January 27, 2021

 

The new year started big.  Albion’s revitalization project, The Big Albion Plan, received a thumbs up in early Feb. Bill Dobbins, owner of Caster Concepts and Albion Reinvestment Corporation President, along with other ARC members and A.C.E Investment properties, put a lot of hard work into making this dream happen.

Along with all the big things happening in Albion, there were big stories to tell. On the Caster Cares site, these stories came alive through our Personal Perspective series, highlighting some of the people who make our company and our community so special.

Another goal heading into the new year was to empower employees to feel more like an integral part of the business. Our optional bi-weekly Great Game Of Business (GGOB) huddles turned out to be a great way to accomplish this goal. Over the last two years, participation numbers have grown from just a handful to having at least one member from each department.

Run Albion takes on a virtual view.

This also made us rethink the first run in the Run Albion series. We had a great turnout with the Run Albion Spring Pop-Up Run, with proceeds supporting the United Way’s efforts to provide food in Albion and Homer. The summer’s History Hustle and the Fall’s Forks 5K were both a big success, with both virtual and in-person participation. Even better, registration fees from these events are used as donations to nonprofit organizations to help keep them up and running!

At INNOVATE Albion, June featured the first class of seven students who spent the week learning about computer-aided design basics. As the summer progressed, more classes were offered that focused on how students could use CAD in their future.
The “Girls Who Code” club was also a hit. The club is part of a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to close the gender gap in technology. Other new courses, like the FIRST Lego League Introduction to Programming, continued through the fall and winter to the benefit of many students.

A full season of Swingin’ At The Shell was music to our ears

Another great season of Swingin’ at the Shell took us into fall. Every year, it seems like this will be the season that can’t be topped, and yet it is! A great group of musicians has graced the stage over the years, performing various musical styles to the delight of many. It has been a thoroughly rewarding experience for Caster Concepts and the other sponsors who help put on this event. Many friends have been gained along the way.

On a more personal note, employees received a Thanksgiving turkey and a Christmas ham as a “thank you” for all their hard work in keeping us a first-class organization. And while our Christmas party was certainly not our usual gathering, we were able to celebrate by having employee’s families come in one family at a time for a fun and present-filled holiday gathering. 2020 presented a lot of challenges, but there were many positives too. Now that we’ve taken a look back, here’s to looking forward to a great 2021.