THE

STONERIVER SCOOP

Volume 3 November 2023 Issue

Monthly Highlight

New Website Unveiling

A strong website design can set the first impression for visitors. Creating a well-structured site that is easy to navigate, has an engaging user experience, and contains quality content helps build trust and impacts how your audience perceives your brand.

Our previous website was a static site with no content management capabilities, which meant we could only update existing information and not design. Essentially, the site was nothing more than an online brochure. However, with the redesign, our goal was to not only change this but also expand our online presence to attract new business and increase awareness of all the services we offer.

The main goals for the website redesign were:

• To build brand awareness
  
• Engage with our target audiences
  
• Generate quality leads
  
• Establish ourselves as industry leaders
  

The tools to accomplish these goals were:

• Branding
  
• High-quality, engaging content
  
• A well-thought-out user journey
  
• Conversion
  

Studies show that website design heavily influences the attractiveness and usability of a website, and it reflects on your brand. If a design is difficult to understand, visually unappealing, or simply outdated, incorporating more current design trends and elements into a refresh can breathe new life into how visitors perceive your brand. With the redesign, we were able to create a cohesive web design that adheres to our brand strategy to help strengthen the overall StoneRiver brand while also engaging and growing our audience with compelling and well-crafted content.

To establish a strong online presence, we created a visually appealing and user-friendly website tailored to reflect our brand identity and engage our target audience. Our design is now responsive, ensuring seamless navigation across all devices.

Our brand has evolved since the first StoneRiver website was launched, and our website needed to keep pace with those changes. Our website should reflect our current identity, not who we were at the time the site first went live.

I highly recommend you visit our newly designed website and explore it on your own!

Employee Spotlight

This Month’s

Featured Employee

is Xavier Robles.

What is your role at StoneRiver, and how long have you been a part of the team?

As the Lead Maintenance at Pecan Springs, my primary responsibilities include developing effective repair strategies, initiating and completing preventive maintenance, completing work orders, supervising, ordering, and leading my team. I have been in the industry for the past 28 years and started working with StoneRiver in November 2022. Starting work at Pecan Springs was challenging, but with the help of my team's inside and outside leadership, we have been able to achieve our goals.

How do you like to spend your time outside of work?

Outside of work, I enjoy kicking back and relaxing with a cold mixed drink and a cigar.

What are your hobbies?

I love going to car shows and rooting for my favorite team, the Green Bay Packers!

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about my family. I have been married for 28 years, and we have three kids. Our daughter is 19, our son is 23, and our other son is 27.

What’s one of your favorite memories from the past year?

My family and I had an amazing trip to Las Vegas this past year, and we are already looking forward to our next annual trip.

What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?

My parents always advised me to keep pushing forward, no matter what life throws my way.

What’s one thing you wish you’d known when you started working at StoneRiver, or what advice would you give to a newbie?

I would tell a new employee how much this company values each individual and how great it is working here.

What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute to your success to, and why?

Being patient and humble are my best traits for success. I have always possessed these qualities, and they have helped me build strong relationships with others. These traits have also enabled me to become a better listener and more understanding of other perspectives.

What energizes you at work?

The opportunity to help people and make a positive impact in their lives energizes me. We have the pleasure of meeting all kinds of people in this industry.

What’s one thing that surprised you about working at StoneRiver?

One thing that surprised me about working at StoneRiver is the company's exceptional organization and structure.

Xavier Robles was nominated for Employee Spotlight of the Month in November due to his humility, reliability, and consistent delivery of high-quality work. The staff around him appreciate his willingness to help others and his eagerness to share his expertise. Xavier's remarkable work ethic and dedication to his job are evident in his willingness to take on any challenge and go above and beyond to ensure the best possible results. He is a valuable asset to our team and a pleasure to work with. Additionally, Xavier is an excellent trainer who possesses the skills to teach anyone the necessary skills to succeed in maintenance. He is patient, supportive, and encouraging to new hires.

Property Operational Tips

Holiday Safety & Security Tips

As we enter the Holiday season, please remember to remind your residents (and staff) to be aware of the following:

Kitchen Safety

• Test your smoke detectors prior to cooking to make sure they work properly
• Do not leave the kitchen unattended, and be sure to keep an eye on the food.
  
• Keep your stovetop free of cooking utensils and debris (oven mitts, in particular, can easily catch fire when too close to a burner or hot pot).
  
• Avoid cooking while under the influence.
  
• Check on your turkey frequently and do not leave the home while it is cooking
  
• Keep children at least 3 feet away from the hot stove. Keep children away from hot liquids; a splash or steam from cooking food could cause serious injury. Additionally, ensure children are not near sharp utensils or have access to pull-on cords from electric appliances like electric knives, plate warmers, etc.
  
• Check your seasonal appliances to ensure cords are in good working order and not frayed.
  
• Keep the floor clear of debris and clean up any spills to prevent tripping or slipping with hot items in hand.
  
• Additionally, make sure your tenants know how to put out a grease fire or an electrical fire if one were to occur due to too hot oil or a faulty kitchen appliance.
  

Packages

As you may know or have already experienced, it's easy for packages to go missing from porches and hallways. Keep an eye on apartments and homes of tenants you know will be out of town during the Holidays in an effort to exercise due diligence against package pirates.

Holiday Decorations

• Replace any electric decorations with worn or frayed cords.
• Do not leave electric decorations on while sleeping or away from the home.
  
