Where Core Values Meet Action
At Martin Supply, our culture is built on a foundation of trust, excellence, and teamwork. The Martin Way isn’t just a set of principles—it’s how we live out our five core values every day. Our 30 fundamentals provide clarity on how we work, support each other, and deliver value to our customers, guiding our actions and shaping our decisions.
Each week, we focus on one fundamental, reinforcing its importance through discussions, real-world examples, and practical applications. This ongoing commitment ensures The Martin Way remains a living, breathing part of our culture, not just words on a page. By embracing these fundamentals, we elevate our work, strengthen relationships, and help our customers operate better.
This is The Martin Way—and it’s what sets us apart.
1. Provide Exceptional Service.
It’s all about customer experience. With every customer interaction, do the little things, as well as the big things, that surprise people. Make every interaction stand out for its helpfulness. Create the “WOW” factor that turns customers, both internal and external, into raving fans.
2. Honor Commitments.
Do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it. Allow extra time for surprises and delays. If life gets in the way, communicate and agree on a new deliverable to be honored.
3. Have a Passion for Excellence.
Take pride in everything you do by striving for more than just “good enough”—aim for your best. Set high standards and always ask yourself, “Is this the best I can do?” Your work is your signature, make it bold.
4. Act with Integrity.
Show an unflinching commitment to doing the right thing in every action you take and in every decision you make. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it and make it right.
5. Be Positive.
You have the power to choose your attitude and approach situations with optimism and a positive mindset. Your attitude influences those around you. Share positivity in ways that feel authentic to you and help create an encouraging environment for everyone.
6. Celebrate Success.
Celebrate all wins big and small. Recognizing people doing things right is more effective than pointing out when they do things wrong. Regularly extend meaningful acknowledgment, appreciation and celebration — in all directions throughout our organization.
7. Own It.
Take personal responsibility for making things happen. Respond to every situation by looking for how we can do it, rather than explaining why it can’t be done. Be resourceful and show initiative. Don’t make excuses or wait for others to solve the problem. See issues through to their completion.
8. Practice Blameless Problem-Solving.
Demonstrate a solution focus, rather than pointing fingers or dwelling on problems. Identify lessons learned and use those lessons to improve ourselves and our processes so we don’t make the same mistake twice. Get smarter with every mistake. Learn from every experience.
9. Listen Generously.
Listening is more than simply “not speaking.” Give others your undivided attention, be present and engaged, put down or turn over the cell phone. Minimize distractions and let go of the need to agree or disagree. Suspend your judgment and be curious to know more, rather than jumping to conclusions.
10. Speak Straight.
Speak honestly in a way that helps to make progress. Say what you mean respectfully, and be willing to ask questions, share ideas, or raise issues that may cause conflict when it’s necessary for team success. Be courageous enough to say what needs to be said. Address issues directly with those who are involved or affected.
11. Be Curious.
In the search for the best solutions, challenge and question what you don’t understand. Don’t accept anything at “face value” if it doesn’t make sense to you. Be curious, ask thoughtful questions, and listen intently to the answers. Dig deeper to go beyond the expected. Ask the extra question.
12. ALL4ONE.
It’s about us and we, not me and I. Don’t let your ego get in the way of being ALL4ONE. Worrying about who gets credit or taking things personally is counterproductive. Make sure every decision is based only on advancing team goals and doing what’s best for the customer. Be there for each other and be willing to step into another role or help a teammate when that’s what’s required for success.
13. Treat Each Other Like A Teammate.
Our relationships go deeper than simply being teammates at work. We genuinely care for and about each other. Whether it’s a kind word during a tough stretch, a friendly smile each morning, or a helping hand in stressful times, show your compassion.
14. Be Proactive.
Anticipate issues and solve problems before they happen by planning for contingencies and addressing them in advance. Work with appropriate lead times. Preventing issues is always better than fixing them.
15. Recover Heroically.
We all know problems happen, but they do not define us – how we handle them does. Our best chance to “wow” is when a teammate or customer is upset and frustrated. Seize the moment and attack the problem. The bigger the problem, the greater our chance to show them what we are made of.
16. Have a Positive Impact.
Be an active part of your community. Build partnerships and give back by contributing your time, effort, and where appropriate, your resources, to make your community better. Every little bit matters. You can and do make a difference.
17. Be Passionate About Response Time.
Respond to questions and concerns quickly, whether it is in person, on the phone, via e-mail or text. This includes simply acknowledging that we got the question, we are “on it,” and also setting realistic expectations. Keep those involved continuously updated on the status of outstanding issues, ensuring both speed and quality in your communication.
18. Embrace Change and Growth.
What got us here is not the same as what will get us to the next level. Get outside your comfort zone, rather than hanging on to old ways of doing things. Be flexible and excited by the possibilities that change and growth bring.
19. Invest in Relationships.
Get to know your customers and team- mates on a more personal level. Talk more and e-mail less. Understand what makes others tick and what’s important to them. Strong relationships enable us to more successfully work through difficult issues and challenging times. Remember we are going through life together!
20. Deliver Results.
We help companies operate better. While effort is important, our customers expect results. Follow-up on everything and take responsibility to ensure that tasks get completed. Set high goals, use measurements to track your progress, and hold yourself accountable for achieving those results.
21. Keep Things Fun.
While our passion for excellence is real, remember that the world has bigger problems than the daily challenges that make up our work. Stuff happens. Keep perspective. Don’t take things personally or take yourself too seriously. Laugh every day.
22. Treat Everyone with Dignity and Respect.
Treat others in a way that honors their self-worth and respects their value as unique individuals, regardless of their background, appearance, or beliefs. Learn to walk in others’ shoes and to think from their perspective. Always act with kindness, compassion, and patience. Be open to learning from others, no matter what role they have.
23. Lead by Example.
The best way to influence others is through your own example. Walk the talk. Take responsibility, both formally and informally, to coach, guide, teach and mentor others. Be the change you want to see.
24. Know the Goal.
Ask enough questions to get absolute clarity about the goal or the problem we’re trying to solve. Know what success looks like for the other person or the customer. Get aligned with our priorities before you begin to work and end all meetings with clarity about action items, responsibilities, and due dates.
25. Be a Martin Ambassador.
We are all responsible for, and benefit from, the Martin image and reputation. Consider how your actions affect our collective brand. Be responsible stewards for the benefit of our shareholders, customers, suppliers, industry, the environment, and our communities. Make decisions that support our mission and in turn will be beneficial to our customers and us.
26. Own Your Work-Life Balance.
Take responsibility for protecting your own work-life balance by setting and communicating clear boundaries. Recognize when you need to take a break to refresh and recharge. At the same time, be mindful of others’ boundaries and respect their need to do the same.
27. Pay Attention to the Details.
The goal is to get things right, not simply to get them done. Double-check your work and get the details right the first time. Missing just one detail can have a big impact on a job. Focus on accuracy and precision, as well as speed.
28. Be Process-Driven.
Systems and processes are the backbone of our operations and support our ability to perform consistently. By being process-driven, we drive efficiencies, build trust, reduce errors and cost, all while creating a dependable experience for our customers.
29. Have a Tone of Friendliness.
Every conversation, meeting, phone call, email, text and voice mail sets the tone and creates a feeling. Be a thermostat, not a thermometer, by setting a tone of friendliness, warmth and helpfulness in every interaction.
30. Keep Making it Better.
Continuously evaluate how we work and look for ways to improve. Never settle for “the way it’s always been done.” Guard against complacency and seek opportunities to make things better, faster, and more efficient.