Uncertainty: Friend or Foe?
In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Amy Bonsall draws on her experience at IDEO to argue that uncertainty is an essential ingredient for creative growth rather than a flaw to be rushed through. She cautions against the use of the word “experiments” that can carry heavy expectations—rigid goals that trigger stress and shut down neural pathways—and instead advocates for the language of “light actions.”
By shifting from heavy experiments to small, curiosity-driven actions, leaders can foster a mindset of Pragmatic Innovation where the primary goal is learning rather than gaining immediate revenues. This approach allows teams to tap into their creative brains and build deeper trust while effectively learning and testing what really works.
Watch Amy’s talk and feel empowered to trade pressure for play, and ultimately unlock bigger and bolder growth opportunities.
Growing Up: How Paced Growth Changes as Companies Mature
In 1999, we launched a 20,000-square-foot design center to streamline the building process—a logical first step toward serving customers more completely. The success of this initiative reinforced our commitment to growth through added capabilities. Helping customers by expanding what we could do for them became our central lens as we looked forward.
Announcing the Third Annual Best Evergreen Companies® List and Evergreen Company of the Year® Award
We are thrilled to announce our third annual Best Evergreen Companies list and Evergreen Company of the Year.
We are honored to share the 2025 Best Evergreen Companies list, recognizing 30 companies that became eligible by either completing the rigorous process of becoming Certified Evergreen® or hosting a two-and-a-half-day Tugboat Institute® Exemplar Visit. Together, they stand as examples of high achievement across all the Evergreen 7Ps® principles.
These outstanding companies span a wide variety of industries, geographies, ages, and ownership structures, yet they are united by a commitment to building enduring businesses characterized by determination, patience, and an unwavering desire to improve. We celebrate these companies, and all Evergreen® companies, for serving as the backbone of their communities and for contributing to a better world for all of us.
The winners are listed alphabetically, not in rank order, as we aim to celebrate each of these remarkable companies equally.
2025 BEST EVERGREEN COMPANIES LIST
128 Expert Home Services
Awesome
BSI Constructors
Cathedral Holdings, Inc.
DeLong’s Inc.
ECRS
Edward Jones
Enterprise Mobility
Hello! Destination Management
High Plains Bank
In Time Tec, LLC
John Burns Research & Consulting
Johnson, Kendall & Johnson, Inc.
Larry Walker Associates, Inc.
Loadstar
MCG Explore Design
Meijer
Northgate Market
O.C. Tanner
Redeemers Group, Inc.
Rincon Consultants, Inc.
SAS Institute
SRC Holding
Stotz Equipment
Supportworks, Inc.
Tech Systems
Telligen
The Motz Corp
Torch Technologies, Inc.
Whether you are a job seeker looking for a career that will bring you fulfillment and Purpose, a founder looking for inspiration as you build your company, or a consumer or supplier looking to build a relationship with a stable partner you can trust, this list is a wonderful place to start. We encourage you to learn more about each of these exceptional companies, as some may be in your community, employ someone you know, or significantly impact the areas where you live. Keep your eye out for them and for other Evergreen companies; you’ll start to notice them everywhere and they will inspire and impress you!
And with that, we are thrilled to announce the company that rose to the top in our assessment that we have named the 2025 Evergreen Company of the Year:
2025 EVERGREEN COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Radio Flyer, led by Tugboat Institute member and third-generation leader Robert Pasin, was founded in 1917 by his grandfather, Antonio Pasin, an Italian immigrant who arrived in Chicago with little more than determination and his craftsman’s skill. He began building wooden wagons on the city’s West Side, and what started as the Liberty Coaster Wagon soon became something far more enduring: a company built to last for generations.
Antonio’s entrepreneurial spirit carried the company through extraordinary seasons of American history. During the Great Depression, he earned the nickname “Little Ford” by applying mass-production and metal-stamping techniques to wagon manufacturing—bringing pragmatic innovation to a simple childhood product. Through world fairs, wartime, and the postwar baby boom, the little red wagon became woven into the fabric of American life.
More than a century later, Radio Flyer remains Purpose-driven, People First, Private, and a Pragmatic Innovator.
As a longtime Tugboat Institute member, Robert has generously shared his wisdom and insights with our community—speaking at Tugboat Institute Summit in 2017 and at Tugboat Institute Gathering of Teams in 2024. Most notably, in 2019, he and the Radio Flyer team hosted a Tugboat Institute Exemplar Visit at their Chicago headquarters, opening their history, strategy, culture, best practices, and key processes to our members with transparency and candor.
Radio Flyer lives the Evergreen 7P principles in an integrated and disciplined way. A few 7Ps examples illustrate the depth of that commitment and Evergreen maturity:
Purpose: To bring smiles to kids of all ages and to create warm memories that last a lifetime. This north star drives everything they do—from capital allocation, product development, and leadership development to their community involvement.
People First: The defining element in their founding DNA. Their culture, systems, processes, and rewards are built to support learning, sharing, growth, and leadership at every level.
Pragmatic Innovation: A legacy strengthened under Robert’s leadership through “planting many seeds”—encouraging numerous small experiments, learning from each, and nurturing the ideas that aligned with their Purpose and customer interest.
