S.S. White Technology Owner Passes Out $100 Bills To Employees

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- In today's cost-cutting climate, employees can't help but cross their fingers whenever they're called into a company meeting.

Such was the case at S.S. White Technologies and its subsidiary, Shukla Medical, of St. Petersburg when they recently assembled for the monthly employee town hall meeting.

But instead of handing out pink slips, human resources manager Sheryl Sheppard pulled out a wad containing $12,000 and handed each employee a crisp $100 bill.

She was greeted with thunderous applause, grins, and, yes, even a few misty eyes.

“The money will help.” said David Kleer. “But for the owner to reach into his pocket and give this bonus to every worker is unbelievable. He will be blessed for this.”

“I’ve worked in warehousing for over 20 years and have never seen anyone share good news this way. I love this company," said shipping and receiving supervisor Mike McKeever. “This company treats us like a family."

“This is not the only time the owner has surprised us," said Nancy Santiago who joined S.S. White in January. “At that time, he called us all into a meeting and told us that the company will pay 100 percent of the premium for medical, dental and life insurance. I nearly cried.”

The owner they're referring to is CEO and President Rahul Shukla.

S.S. White Technologies, founded in 1844, is one of the oldest manufacturing companies in the USA. It was founded by legendary dentist Samuel Stockton White in 1844. Its original products are now displayed in the Smithsonian.

In 1973, after finishing his studies, Shukla, took a low-level factory job at S.S. White. Fifteen years later, he bought the company.

Today, S.S. White and its subsidiary, Shukla Medical, located in St. Petersburg, India and the United Kingdom, is considered the world’s No. 1 manufacturer of flexible shafts for aircraft and other machinery as well as orthopedic surgical tools designed to extract worn or broken implant. The company proudly boasts that 98 percent of all the airplanes made in the world have at least one S.S. White part on them.

After decades of being headquartered in Piscataway, New Jersey, Shukla decided to move the entire company, including 40 truckloads of machinery, to the Essilor building at 8300 Sheen Drive in St. Petersburg in January.

The building had stood empty for more than five years so Shukla expected a production lag as the company converted the building and set up its array of equipment.

His employees proved him wrong.

“We not only got settled in beautiful Florida in record time but this month we broke our all-time monthly billing records,” said Shukla to the assembled employees.

Then he said something they didn't expect.

“To thank you just with words is not enough," Shukla said "At the end of my speech, we will give a cash bonus of one hundred dollars to every employee.”

Afterward, Shukla said the bonus was the least he could do.

“This was our way to tell employees that they all can celebrate our successes," he said.

Sheppard said Florida has proven to be a smart move for the company.

“Since moving here, we have hired over 75 factory and office employees from the local market and we are still hiring," she said.

Images via Shukla Medical

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