Volume 2, Issue 2 • Summer 2013

News & Notes From Team CertainTeed JacksonNews & Notes From Team CertainTeed Jackson

Paul Menard visits CertainTeed of JacksonPage 7

FEATURE

...INSIDE...

HomE SAFETy

CERTAinTEEd ToUgH mUddERS

LivEWELL in JACkSon

And moRE

INSIDE:“5S” The Key to WCMSustainment in Jackson ............2

The Benefits of Volunteering .....3

Blending is Getting “Smart” .....4

Home Safety ..............................5

A Visit from NASCAR DriverPaul Menard .......................... 6-7

Investment in Jackson ..............8

Team CertainTeed areTough Mudders ..........................9

Family Announcements .......... 10

Line 0 Update ......................... 11

Bass Tournament Results ...... 14

CertainTalk KIDS .................... 17

....................... and more!

LiveWell in JACKSON

1

Published byThe Ray Group

www.rayprinting.com

T he Jackson locations will stand out in the SPG group

for their remarkable participation in 2012 – 2013 LiveWell. Both Jackson locations teamed up with support and ended the LiveWell year at its best with a participation level at 85%. This is a direct reflection of Jackson’s commitment to each other and to the wellness program.

Saint-Gobain - parent company to CertainTeed is known for their year-round push on wellness. The organization has adopted worksite wellness by promoting and educating in healthy eating and active living. Employees across the continent have testimonies on how the Saint-Gobain wellness program has provided education and training to promote and improve a healthier way of life.

The Jackson facility promotes LiveWell in many ways. We have a fitness room where employees can voluntarily use during the workday and time off. The fitness center has various free weights, weight and cardio equipment along with a flat screen monitor for training and aerobic exercising.

In early 2013, a media center was constructed where employees have full access to the LiveWell site. Throughout the year employees are encouraged to participate in LiveWell challenges, wellness seminars and assessments. All of which promote making healthy choices and living well.

From The Desk of...Andy Meyerhofer

INSIDE:“5S” The Key to WCMSustainment in Jackson ............2

The Benefits of Volunteering .....3

Blending is Getting “Smart” .....4

Home Safety ..............................5

A Visit from NASCAR DriverPaul Menard .......................... 6-7

Investment in Jackson ..............8

Team CertainTeed areTough Mudders ..........................9

Family Announcements .......... 10

Line 0 Update ......................... 11

Bass Tournament Results ...... 14

CertainTalk KIDS .................... 17

....................... and more!

1

T he first half of this year started out very nicely and then went very soft for the next 4 months.

We seem to be stabilizing. While not at the elevated summer levels we typically see it is a position that we can service well and be successful as a location. I would expect (this is just my best guess) that the rest of this year will be similar to a normal year but not as elevated as a typical year.

At the end of last year we launched several meetings with all the employees in order to improve communication and employee satisfaction. We learned a great deal during that time and have been working hard as a team to make this an even better place to work. We wanted to check how we were doing so we recently held one on one meetings with a good portion of the employees. I would say the message felt clear that in almost the entire plant things have improved. While nothing is perfect and there still is a lot of work to do, the frustration felt at the end of last year has lessened. We will provide more information on this one on one and continue to work together as we move through the year.

WCM has begun to take root. I am grateful for everyone’s support and understanding during the transition. The paperwork aspect will lighten up the better we understand the tool but is necessary to start for learning purposes. The plant is about halfway transitioned from its current system and we will make the rest of the journey now that we have launched the expansion phase. We started with the Reliability Pillar and will launch the Industrial efficiency pillar later this year. Lambros will take you deeper into WCM inside of this article and Rex will Echo this message as well.

2012 was a very strong year for us. Given all the challenges we faced we still managed to maintain a safe work environment. For 2013, the bar has been raised on the challenge for us to repeat past

performance and have no serious injuries… A big part of your responsibility this year besides working safely is to embrace STOP and complete at least 2 STOP observations a month. Quality was another success last year – we improved our customer experience to the best ever! This year we HAVE to hold those gains and reduce our NCM (Non Conforming Materials) to take things to the next level. We are now group leaders in quality as well and we now chart the course for others to follow. For the third year in a row we have led the group in service. This is the arena we first achieved world class and continue to blow the competition out of the water. Keep doing what you are doing, thank you. Finally last year we used our resources wisely and need to continue along those lines.

