Investing in Our Employees In today’s fast paced work place, Human Resources is essential to creating a work environment that supports a company’s growth and helps attract and retain highly motivated employees. Diamond partners with Personnel Management Systems Inc. (PMSI), to provide that HR resource to employees. “Given the diversity of personalities, work styles, backgrounds and levels of experience among employees, Diamond made an exceptional effort to provide multiple avenues of communication to employees,” notes Lisa Kaminski, PMSI’s HR Manager for Diamond. She adds, “PMSI is a resource for all Diamond Parking employees; we are an objective party on HR issues, providing guidance on how to proceed.” PMSI also travels to various Diamond locations to help train managers on topics such as best practices related to hiring and retaining employees, performance management, and compliance. Why might a Diamond employee call PMSI? Managers, for example, call for training, to get advice on employee issues, and to plan for hiring. Employees are encouraged to call to discuss job concerns and to ask questions about leaves of absence and other policies. If there is a problem, Diamond would like it to be solved as quickly and effectively as possible. Calling PMSI is one of the avenues, including the Actionline, available to employees to discuss their experience at Diamond Parking and to suggest improvements. Based in Kirkland, Washington, PMSI has more than 30 years of HR expertise helping companies and company Up, Up and Away Diamond is proud to announce a new management contract for Park n Fly, a convenient airport parking facility located near the Bellingham International airport. Dale Christie, Diamond’s City Manger for University District and North Sound, notes that Diamond was selected because of their years of experience offering convenient International airport parking with affordable parking rates in Anchorage, Salt Lake City and Spokane airports. Dale says the Park n Fly features 435 spaces with room to expand and is only one mile from the Airport. “You have to drive right by our location on your way to the main airport terminal so its super convenient for business and leisure travelers.” Dale notes that Bellingham International Airport is the third largest commercial airport in Washington State and is rapidly expanding its facilities to accommodate a growing number of Canadian travelers. Dale lists several amenities that are designed to enhance the parking experience, such as; secure gated entrance and exit; electronic credit card payment; two new Continued on inside page Growing Together. Dialog SPRING 2014 Continued on inside page “Our people do important work. We depend on them to produce results. It’s vital that we invest in meeting their needs.” Jon Diamond, President, Diamond Parking Services Inc. Dale Christie, Diamond’s City Manger for University District and North Sound, with Todd Squillante and Tom Blumenshine.
Transcript
Investing in Our EmployeesIn today’s fast paced work place, Human Resources is essential to creating a work environment that supports a company’s growth and helps attract and retain highly motivated employees. Diamond partners with Personnel Management Systems Inc. (PMSI), to provide that HR resource to employees.
“Given the diversity of personalities, work styles, backgrounds and levels of experience among employees, Diamond made an exceptional effort to provide multiple avenues of communication to employees,” notes Lisa Kaminski, PMSI’s HR Manager for Diamond. She adds, “PMSI is a resource for all Diamond Parking employees; we are an objective party on HR issues, providing guidance on how to proceed.” PMSI also travels to various Diamond locations to help train managers on topics such as best practices related to hiring and retaining employees, performance management, and compliance.
Why might a Diamond employee call PMSI? Managers, for example, call for training, to get advice on employee issues, and to plan for hiring. Employees are encouraged to call to discuss job concerns and to ask questions about leaves of absence and other policies. If there is a problem, Diamond would like it to be solved as quickly and effectively as possible. Calling PMSI is one of the avenues, including the Actionline, available to employees to discuss their experience at Diamond Parking and to suggest improvements.
Based in Kirkland, Washington, PMSI has more than 30 years of HR expertise helping companies and company
DiamonD
Up, Up and AwayDiamond is proud to announce a new management contract for Park n Fly, a convenient airport parking facility located near the Bellingham International airport. Dale Christie, Diamond’s City Manger for University District and North Sound, notes that Diamond was selected because of their years of experience offering convenient International airport parking with affordable parking rates in Anchorage, Salt Lake City and Spokane airports. Dale says the Park n Fly features 435 spaces with room to expand and is only one mile from the Airport. “You have to drive right by our location on your way to the main airport terminal so its super convenient for business and leisure travelers.” Dale notes that Bellingham International Airport is the third largest commercial airport in Washington State and is rapidly expanding its facilities to accommodate a growing number of Canadian travelers.
