Florida Manufacturer Earns Statewide Recognition for Workplace Culture

Ecological Laboratories Inc., a Cape Coral manufacturer of organic bacteria products for environmental and agricultural applications, earned recognition on Florida’s Top 10 Manufacturing Employers of Choice list for 2025. The annual program, administered by FloridaMakes, evaluates manufacturers statewide on 39 human capital metrics, including recruitment, career development, benefits, financial wellness, employee support and engagement.

FloridaMakes operates as a statewide partnership focused on improving technology adoption, productivity and employee satisfaction across Florida’s manufacturing sector. The Employer of Choice assessment is available at no cost to manufacturers seeking to benchmark their workforce practices.

What the Recognition Reflects

Tim McKindles, director of Ecological Laboratories for four years, said the award validates practices the company has maintained consistently. Monthly performance reviews replace the typical annual evaluation cycle. Leadership walks the production floor daily to maintain visibility and open communication. Employees describe a family structure where growth opportunities are accessible and contributions are recognized.

Serena Hallman started working at the facility about 20 years ago in Building 1, the area of the production line that handles dry materials and powders. After about a year, she was promoted to team lead, overseeing operations in the building. About two years later, she was promoted again to her current position as order and traffic coordinator, ensuring all product orders are fulfilled with requested items in a timely manner.

Hallman said she loves her job and the people she works with. She cited opportunities for employee growth as the main reason Ecological Laboratories is a perfect recipient of the award. She said she wouldn’t change her position for the world and has a great team.

Yenisey Quignon serves as quality control manager after 15 years with the company and two prior promotions. She ensures that all products manufactured at the facility meet consumer-use standards and inspects all raw materials shipped to the facility for manufacturing. Quignon said she likes the company’s opportunities for employee growth, including training that helps people develop as individuals and professionals.

Daily Practices That Build Workplace Culture

McKindles said performance reviews are necessary because a person needs to know whether they are doing the right thing or not. The company conducts these reviews more frequently than once a year. Employees meet with McKindles or their supervisors each month for performance reviews to reflect on how they have performed in their current position, what they could improve on, if applicable, and what the facility can improve as a whole. McKindles said it is very important to him and management that all employees are heard.

McKindles also dedicates a portion of each day to checking in with and talking to his employees on the floor. He has a cup of coffee in the morning and does his rounds, making sure everyone is okay. He talks to them about their weekend and, more importantly, asks them how they are doing regarding their family and friends.

This is where McKindles believes Ecological Laboratories separates itself from the pack. Employing an individual also means creating a livelihood for that person’s family to a certain extent. The employee needs to be happy, but the family unit needs to be supportive and happy as well.

Hallman said she truly appreciates the care and dedication McKindles puts into ensuring his workforce family is happy and content, making the award seem even more warranted. She noted that most companies do not operate this way and employees typically only see the boss or management when someone has a complaint to submit to human resources. She said McKindles makes his rounds every morning and the team has developed a joke about his coffee cup being a constant presence.

How Purpose Connects to Performance

McKindles said he believes something more impactful than workplace characteristics contributes to the company’s success: a collective sense of purpose. Ecological Laboratories specializes in producing natural, organic bacteria for various environmental and agricultural applications, which are infused into products as alternatives to other, more environmentally hazardous products.

McKindles said what the company makes allows employees to instill a certain amount of pride. Employees can say they are really helping the environment and assisting the next generation in creating a sustainable eco-environment. This shows a bit of pride, where people really care about what they do and put a bit of care into what they make.

This is precisely how Quignon feels about what she does and the operation she contributes to. She said she is pretty proud of what the company does and how it helps the environment.

Strong workplace culture drives measurable business outcomes, including lower turnover costs, reduced absenteeism, improved quality control and stronger knowledge retention. For small and mid-sized manufacturers where individual employees often hold specialized knowledge about processes or customer relationships, losing staff can directly affect production continuity and customer satisfaction.

What Other Florida Manufacturers Can Learn

VGM Holdings LLC, a metal fabrication company in Fort Myers, was also recognized as another local recipient on the list. The FloridaMakes assessment evaluates companies across categories, including recruitment and hiring, upskilling and career pathways, benefits, financial wellness, employee support and environment, and employee engagement.

Each company recognized receives a detailed analytics report that includes benchmarks, insights and recommendations to improve their workforce practices. Manufacturers interested in the program can visit the FloridaMakes Employer of Choice Featured Programs page for more information.

McKindles said employers like him use other tools to gauge whether employees are on track and satisfied with their positions in the company, such as annual wage evaluations. However, the monthly performance reviews and daily floor interactions represent the company’s approach to maintaining a close-knit workforce.

McKindles said smiles are all he needs to know he is making a difference. Seeing people chuckle and laugh and smile and have fun with each other reflects the company’s goal. If you love what you are doing, you never work a day in your life. That is really what the goal is at Ecological Laboratories: not to have a person work a day in their life.

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