There are a lot of opportunities for development and growth recently. We recently bid a Day shift Shipping position split between Receiving and Shipping. On another positive note we have added four production positions to help alleviate some of the burden, make things run smoother, and plan for our future. We also were able to open up a position in maintenance for a retiring co-worker. For the 2nd time in plant history we were able to re-bid the temporary position in recycling and industrial cleaning!!!! as a part of our continued commitment to getting greener and making a better place for all of us. That doesn’t mention the bids that went up last year shuffling folks around to better balance resources. We offered for the third year in a row our operator training class which has continued interest. Also for the first time this year we are trialing a Shipping training class we are all excited to engage interest and to make this the best shipping training we can. Both of these classes are in support of our VMVO values and versatility in our plant. Remember, versatility pays up to 45 cents an hour!!!

It’s also that time of year when we start to make plans for the year and we want to hear from you.

Last year we were fortunate enough to be able to offer the opportunity for us and our immediate family to go to the Tigers game!!! Also we had a wonderful time at the holiday party with dueling pianos. I can’t believe everyone won a prize even a certain someone on the grinder who was the last to pick!!! The party planners are on the move and starting to make plans for 2013 so if you have ideas get them to them QUICK!!!!

We once again will be supporting many charities in the local community similar to last year. We have some funds that are not committed yet and so if you are aware of a worthy organization in the community please let one of your work life team members know so we can consider them for a donation. This year we plan on among others Shop Rat, JAMA, Center Stage of Jackson, and Habitat for Humanity. I hope this year we can expand beyond the powerful financial impact we have had and also give the gift of our time. I have some ideas but am very interested in hearing ways you think we can improve the community we live in.

I also want to thank all of you who have already added something to our “Why we work safe board” and remind and encourage those of you that have not to bring in a photo that reminds YOU why you work safe. It could be to Fish or Hunt, or even your chopper.

Thank you for helping move JACKSON ahead of the competition, the door is always open.

Andy Meyerhofer

Published byThe Ray Group

www.rayprinting.com

CertainTeed WorkLifeBenefits of Volunteering

“5S” The Key to WCM Sustainment in Jackson

As the Jackson plant enters phase 3 of our WCM initiative the constant challenge is not the completion of a project but the sustainment of great results previously accomplished using the WCM principles. CertainTeed is a leader in continuous improvement achieved through WCM, lean, six sigma, and TPM. Expectations for all CertainTeed facilities is to find ways to reduce cost through improved technology, increased productivity, better process control, and the elimination of waste. None of this can be accomplished if 5S is not implemented and institutionalized. 5S, simply put, is a discipline and structure that cultivates team work and without it WCM will be a struggle to sustain.

We hear of companies that do lots of 5S “stuff ” but struggle with having a true 5S system in place that is sustainable. The question then becomes why is it not sustainable and how can we sustain it in Jackson? The Jackson team believes the answer is to have 100% employee engagement.

5S is not a housekeeping activity. 5S is a visual system that engages all employees with a total team effort. 5S helps cultivate a safe workplace, disciplined team approach to problem solving, improved productivity, improved quality, and most importantly a work environment that is not only clean and well organized but one that employees feel good about. It is no secret that good worker to worker and worker to manager relationships are the foundation to achieving operational excellence to meet today’s competitive challenges. The Jackson facility understands that 5S sustainment, with engagement from all employees, is the foundation for continuous improvement.

As we move forward in our effort to become truly “World Class” I would ask that we all support Lynn Prather and her team of 5S experts. Thanks to Lynn’s leadership Jackson is ahead of the 5S curve but achieving the standards set before us will not happen without all of our support.

Rex ToddPlant Superintendent

Volume 2 | Issue 2

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Perhaps the first and biggest benefit people get from volunteering is the satisfaction of incorporating service into their lives and making a difference in their community and country.

