How 9/11 Changed the Workplace: Part 2

Today, we’re continuing our look at how the horrific events on this date eleven years ago affected employees and businesses throughout the country. If you didn’t have the opportunity to share your experience in the comments section of yesterday’s post, we encourage you to add your thoughts below.

• On Sept. 11, 2001, Carlann Fergusson -- now owner of Propel Forward LLC -- was a newly appointed manufacturing manager for Intel Corporation and oversaw about 700 employees who made chips for automatic breaking systems and cell phones. Most of the factory workers described their jobs as mundane and had no clue what products the chips were running – until 9-11. “I was home with the flu and had to be woken up by the shift manager to inform me of the events unfolding,” Fergusson says. “I felt awful that I could not be there with my team as they went through our national shock and grieving. I typed up an email that conveyed my emotions and told them that if they ever questioned if what they do matters, this was evidence that it did. Without the quality and reliability of our chips, those critical cell phone calls from the airplanes, the calls of loved ones saying goodbye to their families, the calls of those letting loved ones know they were OK, would not have happened. That day connected those 700 people to a purpose. They could feel proud that their attention to detail mattered.”

• A new business venture with a heartfelt purpose grew out of 9/11 for Bill Kraus and Steve Newton. Former executives of Outback Steakhouse and Underarmour, the two opened Mission BBQ in Glen Burnie, Md., in September 2011 to honor American heroes. The restaurant has become a source of pride in the community and a haven for the military and their families, offering support and gratitude along with all-American food. Proceeds from special menu items go towards various charities, including the Wounded Warrior Project and the USO.

Image courtesy of Thinkstock Photos.