The Facebook corporate culture at Menlo Park in California features a perk-filled environment that creates happy efficient employees. Brain power takes a lot of energy, so this 57-acre amenity-filled campus gives “home-is-where-the-heart-is”, a whole new meaning. A small city within itself, Facebook has it all. Energy efficient on-campus transportation system, a bank, barbershop, barbecue shack, burger joint, candy and ice cream shops, coffee shop, dental and physician offices, dry cleaners, Mexican restaurant, pizzeria, sushi restaurant, video arcade, and more are all available to employees free of charge or at a very low cost.
All these perks are good, but the new woodworking perk is GREAT! A newly added WOODCRAFT mini-store and state-of-the-art WOODSHOP, for Facebook employees use only, have just been added to the Facebook Campus! On Tuesday, April 30th, San Carlos Woodcraft owners, Eric and Charmaine McCrystal and their crew held an open house for the employees of Facebook introducing them to the new Woodshop on the Facebook Campus.
“This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done! Facebook has allowed Woodcraft to come aboard with an innovative idea to teach creativity in their workplace environment.”…Eric McCrystal
Several vendors participated in the open house and there were free hot dogs and drinks available to all.
The San Carlos California Woodcraft store has teamed with Facebook to offer it’s employees a place to take their minds, hearts and hands to new levels of imagination and constructive productivity. According to San Carlos Woodcraft owner, Eric McCrystal, “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done! Facebook has allowed Woodcraft to come aboard with an innovative idea to teach creativity in their workplace environment.”
Inside the Woodcraft mini-store, Facebook employees will find a complete woodshop set up and ready to facilitate any and all of their woodworking aspirations.
After taking a three hour safety class, taught by the Woodcraft crew, the new Facebook employee woodworkers can schedule shop time to work on any woodworking project they desire, from turning to furniture building.
Facebook has purchased some of the best tools available for use as a perk by their employees and have provided an ideal work space for their convenience.
Woodcraft of San Carlos is providing the knowledge, expertise and supervision of the shop. They will teach all safety classes and offer a complete schedule of woodworking classes that will be available Monday through Saturday to the employees of Facebook. The shop will be open daily Tuesday through Friday. In addition Woodcraft will maintain the inventory of project supplies and consumables including lumber, finishes, glues, small turning kits and turning blanks for purchase.
Other merchandise will be available to students in the shop as needed and will be transferred from the store, usually in a day or two.
Laser engraving is also available and Facebook is considering bringing in a CNC machine in the future.
The new shop drew lots of interest from the Facebook employees, many of which commented that they could not wait to begin working in the shop and wanted to get signed up for the safety class as soon as possible. It is Facebook’s goal to have additional artistic presence on campus through this program where the Facebook employees can express themselves through all woodworking venues and to help alleviate work related burnout.
Close to one hundred employees signed up initially to receive notice of the class schedule which should begin the first week of May. It is hoped that as word spreads and woodworking projects start to appear across the campus, additional employees will take advantage of this service. This is a whole new concept for Woodcraft and for Facebook. Eric and Charmaine anticipate a very successful venture with the Facebook group. We look forward to seeing all that comes from this endeavor.
Woodcraft Regional Franchise Consultant, Ron Young stated, “This is a great opportunity for Woodcraft that we hope catches on to the many other tech companies in providing these same perks to companies such as Microsoft, Apple, and Google.”
This is also a fantastic opportunity to bring woodworking to the new and younger generations, helping it thrive for generations to come.
So stay linked as the employees of Facebook join the wonderful world of woodworking!
Be sure to check out these Woodcraft Facebook pages:
Woodcraft’s Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/WoodcraftWoodworking!
Woodcraft San Carlos Facebook Page at: https://www.facebook.com/SanCarlosWoodcraft
Woodcraft Magazine Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/woodcraftmagazine
auf Wiedersehen! …Frank
