Employee Satisfaction Powers and Drives Copal Tree Distillery
In our final episode in a series of feature stories we’ve produced on Copal Tree Distillery, we focus on the employees who make the world-class Copalli Rum an award-winning spirit. The team consists of thirty-two men and women who are committed to excellence in the craft of rum making. Tonight’s installment of Belize on Reel looks at Copal Tree Distillery and its team of workers. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Employee satisfaction is important for any organization, especially for an environmentally responsible distillery. When workers are content, it leads to higher productivity, efficiency, and performance. At Copal Tree Distillery, employee satisfaction fosters a culture of engagement, innovation, and collaboration which helps the company to achieve its sustainability goals and create products with zero-waste ingredients.
Shirley Mae Parham
Shirley Mae Parham, Assistant Manager
“Originally, I started at the lodge, Copal Tree Lodge, you’re familiar with them. I worked with them for about six years and when the distillery was constructed and we needed more management down there, I joined the team and I started operations down there, hiring all the technical staff that we needed at that time.”
That was in 2016. Since then, this dedicated team has grown from seventeen workers to a family of thirty-two, enhancing the reputation and brand image of the company as one that consumers can trust. The distillery uses rainforest water for all its rums and is designed to be sustainable, as sugarcane leftovers are used to power the boiler which is subsequently used for the stills. The remaining ash is used as a fertilizer. All waste water is also recycled and released back into the rivers. Cleavon Louis relocated to Belize several years ago and found a home here at Copal Tree.
Cleavon Louis
Cleavon Louis, Senior Distillery Operator
“I am a chemical engineer by qualification and in Belize, sometimes it is difficult to find jobs in technical areas and I saw an ad in the newspaper for Copal Tree Distillery, it was named Double Spirits back then and it looked like exactly what I was looking for when I saw it. Something sparked inside and I applied and the very next day they called me for an interview. It seemed to be a good fit that matched what I was looking for. I’ve been here since eight years already.”
By establishing themselves in the respective roles that they fulfill at the distillery, employees reduce turnover and increase retention. In turn, this lowers the costs and emissions associated with hiring and training new staff. As an assistant manager, Shirley Mae Parham was chiefly responsible for scouting the necessary talents.
Shirley Mae Parham
“What I did was, you know, I helped source those people, I arranged all the interviews, we brought them in, did the interviews and that was how we selected people based on the skills that they had at the time and their potential to be trained in the various positions.”
Team building is important at Copal Tree because it enhances communication skills of the employees, which are essential for a distillery that involves complex processes and coordination. It also aligns the employees with the vision and goals of the company, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment.
Naomi Ishim
Naomi Ishim, Bottling Supervisor
“As the team leader, I am happy for the opportunity given and working with them, you need to build that trust within your team members, trust that whatever you’re doing, you’re doing to the best of your ability. So you need to build that trust with them, talk to them and at the end of the day, we are a team and what we give is up to the highest quality.”
And that gold standard is Copalli Rum, a well-executed organic white agricole that is then rested in stainless steel stills. The barrel-aged rum uses only pot still distillation and is aged in used bourbon casks.
Naomi Ishim
“It begins with our rinsing of the bottles, the corking, putting on labels, putting on labels, the entire quality control, up to the packaging end, up to the export. Each day we have a quota that we need to get done and when that’s done, okay, you know that your job for the day is, you know, done. Two palettes for the day takes hard work but we get there, we do it and so I’m happy.”
Employee satisfaction is a key factor for the success and sustainability of an environmentally responsible distillery.
Shirley Mae Parham
“It’s soul-fulfilling, you know. Not everyone can say that they have a job that they love or they love where they work and I am happy to be able to say that and mean that because I interact with everyone on a daily basis, I assist them with anything that they need. It makes me feel good that we have something good going on down there. I love it, I love the people that I have to work with on a daily basis and I love the product that we bring out. I am proud to say that we produce organic rum right here in the Toledo District.”
Isani Cayetano for News Five.
