Overview

About Greenfield Global

Greenfield Global^® is a leading producer of ethanol and high-purity alcohols, supplying essential markets across North America and internationally. With a team of 750 employees operating from multiple locations — including Canada, the United States, and Ireland, with many working in 24/7 plant environments — Greenfield fosters a culture rooted in safety, collaboration, and shared values. Their mission is to “Unlock the potential of people, partnerships, and nature to accelerate sustainable solutions for the health of the planet.”

The Challenge

Recognizing a dispersed, deskless workforce required a new approach

Greenfield Global had a long history of service awards, but employees weren’t seeing value or feeling valued. Their previous vendor offered rewards with marked-up pricing and minimal flexibility.

Recognition was also a lower performing area on their engagement survey. Employees are spread across thirteen locations, and many working in deskless or shift-based roles. Greenfield needed a forward-thinking partner and a modern, easy-to-use solution that could:

• Standardize recognition across every site, local and cross-regionally
• Reach and include a largely plant-based workforce with limited computer access
• Remove outdated, high-markup gifting models with confusing point conversion
• Provide a transparent, digital-first experience
• Drive collaboration and visibility across teams that rarely interact

Recognition mattered, but the tools in place weren’t delivering on what employees needed or catering to a population who often works offline.

“Recognition can mean different things to different people, but for everyone, you want to feel seen and valued for the work you do. We were able to launch our first global recognition program, STAR, with the help of Awardco."
Ashley Cato, Vice President People and Culture

The Solution

Greenfield partnered with Awardco to launch STAR, a companywide, global, and intuitive recognition program designed to bring visibility, transparency, consistency, and connection to every employee and fuel the “One Greenfield” teamwork mindset.

A transparent, modern rewards experience

Awardco replaced Greenfield’s outdated provider and built upon Greenfield’s culture of recognition. The new system included:

• Actual market-value rewards with 1:1 points to dollar value
• Self-service redemption for service-awards
• No markups
• SSO for seamless access
• Ad-hoc program capabilities
• Microsoft Teams and 360 integration
• English/French flexibility

“Employees can choose the language they feel most comfortable with, which helps us meet both English and French communication needs.”
Paula Useche, People & Culture Manager

The shift immediately increased trust and adoption, especially among long-tenured employees who had disliked the previously limited gifting model.

Peer-to-peer recognition and monthly point balances

With STAR, employees receive a monthly allotment of points to recognize anyone across the organization, not just their own team.

Employees use STAR to celebrate and recognize:

• Going above and beyond
• Collaboration across locations
• Other principles-driven
• Everyday actions that make work easier for others

“We can now give a shoutout to someone even if they’re in a different location—something we couldn’t do before. It just makes it easy when it’s all in one place.”
Lorie Miller, Business Systems Analyst

The ability to give and redeem points raised motivation and broadened recognition beyond managers or leaders. This peer-driven approach democratized appreciation and encouraged proactivity both within teams and interdepartmentally across the dispersed organization. This has deepened teamwork and strengthened trust, especially among employees who might not interact as often

“Employees are awarded a certain amount of points every month to give out to their peers. We encourage people to recognize not just within their team, but across the company—anyone who goes above and beyond or makes your day a little easier.”
Paula Useche, People & Culture Manager

Designed for a diverse workforce

Greenfield employees work in a wide range of roles, some in traditional desk-based positions, and many in lab, production, and manufacturing environments. Because their work is diverse and non-uniform, the recognition platform needed to adapt to the flow of work, not the other way around. Awardco delivered that flexibility by making recognition available in new ways. 

The biggest unlock were live recognition feeds displayed on screens inside every 24/7 plant and lunchroom. Employees can now regularly see recognition from all sites, celebrate peers they may never meet, and feel connected as “One Greenfield”. 

Plant teams described seeing their name on the screen as confidence-building, motivating, and validating.

“All of our locations have TV screens in some area of the facility. When you look up at the screen, not only do you get to see the recognition that you may have shared with somebody or that you may have received, but you get to see it across the company. Having a program that enables that to be done and shared is very special.”
Ashley Cato, Vice President People and Culture

Recognition visibility may seem minor, but when done intentionally, it produces outsized impact. This is especially true for employees whose phone or computer access may be limited due to job function, safety requirements, or the pace of their work.

“It feels very good to get recognized. You put in so much hard work, and when someone acknowledges it, you feel appreciated and valued. I think that’s the key.”
Aisha Ariyo, Export Logistics Coordinator

Leadership accountability built in

Greenfield Global’s leaders consistently recognize their teams, setting the tone across the organization and demonstrating their values through everyday actions. The team has built intentional strategies to empower managers and continuously reinforce recognition culture from the top down:

• Managers receive larger points budgets
• Bi-monthly automated email reminders keep recognition top of mind
• Program reminder calendar invites and meetings
• Business leaders review monthly analytics

This methodology has been highly effective, further evidenced by managers requesting additional points due to usage and demand. Recognition has become an active leadership behavior, not just an HR initiative.

“Feeling seen and feeling valued… That's one thing that keeps me going every day. We all try to strive for the best and try to help one another. We have a great management system here and everybody is seen and heard.”
Aisha Ariyo, Export Logistics Coordinator

Structured around values and safety

STAR ties recognition to Greenfield’s core principles.

In 2024, the top tags mentioned in recognitions were Collaboration, Commitment, and Responsibility, clear indicators that employees were recognizing the behaviors that strengthen culture and safety, especially on the frontline.

Across Greenfield, many meetings begin with a safety moment and a recognition moment, where leaders highlight recognitions shared. It’s become an easy, meaningful way to build appreciation into the workday.

“As we try to build a strong culture, we want to take a more modern approach. Partnering with Awardco helped us to put that together. So even though we are spread out, we do get to feel like we are One Greenfield.”
Ashley Cato, Vice President People and Culture

The Results

Recognition became a cultural cornerstone and engagement rose

The shift to modern, transparent rewards solidified employee trust and elevated recognition across the organization and between locations. Employees describe STAR as easy to use, motivating, inclusive, and a meaningful way to feel seen and valued. Leaders treat recognition as a strategic pillar that drives collaboration and accountability globally. 

Recognition scores on engagement surveys increased after launch and helped quantify the direct impact of recognition:

• 92% correlation between recognition and eNPS
• eNPS increased 42% in 2 years, from 38 to 54
• Strong ties to retention, morale, and culture health

All locations realized rapid adoption metrics:

• 80% utilization in 2024
• 8,715 recognitions in one year across roughly 750+ users
• 13 recognitions per average user
• Strong participation from both office and plant teams
• Steady growth with a 17% increase in people recognizing in 2025

“The metrics spoke for themselves—over eighty percent utilization and more than eight thousand recognitions. It’s exciting to see people using the program and finding real value in it.”
Paula Useche, People & Culture Manager

STAR makes employees feel proud, appreciated, connected, and motivated to give their best. It has strengthened a “One Greenfield” workforce united across regions and shared values, the foundation that powers the company’s mission and enables them to consistently deliver a world-class product to customers.

Get a demo today to see how recognition can transform your own organization.