The intangible benefits alone—such as pride, satisfaction, and accomplishment—are worthwhile reasons to serve. In addition, when we share our time and talents we:

• Solve Problems• Strengthen Communities• Improve Lives• Connect to Others• Transform Our Own Lives

For a number of years, CertainTeed has been working to establish a relationship with the City of Jackson to volunteer toward making a difference in the city where we work and live.

Through the efforts of the WorkLife Team, we had the first of what we hope will become a regularly scheduled community involvement event on July 30th. WorkLife teamed up by spending 2 hours cleaning and picking-up debris at the Loomis Park/Boos Center.

Special thank you to all participants!!

3

CertainTeed of Jackson employees loading a semi full of siding to be delivered.

4

Blending is Getting “Smart”For many years now inventory of our silos has been a

guesstimate at best. With a more seasoned workforce and more attention placed on safety, climbing silos daily to drop a tape measure just wasn’t a feasible option any more. Monthly we would call in an outside contractor to climb which over time didn’t seem to be a real cost effective choice and measurement error was always a concern when considering the “Human” factor.

…Enter Bill Sauer…Bill started the charge, drawing the diagrams, studying

the options, meeting with vendors and eventually writing and submitting the AR. To all of our surprise the AR was accepted and in mid-June a pallet of SmartBobs arrived. Just a couple weeks after their arrival Dan Richardson and Old Church Electric began the installation process on the east silo farm. As of July 31st the east silo farm has been completed and the west farm should be completed in early August.

…So what does this mean…?Once programmed, we will be able to utilize the

SmartBobs to check the amount of feet from the top of the silo down to the material in the silo. Then through a calculation, built through a regression model run by Ken Fritz, we will be able to convert the number of feet into pounds remaining in the silo.

SmartBobs eliminate the need to climb silos for inventory purposes. SmartBobs can be used by anyone at any time to verify how many pounds are in a silo. SmartBobs remove the “Human” error element because they are dropped preciously from the same spot each time.

So, Blending is not only getting smarter but more accurate as well!

Promise YourselfTo be so strong that nothingcan disturb your peace of mind.To talk health, happiness, and prosperityto every person you meet.

To make all your friends feelthat there is something in themTo look at the sunny side of everythingand make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,and to expect only the best.To be just as enthusiastic about the success of

othersas you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the pastand press on to the greater achievements of the

future.To wear a cheerful countenance at all timesand give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself

that you have no time to criticize others.To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too

strong for fear,and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,

not in loud words but great deeds.To live in faith that the whole world is on your sideso long as you are true to the best that is in you.

Christian D. Larson

B y J o h n H a y e s

Volume 2 | Issue 25

Home SafetyW e at CertainTeed take the safety of our employees

very seriously. However, safety does not stop at the workplace. The families of employees and their well-being are just as much of a concern to us as the employees themselves. Listed below are some great Home Safety Tips we should all be aware of so we can be proactive in preventing accidents in the home.

Suffocation � 70% of suffocation deaths among infants were from accidental

suffocation or strangulation in bed in 2010. � In 2010, cribs and playpens were responsible for more

than 20 percent of all nursery product related emergency department treated injuries among children ages 5 and under.

� The majority of childhood suffocation, choking and strangulation incidents occur in the home.

Falls � Window falls account for approximately 8 deaths and 3,300

injuries among children ages 5 and under annually. � The risk of a child being injured as a result of a fall at home is

twice the risk as at child-care. � Window falls occur more frequently in large urban areas and

low-income neighborhoods. � In New York City and Boston, education and window guard

distribution programs resulted in a 96 percent reduction in the incidence of window falls over 10 years.

TV/Furniture tip-overs � The estimated number of emergency room visits for kids aged

19 and under has increased 31% over the last decade, from 9,800 in 2002 to 12,800 in 2011.

� Because of its weight, a 36-inch CRT television falling three feet creates the same momentum as a 1-year-old child falling 10 stories.

� Approximately $8.34 million is spent in medical costs each year to treat children aged 19 and under in emergency departments for injuries from TV tip-overs.