Dale lists several amenities that are designed to enhance the parking experience, such as; secure gated entrance and exit; electronic credit card payment; two new
Continued on inside page
G r o w i n g To g e t h e r.
DialogS P R I N G 2 0 1 4
Continued on inside page
“Our people do important work. We
depend on them to produce results.
It’s vital that we invest in meeting
their needs.” Jon Diamond, President,
Diamond Parking Services Inc.
Dale Christie, Diamond’s City Manger for University District and North Sound, with Todd Squillante and Tom Blumenshine.
senior employees who have been here 30 or 40 years. This is a family business. And we all feel like a family.
Boasting 5 children and 6 granddaughters, Rick says he met Janis, his wife of 40 years, at a Diamond Parking lot. “I was parking cars at an event near Key Arena in Seattle and she was grocery shopping nearby. I had to move her car because she was blocked in. I guess she liked the way I looked.”
Rick still works a full schedule, splitting his time between the 4th and Columbia Garage in downtown Seattle and event parking at Seattle Center. Any plans for retirement? “Everyday is different. Each day is a gift. People are always coming and going. I exercise every day just by getting out of bed. I’m breathing and so I’m exercising. And I’m going to keep working.”
When it comes to careers, change has become the norm. According to the U.S. Labor Department many people hold at least 10 different jobs between the ages of 18 and 40. And that’s precisely what makes Rick Jeffries so unusual. On March 1st, Rick achieved a milestone that few others can match. “I’ve been working for the Diamond Parking family for 50 years.” No question that more people are working longer and retiring later than ever before, but very few make it past 50 years at a single employer. “Rick’s 50 year tenure with us puts him among a handful of employees nationwide that have celebrated a golden work anniversary. We’re just glad he has spent five decades being part of our family,” notes Jon Diamond, President.
Rick’s career with Diamond began in 1964. His previous experience at the Bon Marche Garage (now Macy’s) in downtown Seattle and at the Seattle Center Garage during the World’s Fair in 1962, earned him a well-deserved reputation as a troubleshooter. “I was always good at anticipating problems and quickly finding solutions,” quips Rick. Throughout his 50 years with Diamond, Rick says he has always felt like the company belonged partly to him. “I stayed with Diamond because they were always fair to me. We have a lot of
Rick Jeffries, Area Supervisor, 4th & Columbia Garage, Seattle
shuttles operating 24/7, as well as RV & boat storage. Dale says his Facility Manager, Todd Squillante along with Area Supervisor, Tom Blumenshine, will take the lead in staffing the Park n Fly 7 days a week. Catering to long term, monthly and daily customers, Dale says his goal is simple – “Provide the best customer service possible because we gain and retain on the service we provide.”
Dale joined Diamond parking 3 years ago. He began his parking career in Seattle as Area Supervisor and was quickly promoted to Operations Manager. He has been in his current position as City Manger since 2013. Previously, Dale enjoyed a successful entrepreneurial career in the private sector. The Park n Fly has its own website and contact number: Bellinghamparknfly.com, 855-604-6044
Up, Up and Away Continued from cover
employees achieve their goals by putting in place good policies and procedures to support a good work environment and, ultimately, help Diamond service its customers more effectively. At Diamond, PMSI partners closely with the Payroll department to provide a robust and seamless HR department. Lisa and the PMSI team of 30 highly trained HR professionals are available to handle employee relations matters with the primary goal of generating positive working relationships that motivate employees to perform at their highest levels.
Lisa Kaminski, 425-576-1900 ext. 3 or [email protected], Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. PST.
