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tives weekly, and they eat lunch with our ofÞ ce personnel on a daily basis.Ó As the centerÕs full-service dining facility serves three square meals a day, it also delivers so much more; improving the bond between a wide cross section of different skillsets, job titles and human demographics. Beyond this, the center also contains a dorm for students taking courses and crews who come in the night before sometimes spend the night so that they can catch their next boat, refreshed on the next day. Guidry insists that Kirby wants its staff to have oppor- tunities to grow within the company. ÒWhile we do hire a few skilled folks every year, we train 95 percent or more of our skilled employees. Promoting from within and em- ployee development is a huge priority for us.Ó This fall, Kirby began teaching two USCG-approved engineering courses; QualiÞ ed Member of the Engineering Department (QMED), and the other is Designated Duty Engineer.Ó RETURN ON INVESTMENT: MEASURABLE GAINSKirbyÕs investment in employees has paid off through its strong safety record, employee-retention rate and cus- tomer satisfaction with services, Guidry said. Shares in Kirby, traded on the New York Stock Exchange, reached an all-time high in September. Success, from purely a hu- man resources standpoint, has been a simple formula for Kirby: Bring the people in early, taking them through the in-house training process, show them how they have a ca- reer at Kirby, paying them fairly and being consistent. For Jim Guidry, the heart of the Kirby Corporation is and will always be its employees. Retaining those em- ployees, therefore, has paid off handsomely. ItÕs a simple enough concept. So, too, is KirbyÕs success. www.marinelink.com MN October2013 Layout 32-49.indd 35MN October2013 Layout 32-49.indd 359/30/2013 11:30:05 AM9/30/2013 11:30:05 AM