It’s all about fellowship and fun in the sun at Korellis’ 8th annual Family Outing

On Sunday, September 7, Korellis held its annual Family Outing at Lemon Lake in Crown Point. The Korellis team brought their families along for an afternoon filled with delicious food and fun activities. Throughout its eight-year history, the annual Family Outing has been held at Lemon Lake, a location that is near many Korellis employees’ homes and that offers beautiful views and plenty of room for fun and games. The generosity of sponsors such as State Lumber, Munster Donut, Bucher Technologies, Cintas, and Lansing Cleaners helped make this year’s event possible.

“We don’t view this company as a bunch of people working together; we think of it as a family,” Pete Korellis, interim CEO of Korellis, said. “I’d like to think this event demonstrates that we value our employees and recognize them as the ones who make this company a success. It’s really gratifying to see just how many families this company provides a living for. I hope that everyone here today knows that Korellis doesn’t just care about our workers, but each of their families as well.”

There was much in store at this year’s Family Outing. The cooks from Ace Catering & Banquets served up an assortment of summertime foods, including burgers, brats, chicken breasts, pasta salad, and potato salad. The attendees also chowed down on popcorn, chips, soda, and drinks from the open bar.

Peter Wilson, vice president of operations for Korellis, just stepped into his current position two weeks ago. He appreciates the opportunity to get to know Korellis’ employees and their families at the annual Family Outing.

“What better way is there to show that Korellis is a family than to bring all of our families together?” Wilson said. “Our guys and gals work hard, so we have to take the time to not focus on work for a bit, hang out, celebrate, and grow our relationships. I’ve enjoyed meeting everyone at the office, but interacting with them and their families at the annual Family Outing is awesome. The fact that these employees came to this event to spend time with their coworkers, some of whom they already see throughout the week, shows me that they really do like the people they work with.”

Every year, the Family Outing features a raffles and a cornhole tournament. This year, Korellis and its vendors donated items like a Coleman cooler, lawn chairs, a premium cheeseboard, and a wireless speaker to be raffled off. Participants could also enter to win two vacation trips, both of which were valued at $2,000.

The cornhole tournament has quickly become a favorite part of the Family Outing. Teams who wanted to play contributed a $10 entry fee, which created the prize pool for winners. Six teams joined the bracket this year, with the final match played on the Korellis-branded boards. Third-place finishers received their entry fee back, and the rest of the pot was split 30/70 between the second and first-place teams. As always, the champions signed the Korellis boards to mark their victory alongside winners from past years.

“The family spirit of Korellis is on full display at this event,” Jason Bushman, carpentry and masonry superintendent at Korellis and a second-place cornhole tournament winner, said. “Everybody is getting along and having fun. We even have some friendly competition with the cornhole tournament. This event helps improve communication between Korellis’ field and office teams and boosts camaraderie. I love this company because so many good people work here. It’s great to meet the other employees’ families and get a glimpse into some dynamics you don’t see every day.”

The younger attendees played with volleyballs, soccer balls, footballs, a tug-of-war rope, and a giant bowling set. They could also get face and body paint designs, an opportunity even some of the adults took advantage of.

“It’s a great way to bring all of the families together,” Ed Vicich, a commercial project manager for Korellis, said. “I enjoy seeing the people I work with every day and their families at the annual Family Outing. It isn’t a stuffy corporate event, which is really nice. We all work very hard throughout the week alongside each other, and I like seeing that, even on a day when we aren’t working, we’re here together as a company, a community, and a family. I hope that everyone else goes home recognizing that.”

Visit korellis.com to keep up with Korellis Inc.’s company updates and announcements about services and history.