TECO has enjoyed a busy and productive 2024 so far. With ongoing capital projects and other plant upgrades, the events team has helped keep our staff connected throughout the year by planning fun and engaging occasions that enhance the employee experience. It’s important that we cultivate a strong culture to advance our mission.
In February, TECO hosted its annual awards banquet, with a “Casino Royale” theme. The yearly event honored 13 employees with awards for service periods ranging from five to 25 years. In addition, the banquet awarded two employees with recognition for their 40 years of service, marking the second and third employees in TECO’s history to reach the milestone. TECO also continued its quarterly birthday celebrations by honoring each employee’s birthday with sweet treats and light snacks. Each celebration is open to all employees and contractors on-site and even offers games during lunch, with a few lucky attendees taking home special treats over the past few months.
In April, TECO welcomed a mechanical engineering student group from the University of Houston to the plant and gave them a tour of our facilities. Though it’s not an event, these tours are a great opportunity for different departments to connect and work together to educate external groups and help strengthen our community relationships. The group’s focus was to tour TECO’s combined heat and power-based system to research an efficiency improvement measure for a thermal design project. During the tour, students had the opportunity to witness first-hand thermodynamic applications related to their field of study, including a sneak peek into the new gas turbine generator. Each student relished the opportunity to see the scale of TECO’s plant and industrial equipment.
Later in the month, TECO held one of its most anticipated employee events, the TECO Family Picnic at the Houston Zoo. Each year, this occasion marks a special day where all employees and their families come together to experience the famous Houston Zoo and make memories. The day was filled with fun experiences, including the zoo’s special dinosaur exhibit, unlimited carousel rides, and face painting. With over 100 attendees, it was a popular and festive event.
Moving forward to July, the events team held its annual Independence Day luncheon. Employees were treated to a delicious lunch. Later in the month, our staff came together on a Saturday to cheer on the Houston Astros as they battled their bitter rival, the Texas Rangers. Earlier in the week, Hurricane Beryl struck Houston, impacting millions. The impact had no impact on the plant or TECO’s service to its customers, thanks to the hard work and preparation of our employees. The event came at the perfect time as our staff appreciated the opportunity to relax after a crazy week and enjoy watching a game at the ballpark.
We look forward to an exciting second half of the year as we continue to celebrate the plant and the people who ensure TECO’s success.
