The year 2026 will be one to remember. The Winter Olympics, the World Cup in the U.S., great new foods at the State Fair, and the 250th anniversary of our country all mark a year of celebration. A country founded not in perfection, not without flaw, but with a framework that allows constant transformation for the betterment of us all—a responsibility not to be held lightly. Freedom and opportunity exist for those brave enough to keep them, defend them, work at them, and refuse to rest in mediocrity. A mutual pact built on trust and respect for each other’s right to freedom.
Within this framework, we wanted to celebrate the companies and inventions that have changed the world right here in the United States. As we circled around this idea, we asked ourselves: how do we make it relevant to water? What do we highlight? With much prayer, patience, and debate, the January topic landed in our lap—and it made perfect sense. Why didn’t we think of that before?
In early January, Haferman Water will celebrate the work of one of our longest-tenured employees as she transitions into retirement from her daily role within the company. Christi Klocke—a devoted employee, mother, grandmother, and friend to everyone she has known—will “punch out” for her final day on January 7.
For more than 27 years, Christi has been an integral part of Haferman Water Conditioning, playing a key role in the transition of our small family business into a less small family business. She has led our billing department, served as the customer service team, scheduler, dispute handler, office organizer, and so much more. She walked—when needed (or wanted)—from Prior Lake to the office in Burnsville. She worked early mornings, late nights, and weekends when the workload required it. A stranger at the start, she is now a Haferman family member for life.
This is where we begin our contribution to the celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday. It’s about the people. And Christi is one of those people who makes not only our business tick like a clock, but our country excel to new heights.
Christi embodies the coworker we all love to have by our side—the reliable team member who gets the job done, keeps on task, adds in humor to the work day and offers kind support drawn from experience and wisdom. This is not to make light of the bigger part of her life: her dedication to her family, which she always held even higher than her responsibility at the office. America is a better place because of Christi, and so many others like her, living their daily lives responsibly, with purpose and vigor.
Our country can be proud of the work we each put in. Servers, customer service agents, service technicians, night clerks, and volunteers of all kinds pitch in to move us forward.
One lesson we take from Christi as she moves into full-time mother-and-grandmother mode is the importance of doing your work with pride—as if it matters. Because it does, right down to the small tasks of emptying the dishwasher or grabbing the morning paper. This decade began with concern, worry, panic, and paranoia. People on all sides can agree: our trust in and outlook for the country have been tested and, at times, dark.
At Haferman Water, we remain hopeful for the future—the future of our company, our employees, and our country. Christi isn’t the only dedicated team member we have. All around us are people doing the work that needs to be done, out of love and respect for a life bigger than any one person. That’s the message for January 2026 as we enter the 250th celebration of a country that dared to change the world through an experiment in freedom, paired with responsibility.
Fittingly, as a company, we were challenged by the leadership team to “make it happen” in 2026. No excuses. No shortcuts. No delays on projects. No wish-we-could-haves or if-only-we-did-this. Just make it happen.
In this writing, we wish Christi well—and we also challenge anyone reading this to live as she does and make it happen. Put it on the schedule. Wake up with gratitude in your heart. Move to put the plan in motion. Make life better for yourself and those around you through the small actions that move mountains. The future is bright when we begin by holding ourselves to a higher standard.
Thank you, Christi for sharing over 27 years of your life with us at Haferman Water.