� 7 out of 10 (72%) of children who are injured by a TV tipping over are 5 years old or younger.

Toys � 45% of toy-related injuries are to the head and face. � More than a third of toy-related injuries are in children ages 4

and under. � The category of toy responsible for the most injuries in

children ages 14 and under are nonmotorized scooters, accounting for 26% of injuries.

Button batteries � In two hours, a button battery ingestion can cause

severe, often irreparable damage to a child. Most severe complications effect the esophagus.

� The average age of a child seen in the emergency department for swallowing a button battery is 3.9 years.

� Button batteries are involved in 84% of all battery-related emergency department visits, for which a battery type was identified.

� When a button battery gets stuck in a child’s throat, the saliva triggers an electrical current that causes a chemical reaction which burns the esophagus. Damage can continue even after the battery is removed.

� The number of serious injuries or deaths as a result of button batteries has increased more than 9-fold in the past decade.

We care.

Paul Menard with Miss CertainTeed, Quinn Fischman Andy Meyerhofer (center) takes Paul on a tour of the plant

A visit from NASCAR Driver

PAul MeNARDA visit from NASCAR Driver

PAul MeNARD

C ertainTeed was prominently displayed in

a prime sponsorship location during the

NASCAR Quicken Loans 400 race on Sunday, June

14 – right on the hood! Paul Menard and his #27

race car made a special appearance at CertainTeed

Jackson prior to the race. We were very excited

to meet Paul and be able to sit in the race car and

imagine what it would be like to drive at top speed!

Paul was looking forward to his visit to CertainTeed

as well, but not only to share his passion for racing.

Menards sell a variety of CertainTeed products,

including the premium selection of Monogram

Double 4. Paul requested to see how this product

was made as well as how it is loaded and shipped.

After spending time in the plant, Paul then

answered questions, posed for pictures and signed

autographs for employees and their families. It was

a pleasure having Paul Menard visit the Jackson

plant and we wish him all the best in the rest of the

2013 NASCAR season! Andy Meyerhofer (center) takes Paul on a tour of the plant

Photos by Scott Mapes

Volume 2 | Issue 1

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CertainTeed’s investment in the Jackson Plant has grown and there seems to be no end in sight!!!!

Capital is always a highly prized commodity and this year we have done an exceptional job at stating our case for investment! WELL DONE! These investments in Jackson range for large items like cooling towers, new extruder for Line #13, dip stands for every panel line and more modest items like new screws, modified dies and improved door security among many others. We are a little over half way through the year and there are some other projects coming down the pipe that HAVEN’T been approved yet but look likely to go! They include a new Combilift, air dryer, automated vision inspection and packaging along with a BIG project going on in the plant by the accessory lines.

The automated vision inspection and packaging project (if approved) will be a pilot program intended to prove the capability of these systems. This project was started almost 4 to 5 years ago in a KAIZEN around packaging and ergonomics of packaging. We made several changes and improvements, some of them stuck

and some did not. We asked our Lean consultant what we did wrong and why everything didn’t stick and they suggested we used the wrong method for the problem. They said; you should have used KAIKAKU instead of KAIZEN. KAIKAKU is also called 3P. We then spent some time considering if 3P was right for us. In the end we made the leap of faith and we tried the 3P method. The 3P method gave us some radical ideas and suggestions. The concept took a long time to prove out and develop the confidence and willingness to try or pilot. These efforts have finally resulted in a concept that we may pilot later this year. This pilot project will capture all the suggestions for improvement that the original 3P team recommended.

Each and every Jackson team member plays an important role in making Jackson a good place for CertainTeed to spend capital monies and you should all be proud of each and every improvement. Many of these projects started from your suggestions for improvement in safety, quality and to ultimately keep us competitive for the future, thank you.

I n v e s t m e n t I n J a c k s o n

The Michigan International Speedway hosted what is

commonly referred to as “Race Weekend” June 14th through

16th. In addition to being Father’s Day, on Sunday the

16th, employees of CertainTeed were enjoying the annual

CertainTeed summer outing at the NASCAR Quicken Loans

400. It was not hard to spot the “CertainTeed Family” in the

stands at turn 1 – the bright yellow CertainTeed/Menards shirt

made it easy to tell who we were cheering for! The 200 lap race

was full of excitement right from the start when Jeff Gordon

was taken out of the race less than 10 laps after the start. The

race was won by Greg Biffle driving his #16 Ford.

