McDonald's Restaurant Owner, City Resident John Ebert Receives Coveted Al Golin Brand Trust Award
By Julie Perine on July 29, 2016 via Connect-Bridgeport.com
Bridgeport’s John Ebert has received many accolades for the successful operation of 37 McDonald’s restaurants throughout West Virginia and Maryland.
But on Thursday, he said he experienced one of his proudest moment under the Golden Arches.
At a gathering of McDonald’s marketing professionals held this week in Chicago, Ebert was presented with the 2016 Al Golin Brand Trust Award, one of the highest honors a McDonald’s owner/operator can receive.
Named for Al Golin – a 50-year public relations veteran and founder of GolinHarris - the award recognizes recipients for outstanding commitment to their local communities, employees and customers.
“I am so proud to accept the Al Golin award on behalf of my organization,” said Ebert, drawing attention to his strong marketing team led by Bridgeport native and longtime McDonald’s employee, Lisa West Cook. “The communities really consist of a lot of our friends and working with them is seamless. A lot of the events and programs are well received by the community and we enjoy doing them year after year.”
Helping employees – as well as community residents - reach their full potential is important to Ebert, who has worked with McDonald’s for the past 25 years.
Through the Archways to Opportunity program, he has created opportunity for McDonald’s employees to earn their high school diplomas, obtain college tuition assistance and learn the English language.
As far as community involvement, Ebert has instituted a number of programs for adults and children. For the past four years, he has funded, organized and hosted a free math ACT prep course. More than 1,300 students have taken advantage of the class which is offered a handful of times each year since 2012.
Ebert is also an advocate for physical activity and healthy lifestyle. In addition to co-chairing the Greater Clarksburg 10K – the largest foot race in West Virginia – he has held annual baseball clinics for the community for the past 14 years. In 2014, he added a softball fundamentals clinic.
Employing more than 2,200 individuals, Ebert not only owns and operates more than three dozen successful McDonald’s stores, but is also one of the largest employers in the state.
Based in Chicago, Golin’s firm was instrumental in the widespread popularity and success of the McDonald’s franchise, which in 1957, consisted of just a handful of restaurants in the Chicago area. Community involvement was part of McDonald’s culture then and continues to be today, Golin once said.
Editor's Note: Pictured top/cover are (left to right) Deborah Wall, marketing director; award presentation master of ceremonies; Cindy Ebert, John Ebert, Al Golin and Mike Andres, president of McDonald's USA.
Also pictured is John Ebert and Al Golin and John Ebert with wife Cindy and daughter Grace.
