What it Means to Be a Cooper – Company Culture that Lives and Works in the Differences

The values that drive Cask can be summed up with the title of a skilled vocation that dates back to pre-revolutionary America.

Why Cask Employees are Called Coopers

In Colonial times, a cooper was the person who made wooden casks, barrels and other staved containers from timber that was usually heated or steamed so it could be fashioned. 

It took seven years for an apprentice to learn the craft of coopering. Apprentices usually slept in the workshop, or cooperage, and learned the trade from a master craftsman. In parts of colonial America, coopers outnumbered every other profession.

Casks were necessary to store goods such as ale, wine, flour, gunpowder, and tobacco. The cooper was a skilled trade, since the containers had to be durable and watertight for a long time. 

If a cask had any flaw, the insides would leak out. So the cooper’s work had to be perfect. That’s why the idea of what it means to be a cooper, in terms of skill and dedication to craft, resonates so well with the culture and values at Cask. 

In fact, a description of the role of cooper is included on Cask job requirements. We also run a Cooper Camp for our new recruits. During their very first week on the job, coopers go through rigorous training sessions on how things work at Cask, including processes, procedures and best practices.  

How Coopers Make the Cask Difference

First, it’s about the specific cooper skillset of being an artisan engineer. Coopers are expected to be able to confidently provide innovative solutions to our customer’s challenges. Anyone can implement something out-of-box. The reason Cask Coopers can design and create customized solutions is because of their skill and experience.

The second component is the ability to build rapport and manage relationships well. We all have internal company relationships with each other and with our partners, and then of course with our clients. Coopers are intentional about how those relationships are handled in order to provide the right solutions.

Coopers are expected to bring tact and diplomacy to the job. It’s another step that goes even beyond professionalism.

Finally, coopers know how to manage the power of relationships to further our bottom-line business goals. The best client relationships are mutually beneficial. When we help our clients grow, we’re able to grow as well.

The Qualities of a Cask Cooper

  • Multi-Skilled and High-Performing – our artisan engineers are self-managing and continuously striving to enhance their skills.
  • Situational Awareness and Empathy – coopers strive to walk in others’ shoes to build mutually beneficial relationships
  • Want and Actually Make a Difference – we’re proactive, self-motivated, and focused on results.
  • Committed and Accountable – coopers practice end-to-end ownership, teamwork, and deliver on what they say they’ll do.
  • Gravitas and Humility – coopers are authentic, not arrogant, striving to make a positive impression and confident presence as an “A” player.

As a consulting firm, Coopers are more than advisers because they are the people who actually provide the solutions. It takes a certain dedication and mindset to be a cooper and strive to deliver perfection each day. 

Maybe that sounds like you or someone you know? Join Our Team