When Sean Copas first started working at Josh Lowe's Dr. Energy Saver eight years ago, he faced a challenge that would change his approach to fitness forever. At 230 pounds and out of shape from his previous job, he found himself struggling to follow his new boss into the tight crawl spaces that are a regular part of home energy efficiency work.
"I had to follow him into a really tight crawl space that I didn't fit into very well," Copas recalls. "I had always been a runner prior. I was in the military for a long time, so running has always been part of my life. But I had gotten pretty out of shape in my prior employment."
That moment of realization became a turning point, not just for Copas personally, but for the entire company culture at Dr. Energy Saver. What started as practical necessity evolved into something much more meaningful.
Building a Culture of Wellness
The transformation wasn't one-sided. While Copas was getting back into running to handle the physical demands of his job, he was also influencing others around him. "Josh never ran back then. I helped motivate him to get into running, which was fun. Now he's doing fulls and marathons and fun stuff."
This mutual motivation exemplifies the company's approach to employee development. "The culture has always been one of teamwork and growth, and we want to excel and get better," Copas explains. "Not just reading books, but also physically, too. Keeping us in good shape so we can keep doing our jobs physically."
For Copas, who describes himself as having ADD and not sitting still very well, running serves multiple purposes. "Body in motion stays in motion, right? It really helps me keep physically in a good place. But mentally, it's good, too, because it's really good for... It's almost like how I meditate is by running."
More Than Just Exercise
The company's support for employee fitness extends beyond individual health benefits. When Dr. Energy Saver covers registration fees for events like the Eugene Half Marathon, employees become ambassadors for the company's values. "We wear company T-shirts. It helps people notice us," Copas notes. "As I ran by a couple of people in the race, I heard them say, 'Go, Dr. Energy Saver, you got this,' cheering us on."
This visibility demonstrates to customers and the community that Dr. Energy Saver employees are dedicated to staying fit, which translates to their ability to perform the physically demanding aspects of their work. "It helps, visibility-wise, other people see that we're dedicated to staying fit as well as fixing their homes and doing things like that."
Team Building Through Shared Challenges
The company has also participated in more unconventional fitness challenges, including obstacle races like the Warrior Dash. "There are obstacles. You got to crawl through the mud. There's other things. But it's done more as a team building exercise, which I love team building exercises."
Drawing from his military background, Copas appreciates how these activities foster teamwork in a profession where individuals often work independently. "In the army, we always did lots of team building things to rely on your teammates. As a sales rep, we're on an island a lot of times by ourselves. It's good to be involved with the company because of how little we really work with the company as far as on the day-to-day."
The Long-Term Perspective
For employees like Copas, maintaining physical fitness isn't just about current performance—it's about longevity in a demanding field. "I'd like to be able to keep crawling around in crawl spaces as long as I can, but it is hard on the body. It's not the easiest job to do. Running helps us."
The company's "one team, one fight" mentality, as Copas describes it, extends to supporting employees in maintaining the physical and mental fitness necessary to excel in their roles while building camaraderie that strengthens the entire organization.
Through initiatives like covering race registration fees, Josh Lowe's Dr. Energy Saver demonstrates that investing in employee wellness isn't just good for individuals—it's good for business, creating a workforce that's physically capable, mentally resilient, and unified in their commitment to excellence.