each agency creates. Because COVID-19 made it difficult to recruit or safely operate under typical volunteering conditions at the Regional Food Bank, the support they received from Balon’s employees in 2020 and 2021 was invaluable.

Chapman shared that the response of Balon’s employees was encouraging. “Our employees loved the opportunity. Because it was on a volunteer basis, no one was forced to go. A lot of people were interested in doing it because it was new and different,” added Chapman. “For some, the agencies were closer to home, so it worked better for them and their families during this challenging period. We worked with the agencies and individuals to ensure the schedules would accommodate their needs. When we started to call people back to Balon, they were excited about that too, because it meant we were getting back to normal levels of business.”

Two of Balon’s employees, April McDaniels and Rickey O’Neil, co-coordinated the volunteer efforts. “We’ve built our relationships over the years with the organizations and knowing that our employees are getting to do something worthwhile was important to us. Rickey is in safety and I’m in HR, so we made a good team in being able to answer a lot of our employees’ questions about working off site,” said McDaniels. “All three agencies were really appreciative of our people. They loved their work ethic and dedication.”

Veronica Gonzalez, who has been an employee of Balon Corporation for 15 years, was stationed at the food bank during this period. “I think it’s a good thing to volunteer instead of not having a job at all, and I want to say thank you to Balon for letting us get out in the community to learn different and new things,” she said. “When I was at the food bank, we packaged the food, cleaned the area, and made sure that the space met food safety standards.” Gonzalez explained that the food bank was impressed with the efficiency of the Balon staff members in how quickly they were able to get things done. It was a huge win all around.

At the Oklahoma City Zoo, Balon employee of 16 years Scott Thach volunteered his time in the horticulture department. “We helped in Butterfly Garden and in the flower beds. We also packed leaves for the animals to have something to eat in the winter. We took leaves off branches and placed them into containers to be sealed off and preserved,” said Thach. “During our time, we got private tours of the zoo, and it was really educational. There is so much time and effort that goes into treating the animals and in taking care of their environments. It was cool getting to learn about how much goes into it, and I got to touch an elephant.”

Balon’s volunteers at the state fair also did a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Balon staff member Tina Clark, was the liaison between the fair and the corporation. “I was at the fair for almost a year, and while we were there, we did horse shows, lawn work, picked up trash, cleaned up buildings after events, and did all sorts of maintenance,” she said. “There was a lot to do out there. I loved working at the fairgrounds and would go back if I am asked again.”

Gonzalez, Thach and Clark all had positive things to say about their experiences with their volunteer placements. It’s clear: Balon’s commitment to each of them is returned with gratitude. They shared, in their own words, how grateful they are that Balon takes care of their employees and emphasized that they are a great organization to work for.

The net result of Balon’s approach to the challenges of the pandemic was that their investment in their employees, including free COVID testing and offering an on-site vaccine clinic, has kept their workforce intact. They have been able to slip right back into meeting demands of production without having to invest in re-acquiring talent. Their commitment to their employees cultivates a sense of sincere loyalty and trust. Thanks to the healthy working environment they’ve created, they don’t have trouble recruiting talent, with most of their hires coming through employee referrals. Balon Corporation consistently takes an approach that many other businesses could learn from.