A sure sign of a company that values its employees is the longevity of their careers, spanning years, if not decades. Barron Collier Companies (BCC) in recent years has celebrated the retirements of some of its most prominent, long-term employees including Drew Muelenberg, the now retired Director of Taxation.
Drew began his journey at Barron Collier Companies in 1981 as an accountant. When he came on board, he and his co-workers were stepping into roles previously held by individuals who had dedicated their entire careers to the company. Drew’s first memory as an accountant was taking over an office from an 83-year-old employee who had worked for the Collier family for more than 60 years.
BCC has a rich legacy in Southwest Florida. What started as a land holding enterprise diversified into business ventures including agricultural operations, commercial and residential real estate development, and oil exploration and mineral management. As Drew stated, “Initially, I had to understand the complexities of a very diverse group of businesses. Over the last fifteen years, the biggest challenge was adapting to the evolution and expansion of various business entities and the sheer volume of such business sales and purchases.” Today, Barron Collier Companies continues to expand while maintaining the values and vision the company was founded with.
With the addition of new business ventures, employees often find themselves taking on new responsibilities to ensure smooth transitions. Employee growth has always been a cornerstone of BCC culture. Meulenberg shared, “From the beginning, they gave me responsibilities and got out of the way to let me do the job and I’ve always been provided whatever was needed to get the job done, including the tools, training and access to consultants. I still see the same environment today, and I believe it will remain this way, continuing to empower individuals to succeed and excel in their careers. I am certain this is one of the reasons people stay for such a long time.”
Investing in their employees makes BCC not only desirable for prospective employees, but also encourages current team members to continue enhancing their career trajectories. Drew’s journey illustrates this perfectly: starting an entry-level position and eventually leading the tax department. He was instrumental in bringing tax function in-house, ultimately saving the company significant resources.
As we celebrate the exemplary careers of dedicated professionals like Drew, BCC reaffirms its commitment to nurturing talent and fostering an environment where people can thrive for years to come.
Now that he has more time to himself, Drew’s plans for retirement are being taken one step at a time, “I promised myself at least three months of doing little to nothing. After that, I’m sure I’ll find something to do, possibly some part-time volunteer work, but nothing significant.” After the meaningful accomplishments and advances Drew made at BCC, he is most deserving of this next phase of his life.
