When J.C. Huizenga sold his namesake machinery manufacturing company, he wanted to share the spoils.
The Huizenga Group chairman gave out nearly $6 million in bonuses to more than 575 workers in his two Michigan factories. It was his way of thanking the employees for helping grow the company, which now earns about $170 million in annual sales, according to CBS News.
“It is a team of people -- I’ll take people over assets all day long,” he said in a segment that aired Friday on "CBS This Morning." “It was very appropriate when we sold the company that employees should participate in the wealth we created.”
The bonuses ranged from $500 to $10,000, depending on duties and years of service. Some amounted to more than $50,000.
“The new owner was a little concerned that we didn’t make the bonuses too high because they wanted to make sure that everybody turned up for work the next day,” Huizenga joked.
The son of a garbage man, he said he doesn’t take anyone’s contributions for granted. He recommended that all bosses should share their profits with employees.
“The gratitude they showed was way beyond my expectation. It makes me feel amazingly good,” he said. “It’s great to be a giver.”