Lisa Kaminski, Human Resources, PMSI
Investing in Our Employees Continued from cover
Congratulations
50 YEARS!
50-plus years on the job: An extremely rare bird
Steady, Reliable Growth Depends on Steady Reliable People
Family owned businesses like Diamond Parking have always relied on one key area of business that contributes greatly to our success – empowering our employees to do their best. It’s a proven fact that in business, empowered staff is committed, loyal and conscientious and because they feel confident that their input will be valued, listened to and acted on, they often serve as strong ambassadors for the company. At every level, we encourage our employees to openly share suggestions and ideas about their work. We provide structured ways to make their thoughts, feelings and observations known. We help them understand that their input is valued and benefits the company as a whole. As a result, our empowered employees are able to create a feeling of true customer service that ultimately yields much greater customer loyalty. Empowering employees is the dream of many companies. At Diamond we have turned that dream into an everyday reality. When our highly motivated, well-trained internal staff interacts with our success minded external clients and customers, we build a foundation that ensures long-term steady, reliable growth.
from the
President’s desk
Jon Diamond
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AheAd of the Curve
CAnAdiAn Corner
Vancouver is a dynamic and growing Vancouver is a city with many opportunities. Since hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, our City has become even more known in the international community. The increased exposure has created additional interest in business development, real estate, industry, and tourism. The growth we experienced both before and after the Olympics continues to pay dividends by creating new opportunities for our community, and local businesses such as Diamond Parking.
We feel a strong connection with our community. Vancouver is a big city, but not so big that we cannot stay connected with our corporate neighbors through our associations with BOMA, the Safer Parking Initiative, and many business improvement associations throughout Metro Vancouver. Keeping in touch with the community gives us a sense of involvement and commitment to the area. This allows us to make meaningful contributions in the community and be a positive influence on
other corporate entities by setting a good example.
Diamond Parking has been operating in Vancouver for 15 years. We continue to experience exponential growth in this market. 2013 was a record year for Diamond Parking Vancouver. We attribute our success to a strong belief in customer service and dedication to our clients. Our growth comes from enhancing the properties that we already manage, and actively pursuing new opportunities where we can help create a more positive parking situation for property managers and property owners.
The Olympic Torch burned brightly once again in
Vancouver during the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. Four years later, Vancouver continues to
shine by creating local, national and international
business opportunities.
Stephen Kozlowski, Vice President, Diamond Parking Hawaii, is now a three time winner of Diamond’s prestigious “President’s Club Award.” “It’s very humbling to be selected again. All of our employees share in the honor,” says Stephen.
Stephen notes that this time the award seems “sweeter” because the business strategies that he and his team developed in 2012 blossomed in 2013. “Our growth was reflected on all the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii. We were able to combine our resources and expand our portfolio.”
Stephen acknowledges Diamond’s philosophy of allowing managers to make decisions at the local level as another reason for his success. “Our autonomy gives us a competitive advantage.” The President’s Club Award is a large plaque. Stephen says the first thing he did upon returning to Hawaii was have his office manager remove his name and add “To all our employees.”
President Award: Stephen Kozlowski – Honolulu, HI
City Manager of the Year: Joe Koontz – US – Seattle, WA
Michael Murray – Canada – Vancouver, BC
Real Estate Manager of the Year:Audrey Church – Seattle, WA
Outstanding Achievement Real Estate: Dave Potter – Edmonton, AB
A w A r d r e c i p i e n t s
special Achievement Real Estate: Michael Jackson – Seattle, WA
City Manager – Real Estate: Ken Kime – Bellevue, WADan Geiger – Spokane, WASheila Irish – Tacoma, WADale Christie – University District and North Sound, WAMike Poirier – Vancouver, BC
Outstanding Achievement Operations:Leona Ahlo – Honolulu, HIAndrea Pierce – Spokane, WAMatt Samuel – Anchorage, AK
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Michael Murray, Joe Koontz City Managers of the Year
Stephen Kozlowski, President’s Award Winner with Jon Diamond
ANNUAL SEMINAR – ELEVATED!!!“ELEVATE” was the theme for the 2014 seminar this year held at the Rio Hotel and Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Our City Managers attended from our US locations in California, Utah, Oregon, Hawaii, Idaho, Washington, and Alaska – and our Canadian locations in British Columbia and Alberta.
Jon Diamond, President, began the seminar with a review of 2013, stating that 2013 was a very good year for the company. We had record revenues and continued to increase our location count. Every year brings new opportunities and Jon challenged each of our attendees to “Elevate” their efforts in every facet of how they do business in order for Diamond Parking to remain an industry leader.
