Burke Distributing
Burke Distributors is an award winning, 3rd generation, family-owned beverage distribution company serving markets from the borders of New Hampshire to the tip of Cape Cod.
Their product line includes beer brands such as MillerCoors, Sam Adams and Pabst; non-alcoholic beverage brands such as Red Bull, Pellegrino, IBC Root Beer; and spirits such as El Dorado Rum, Merlot & Sons Cordials, and Los Generales Tequila.
Business Challenge:
In 2005, President Bill Burke needed a plan to address his company’s HR needs during the maternity leave of the company’s HR manager. His solution was to outsource Karen Slein, who was hired to temporarily manage staffing, employee relations, performance management and benefits administration during the employee’s leave of absence.
Upon the return of the HR Manager, Karen was asked to help with special HR projects that Burke needed completed, but could not complete in house either due to a lack of resources and time, or expertise. Thus began a long and productive partnership between Slein & Company and Burke Distributing.
Over the last 7 years Karen has been the Go-To HR resource for Burke and today continues to serve at the pleasure of the Burke family to support the company’s continued growth and expansion.
HR Services Delivered (2005 – present):
- Transitioned Burke to a 21st century payroll system.
- Worked with in-house HR staff to recruit and orientate more than 100 employees in 7 years, ranging from senior level positions to associates in the roles of sales representatives, merchandisers and category managers.
- Rewrote and keeps current the Burke Employee Handbook.
- Delivers Myers-Briggs Personality and 360 Feedback assessments for senior and middle management.
- Secured a workforce training grant from the state of Massachusetts in the amount of $200,000 to support customer service and sales training for Burke personnel.
- Designed and delivered all of the following customized seminars:
- Sexual Harassment
- “Keeping the Good Ones” to curb employee attrition.
- “Reasonable Suspicion Training” for Drug & Alcohol Abuse
- Managed a Department of Labor audit.
On Karen Slein:
“Karen Slein plays an integral role in this family business and is our go-to HR expert. What makes her special is that she understands the sensibilities and dynamics of family businesses and approaches her work with kid gloves, always carefully explaining why we may need to move our HR forward in some way, or create a new policy or procedure.”
Kerry Walsh, Human Resources Manager
Burke Distributors