Our culture is principles-based, opportunity-centric, process-oriented, and results-driven. We have nine principles that continuously guide our work.  The first two principles “Customers First” and “Do the Right Thing.  Act With Integrity.” are complimentary and paramount over all the others.  We would not exist without our customers, and we cannot achieve our goals without treating customers and our team members with integrity.  A culture of integrity and trust opens doors of opportunity and provides a clear competitive advantage for Advantus. We are committed to building our business with integrity, and we have a reputation for dealing honestly and fairly with our partners, customers, and team members.

CUSTOMERS FIRST

  • Advantus would not exist without our customers.
  • We cannot achieve our goals without highly satisfied customers.  If our customers win, we win.
  • Our customers are the source of some of our most successful acquisitions and greatest product lines.
  • We define our customers as the end users of our products, our retail and commercial partners and buyers.
  • We also define our internal customers as our sales partners and reps and departments.  We help each other win

DO THE RIGHT THING. ACT WITH INTEGRITY.

  • Acting with integrity is a necessary foundation for personal and company success.
  • A culture of integrity and trust opens doors of opportunity and provides a clear competitive advantage for Advantus.
  • We are committed to building our business with integrity, and we have a reputation for dealing honestly and fairly with our partners, customers, and associates.
  • Our commitment to integrity and our reputation is the foundation for our past and future successes.

HIRE AND DEVELOP GREAT PEOPLE.

  • Getting the right people on our team is our most important task.
  • Exceptional people thrive in our high-opportunity, results-oriented work environment.
  • We are serious about recruiting, developing, and retaining the best talent available.
  • Our focus on growth and adapting helps us provide growth opportunities for our team members.

EMBRACE GROWTH AND CHANGE.

  • If we are not moving forward, we are moving backward.
  • Growth and change is often uncomfortable, so we have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
  • We challenge ourselves and each other to take balanced risks to advance innovation and try new things.

PLAY OFFENSE. BE RELENTLESS.

  • We are not ok with the status quo and constantly strive to do better, setting the bar high for ourselves and each other.
  • We are more interested in the next mountain to climb than in resting and celebrating our wins.
  • When in doubt, push a little further.
  • Always sharpen the cost, the process, and the tool.

EXECUTION IS EVERYTHING.

  • The best-laid plans mean nothing without action.
  • We seek fact-based, root cause solutions, not temporary patches, to drive our improvement efforts.
  • Consistent execution is the fastest way to build trust with each other and with our customers.

BE ACCOUNTABLE. OWN IT.

  • We are OK with being held accountable and do so in a professional and direct manner that is focused on achieving personal and company success.
  • While we strive for perfection, mistakes are some of the best opportunities to learn and train to not repeat them—if we hold ourselves and each other accountable and are honest and open about them.
  • We are accountable for our results and we deliver; we are non-political and not bureaucratic; we have high integrity and respect for others.
  • Autograph your work with excellence.

WORK HARD. ADD VALUE. FIND A BETTER WAY.

  • We continuously apply creative problem-solving skills to our products, services, and processes.
  • Sometimes work is work, and that’s ok.
  • Continuous improvement is better than postponed perfection.
  • We invite and expect our team members to add value wherever they can.

AVOID WASTE. BE FRUGAL.

  • Waste is a deadly sin—we eliminate it everywhere we can.
  • Being frugal is not about saving money regardless of the cost.  It is about getting value and avoiding waste.
  • Price is what you pay, value is what you get.
  • Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.
  • Financial success enables us to continually invest back into our businesses and our team.
  • Being smart and frugal enable us to survive and thrive when the rain comes.