As an exemplary Evergreen leader, Robert embodies steady, purpose-driven leadership. His willingness to share both successes and hard-earned lessons strengthens our entire community.
Radio Flyer represents what is possible when a company commits fully to the Evergreen path and has the patience to let their capital, know-how, operational excellence, and relationships compound over time. We are honored to name Radio Flyer the 2025 Evergreen Company of the Year.
MORE ABOUT THE BEST EVERGREEN COMPANIES LIST AND EVERGREEN COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Best Evergreen Companies list and the Evergreen Company of the Year award give us, at Tugboat Institute, an opportunity to celebrate and elevate extraordinary Evergreen companies and our Evergreen movement, in a language that society understands. Companies become eligible for inclusion on this list by either becoming Certified Evergreen or by hosting a Tugboat Institute Exemplar Visit. Both of these paths require a deep, introspective dive into practices across all of the Evergreen 7Ps principles and provide tangible measures of Evergreen maturity across each of the principles and into overall excellence. The Evergreen Company of the Year award is given to one company that has distinguished itself over long periods of time, thus earning the extra recognition of this pinnacle award that can be won only once.
In the years and decades to come, our vision is for this recognition and award program to gain increasing awareness and scope, moving from a single list to several that celebrate and recognize even more Evergreen companies across various sizes, industries, demographics, and geographic regions. We believe that lifting up one Evergreen company lifts up all Evergreen companies, and we are pleased to have this recognition program to do just that.
Together, these recognitions highlight the long-term strength and promise of Evergreen companies—businesses built to last for generations.
The Winner’s Mindset: Leadership, Legacy, and Learning in Uncertain Times
In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Larry explores his framework for cultivating a “winner’s mindset” that transforms unforeseen disruptive events from potential crises into strategic opportunities. Drawing on Schaeffer’s historical resilience through depressions, catastrophic fires, and global wars, he illustrates how a foundation of trust enables an organization to adapt with speed and clarity. By distilling 180 years of institutional knowledge into an Evergreen® philosophy, Larry provides a roadmap for leading through uncertainty while maintaining a steadfast commitment to future generations.
Relationships as the Foundation for Growth
Although it doesn’t have to happen fast, over time, all companies must grow to survive. As we moved toward the new millennium, our work had historically been bid-based public work. We were looking for the right strategy for our next phase of growth, and it was clear that this would require some diversification. In the early 2000s, we began offering design-build services as well. Eventually, we added a service department in 2012–2013. In the early phases of our vertical integration, all of this happened in Sacramento. Since we were already very focused on our client and community relationships, this gave us the opportunity to deepen them further, making ourselves viable partners for the full lifecycle of a building. Our strong relationships were key to making this expansion successful.
An Unscripted Path to Leadership
I was initially skeptical. I had spent years in investment banking and M&A finance and had then stepped away to raise my three children. I wasn’t sure what kind of role I wanted next, or if I was even ready to get back to work. But the more I learned about Venturity and its unique approach to assisting companies with their accounting, the more intrigued I became. I took my friend’s suggestion and sat down with founder Chris McKee. We had a great conversation. I admit I was hooked, but I really wasn’t ready to step back into something full-time and strictly 9-5. I explained to Chris the conditions under which I thought I could make it work: the role would have to be flexible, and I would need the freedom to set my own schedule and do the job on my terms.
Paddle for a Purpose
In this Tugboat Talk, Joe recounts his grueling 3,000-mile solo paddle to raise $300,000 for The Bridge Adaptive Sports & Recreation, an organization that creates opportunities for individuals with disabilities to thrive through sport. From the panic of a runaway boat to the mental fatigue of 20,000 strokes a day, Joe shares how he leaned on his community, and his Purpose, to Persevere.
Authentic Purpose: Lessons from Tugboat Institute Gathering of Teams 2026
To kick off the gathering, we welcomed Nick Craig, President of the Core Leadership Institute. Nick used the world of toys, and LEGO specifically, to explore how customers deeply connect with companies that have an authentic Purpose. By challenging us to remain true to our company’s unique Purpose, through all seasons, Nick set a reflective tone for the gathering.
Maeve Chocolate: A Story of Rescue, Reinvention, and Renewal
Some friends introduced us to the founders of a local chocolatier in the 1990s, Seattle Chocolate. It was a much-loved but regionally bound brand, known for its cheerful packaging and truffle bars, especially in the Pacific Northwest. We became investors. That might have been the extent of our involvement if there hadn’t been an earthquake. In the aftermath, as they looked at repairs and rebuilding, it quickly became clear that Seattle Chocolate would not be able to recover; they were going out of business. At the time I thought, Come on. How hard can it be to get this thing back on its feet? Little did I know. But my then-husband and I decided to help, and we became the owners. I stepped in as CEO.
Founder Meets Legacy: The Power of Two Perspectives
In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Ashley explores the unique tension of leading two highly contrasting industries and shares how these seemingly different worlds inform one another in unexpected ways. By harmonizing her family’s multi-generational heritage with her own entrepreneurial drive, Ashley provides a compelling perspective on what it means to honor a professional legacy while courageously founding your own.
