The Roots of Our Culture Committee
Company culture doesn’t magically appear because you installed a ping pong table or scheduled a quarterly happy hour with warm IPAs. It’s not a perk, it’s a process.
At Highway 85, we’ve always done things our own way. So when it came to building a workplace people actually want to be part of, we didn’t wait around, we got to work.
Culture has always been the foundation here. It’s not just something we talk about; it’s the root system our founder, Guy Zwick, built this whole thing on. You could argue the Culture Committee has been around for 21 years, we just didn’t call it that back then.
So how did it all start? The same way all great traditions do:
With a grown man in a bunny suit.
That first Easter party? It sparked something. A little weird, a lot of fun, and 100% Highway 85. From there, it grew into Halloween carnivals with haunted mazes, and holiday parties featuring Buddy the Elf, and a whole calendar of moments that brought our team closer together.
We celebrate life events, holidays, and milestones not because they look good on social media, but because they matter.The culture is what makes people want to be here, and what keeps them showing up as their best selves even when their days are long and the work is tough.
Because at the end of the day, culture doesn’t just happen. We build it, loud, bold, and together.
The Case for Hosting Your Own Events
We live in a world full of sponsored happy hours and forced “team-building” retreats where people awkwardly pretend to have fun in matching T-shirts. But hosting your own event? It hits differently.
When you take ownership of your events, from theme to interactive elements, to custom, hand-made trophies, you’re not just checking a box. You’re creating shared experiences that build real connection.
Highway Halloween started as just another idea on a whiteboard. Now, it’s one of the biggest things we do every year.
What’s the difference? Involving your team in the process creates genuine connection and pride.
Highway 85 Meets American Horror Story
This year’s theme? Asylum (inspired, of course, by American Horror Story).
The entire space got flipped. Creatives, project managers, shop crew, graphics; everyone got their hands dirty (sometimes literally). We transformed our everyday office into the ultimate Halloween Festival, featuring trunk-r-treat, spooky games, and the return of our custom-crafted haunted maze.
The maze was the star. Over 100 people walked through (some ran..). Friends, family, and even a few clients came by to see what all the noise was about.
That’s what happens when you let the right crew run wild with an idea. It turns into something bigger than a party. It has become a tradition, with people already asking “what are we doing next year?”
What We Learned (And Why It Matters)
Creativity needs an outlet.
When you build for clients all day, it’s a breath of fresh air to build something just for fun. These events let our team stretch in new ways, and remind us why we love what we do.
Company> Departments.
These aren’t isolated events. They’re bridges between teams. Designers meet techs. Fabricators hang with marketing. And suddenly, the next time they work together? There’s trust. There’s chemistry. There’s momentum.
Clients notice
We had clients stop by the party. Know what they said? “We already loved your work. But seeing this, this culture, you’ve got something special.” That’s branding you can’t buy.
Hosting Your Own Events: The Takeaway
If you take one thing away from our Halloween story, make it this: Host your own events.
Don’t wait for HR to do it. Don’t make it a chore. Make it yours. Invite your team to create the event, not just attend it. When they help shape the experience, they own it. And that ownership pays off in ways you’ll feel for months.
We’ve seen it firsthand. Highway Halloween? Every year, must happen, go big or go home legacy.
So yes, we’ll absolutely be back in 2026, bigger, scarier, louder.
Hosting your own events puts culture into motion. And we’re not slowing down anytime soon.
Stay tuned for the Highway Holiday Party, because we’re just getting warmed up.