• Avoid overloading outlets, and do not connect more than three strings of lights together.
  
• Candles start almost half of home decoration fires; never leave candles unattended, and be sure to extinguish them before sleeping. Consider opting for battery-operated candles instead.
  
• Ensure that all electrical cords are not pinched by furniture or forced into tight spaces.
  
• Keep live trees well-hydrated and away from heat sources and ensure that faux trees are labeled “fire-resistant.” Consider keeping a fire extinguisher next to your tree.
  
• For any decor installment in high places, use a proper ladder and ensure someone is there to support the base. If you are using a ladder, always keep three points of contact on the ladder (2 hands and 1 foot or 2 feet and 1 hand) and follow the 1-to-4 rule for extension ladders: for every four feet the ladder rises, move the base out one foot from the structure.
  

Tenant Valuables

Remind your residents to take extra precautions during the Holiday season when gifts or other various items are expected to be delivered. Remind tenants to keep their vehicles, front doors, windows, and balconies locked at all times. Safeguarding valuables is always important!

Freezing Temperatures

Depending on where your property is located, be aware of dropping temperatures this Holiday season. In case your region is expected to drop below freezing, remind your residents to keep a very slow drip in their faucets and leave a cabinet ajar where a pipe could be exposed (i.e., the kitchen or bathroom). This will help to prevent pipes from freezing.

Tree Disposal

Go ahead and think of how you would like your residents to dispose of their Christmas trees. You could partner with your valet trash services to have bulk pickup, reach out to your waste management partner, and have a roll-off for a day or two, or you could even reach out to the local zoo or animal rehab centers to see if they take donated trees. Whatever it is, start working with your Regional now to get a good plan.

Property Operational Tips

Daylight saving time ends soon.

How to help your body adjust:

For most people, it seems that falling back an hour at the end of daylight saving time on Nov. 5 will be a temporary annoyance. You'll have to hunt down all the non-electronic clocks in the house and try to remember how to set the time on the microwave, but unlike the spring change, you'll get an hour back to sleep, take a walk, or binge even more TV. All good, right?

But any change in sleep patterns can be disruptive, and for some people, it can mean real problems. Good, restful sleep is important for our health. "Sleeping less than seven hours a night is associated with weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression," the Mayo Clinic says. "Lack of sleep also can affect your immune system and your heart health." Anyone who's ever had to change their work schedule or flown to different time zones knows how your body reacts to enforced time changes: not well. But this time change is one we can see coming, and so there is time to prepare. Here are some things to try.

1. Start adjusting your bedtime before daylight saving time changes
   
2. Take it easy Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, when daylight saving time ends
   
3. Get outside - Your circadian rhythm strongly responds to light and dark, so jumpstart it by getting outside as soon as possible.
   
4. Use good sleep techniques
   

Employee News

New Hires & Promotions

New Hire: Joel Enright – Assistant Manager (Terraces)

We are delighted to welcome Joel as the Assistant Manager to the Terraces at Town Center team. Joel's exceptional skillset and profound knowledge of the Jacksonville market have been built through his years of experience in Property Management. He has a keen eye for detail and takes pleasure in the marketing side of his role. We at StoneRiver team are thrilled to have him join our team!

HR Corner

2024 Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment Period: November 27, 2023-December 8, 2023

Open Enrollment is an annual opportunity for you to make changes to your benefits. Changes made at open enrollment are effective January 1, 2024.

• ACTION IS REQUIRED if you want to participate in our Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or our Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account for the 2024 plan year. Your current election will not roll over. For these tax-favored accounts, you must elect a NEW annual contribution amount to continue payroll deductions. If you fail to elect a new contribution, you must wait until the next open enrollment period to elect coverage.
  

• NO ACTION IS REQUIRED if you don’t want to make any changes to health, vision, or voluntary life insurance coverage. You will keep your current benefits, and your coverage(s) will roll over as-is, effective January 1, 2024, without taking any action.
  

Each year, it is good practice to review and update your life insurance beneficiaries for your employer-paid and voluntary life insurance. Beneficiaries can be changed at any time of the year, but open enrollment is a good time to review and update if necessary.

This is also a good time to review any personal information such as address, phone number, and emergency contact information.

Be on the lookout for your Open Enrollment Packet on or before November 27th.

This Month’s Celebrations

Thankful Thursdays

We are constantly impressed by the performance of our teams. Your hard work and dedication are reasons why we are achieving the high goals we have set for StoneRiver! During November, we want to thank you each week with Thankful Thursdays! Be on the lookout for something special coming your way on Thursdays in November.

Why We Love Thanksgiving

The food - Traditional Thanksgiving dinners generally include turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, buttered vegetables, warm pumpkin pie, and other indulgent foods. But honestly, anything goes.

Family and Friends

Thanksgiving is a time when friends and family gather to express gratitude. For some people, it's an occasion to be with family you don't see often. For others, it's a time to get all their friends (Friendsgiving!) together for food and fun.

Four-Day Weekend

Americans look forward to their extended holiday weekend right around the time Halloween ends. Thanksgiving Day starts a mini work/school vacation that also includes Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.

The Past Month’s Events

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

We challenged each team / property to ditch the pumpkin carving kit entirely and try their hand at pumpkin painting / decorating, and WOW, they all turned out great!! The winner of the pumpkin decorating contest is Makayla Phillips from Accounting with her Mrs. Teapot pumpkin! Congrats!

A Look Ahead

Birthdays

Anniversaries