Impact Networking employees compete in Chili Cook Off
Impact Networking kicked off the beginning of December with its Inaugural Chili Cook Off. The competition was hosted at the Impact Lake Forest Distribution Center. Both the Waukegan and Lake Forest branches participated in entering their best tasting chilis.
The 14 chilis lined up against the wall in their crockpots and were served up by the Impact chefs. Next to each crockpot was a folded table tag card with an entry number designed by the Impact Creative Team. The numbers were assigned to the chefs so that employees tasting the chili would base the winner solely on taste.
More than 80 employees attended the Chili Cook Off and enjoyed the free lunch. After the tasting, employees voted on the best chili. None of the chefs went home empty-handed; each received a custom Impact apron.
The winner of the Inaugural Chili Cook Off was Terry Weilandt, Lake Forest general manager. He took home the cash reward and a custom-made Champion Chili trophy.
The idea behind the Chili Cook Off started because of a little feud between Impact's CEO Frank Cucco and Terry Weilandt. Each believed his chili was better than the other's, so Weilandt suggested a chili cook.
Cucco thought it was a great idea and welcomed the Waukegan branch to join in. The company welcomes and encourages ideas from its employees, including special events and competitions between branches.
"We really encourage our employees to bring new ideas to the table," said Frank Cucco. "Here at Impact, we understand the importance of employee bonding. It's a valuable component to our unique workplace culture."
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