It was a night filled with emotion, joy, and gratefulness. This is how we describe the Jubilee Gala hosted by Stara last Friday, October 7th. It is a way to thank and honor our employees who have been working for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years at Stara – years 2020, 2021, and 2022. The gala is traditionally held every year. But because of the Covid-19 pandemic in the last two years, the gala wasn’t held.
The gala gathered more than 1200 people. The jubilee employees work at the headquarters in the town of Não Me Toque, the state of the Rio Grande do Sul, at the unit in Argentina, and at the branches in the cities of Carazinho and Santa Rosa, both in the state of the Rio Grande do Sul. Each employee was allowed to have a plus one. The company management was there too. The gala was held in the new factory building in the city of Carazinho to mark its inauguration.
Every jubilee employee received a plaque as a gift for the working years dedicated to the company and as a special gift from Stara.
During his speech, the Stara CEO, Átila Stapelbroek Trennepohl, who was also one of the employees of the night (20 years working at the company), said how rewarding it is to celebrate this special moment. He also congratulated and thanked the employees. “I’m so proud to be part of this history. I’m pretty sure that not even in their wildest dreams the Stapelbroek family, who left The Netherlands, could imagine the magnitude and strength the company would be able to accomplish and have so many employees and be recognized worldwide”, says Átila.
He also highlighted how important the employees are to Stara: “The company’s most valuable asset is the people. Thank you to all of you for these years of dedication and commitment.”
The director of the Board of Directors, Mr. Gilson Trennepohl, also thanked the employees: “Thank you jubilees, for all these years writing your history inside Stara. Let’s keep believing in our dreams and grow more”, he highlighted.
Hundreds of employees were honored
One of them was Luiz Carlos Schmatz, who has been working for 40 years at Stara. “It was a very touching moment. It is rewarding to work in a company that appreciates its employees”, says Luiz. In addition, Luiz told us about the hard times that the company went through and the encouraging words from “Seu Chico” (one of the Stara’s founders), who convinced the employees not to give up on Stara back then. “If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be celebrating here today.
The employee Sérgio Dickmann, who has been working for 35 years at Stara, was honored too and described how touching he was: “I feel happy and that my mission has been accomplished. It’s 35 years of plenty of work, dedication, effort, and commitment. When I was hired in 1986, I was welcomed as I was at home. There had always had a respectful relationship with everyone. I’m very proud, and it’s a privilege to make part of this company. Back then, the company was small. But I was given the opportunity to work hard and follow all its significant growth.”
In 2020, 115 employees were jubilees. In 2021, around 201. And in 2022, 273 employees were jubilees.