Our in-house speakers this year shared their vast experience and successes. They gave our managers the keys to “Elevate” the standards in new location acquisitions, operating existing locations, purchasing new locations, hiring practices and managing our HR issues. Our managers received the tools to perform at an Elevated level of performance and accountability.
We at Diamond Parking look forward to 2014 with a strong commitment to maintaining the highest standards of quality in the parking industry.
Real estate & OpeRatiOns seminaRJan. 22 - 25, 2014
Dale Christie – University District and North Sound, WAShiela Irish – Tacoma, WAShannon Mahaffey – Seattle, WAKen Kime – Bellevue, WA
“Turn Around City:”Alex Isvanca – San Diego, CA
Prospector Award:Matt Samuel – Anchorage, AK
R E A L E S T A T E & O P E R A T I O N S S E M I N A R • J A N . 2 5 - 2 7 , 2 0 1 4
Elvis
also stopped in to Celebrate!
Extra Fun Time!
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Your observations, ideas and opinions are very important to us. Whether you are a landlord, customer or employee, you can use Actionline to provide comments, suggestions or observations; to ask questions, voice concerns, report situations, or to forward information that you feel may need attention.
Actionline is served by an independent communication services firm. Through this service, you may provide your personal contact information and receive a response directly from Diamond Parking. Or, you may provide your personal contact information, request to remain anonymous to the company, and receive a reply through the Actionline service.
You may contact Actionline by e-mail at [email protected], by telephone at 1-800-426-0426 (day or night, toll-free) or by using a postage-paid mailer available at any Diamond Parking field office.
We want to congratulate those employees who are celebrating 10 or more years with Diamond Parking.
Thank you for your dedication!
50+ YearsRichard Jeffries United Parking 50 years
30+ YearsSteven Chaves Honolulu 34 yearsYolanda Ang Corporate 30 years
20+ YearsJeff Sandborn Honolulu 26 yearsHoward Nez Salt Lake City Airport 25 yearsCharito Lagua Honolulu 22 yearsMakonen Redae Seattle Attended 22 yearsYohanes Weldemariam Seattle Attended 21 yearsUte Greider Seattle Attended 20 years
10+ Years Amanuel Abraham Seattle Attended 14 yearsSeyoum Sitota Seattle Attended 14 yearsMussie Tsehaye Seattle Self-Park 14 yearsDouglas Schroeder Bellevue 13 yearsAzeb Wosene Seattle Attended 13 yearsGugsa Getachew Seattle Attended 13 yearsMesay Mekonnen United Parking 13 yearsNegusse Abay Vancouver, BC 13 yearsQuentin Sannes Spokane 12 yearsDanita Robinson Corporate 11 yearsJasmine-Victoria Crusat Kona 10 yearsPaul Archuleta Salt Lake City Airport 10 yearsSeyum Debesay Seattle Self-Park 10 yearsDawit Mengistu Seattle Self-Park 10 years
diAmond feedbACk
ACtionline
Employment OpportunitiesDiamond Parking is a full-service parking operator which prides itself on the quality of its employees. We do everything possible to accommodate our clients and make sure each and every client is satisfied.
Such exceptional service can only be delivered by hiring the brightest and hardest working people in the industry.
If you are interested in joining Diamond Parking, please e-mail your resume to: [email protected].
Diamond Parking is an equal opportunity employer.
We welcome your comments: Diamond Dialog is published by Diamond Parking. For comments and suggestions please write to us at: [email protected].
To learn more about the Diamond Difference visit www.diamondparking.com
Scan code with a smart phone
diAmond AnniversAries
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Extra Fun Time!
EXPERIENCED. We draw on the substance and depth of decades of experience to assist property owners and building managers to develop comprehensive plans for maximizing their parking potential.
WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED. From parking facilities in every conceivable size of commercial buildings to major hotels, shopping centers, hospitals, sports arenas, multilevel garages and ‘Park N Fly’ facilities – we’ve done it. And we can excel for you too.
Bring us your parking challenge. We’ll find the best solution.