NASCAR has some of the most loyal fans of any sport – but

even for those who are not seasoned fans or have never seen a

race, the experience at MIS was exciting! The roar of the engine

that you can actually feel, the smell of oil and rubber and the

rush of wind as the cars pass by can make a first time race goer

understand the dedication of die-hard fans.

START YOuR eNGINeSCertainTeed at Michigan International Speeday:

B y N i c k y S a y l e s

On June 30 a group of CertainTeed employees, family and

friends stood at the starting line of a 12 mile course appropriately

called the Tough Mudder at Michigan International Speedway.

The Tough Mudder is described as a 10-12 mile obstacle course

designed by British Special Forces to test the stamina, strength,

mental toughness and competitive spirit of those who challenge

the course and on average only 78% finish the course.

Team CertainTeed was comprised of Rusty Kreiger, Bob

Sumkowski, Christina Sumkowski, Lisa Wallace, Bret Allen,

Leslie Allen, Cale Wildt, Josh Cole, Eric McKee, Jason Hall, Jody

Hayslip, Jason Hart and Hillary Fairbanks.

As if the course and obstacles as designed were not tough

enough, Mother Nature decided to up the ante. There were several

days of rain leading up to the event. Quite literally every inch of

the course was approximately 3” of slippery “goop” that made the

12 miles even that much harder. As we have witnessed over and

over CertainTeed employees will rally in difficult circumstances

and the Tough Mudder was no exception. Teammates were

witnessed helping and encouraging each other through the entire

course and I am quite certain it was this help and encouragement

that ensured EVERY team member successfully completed the

course 100%!

So much for being average…

9

There is talk of forming another team for 2014 so if you’re interested, contact

any of the 2013 team and they will

point you in the right direction.

Volume 2 | Issue 2

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1THE miCHigAn WATER EnviRonmEnT ASSoCiATion (mWEA), established in 1925, is one of michigan’s oldest organizations. mWEA represents more than 2,000 water quality professionals statewide who are dedicated to preserving, restoring and enhancing michigan’s water resources. mWEA is a member association of the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization with more than 40,000 members worldwide

The Jackson manufacturing facility has received City and

State environmental achievement awards for their continued

success in compliance and environmental management.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the federal Clean

Water Act, the city of Jackson awarded an environmental

achievement award to CertainTeed Corporation’s Jackson

manufacturing facility.

This was the first award of its kind given by the City.

The “Outstanding Environmental Achievement Award”

was presented to CertainTeed at the Nov. 13 Jackson City

Council meeting for accomplishing 15 years of outstanding

industrial pretreatment of water meeting all local, State and

Federal requirements.

“They have made a lot of strides,” said Daveda Quinn,

the city’s supervisor for industrial pretreatment. “It’s a great

accomplishment.”

The site was also nominated and awarded the “Industrial

Environment Stewardship Award” by 1The Michigan Water

Environment Association (MWEA). The MEWA recognized

Jackson as “an industrial user, through internal environmental

management process and/or pretreatment, has displayed an

exemplary commitment to environmental stewardship within

the State of Michigan”.

Plant manager Andy Meyerhofer is very pleased with all

the hard work everyone at the plant does every day to make

these kinds of achievements a reality. The good choices we

make everyday make environmental impact differences. I

am thankful to everyone in the plant for making good choices

when nobody is looking!

Congratulations to

Adam and Jena

Holdwick. The

couple was married

on June 21, 2013. We

wish Adam and Jena

a bright, loving and

happy future.

Congratulations to

John Dahms on

his extended family

of grand-girls.

Introducing Pia,

Brooklyn

and the newest

addition

Cali Skye.

Congratulations to

Josh, Brienne, and

Camden on the birth

of their new family

addition. We send

a warm and loving

welcome to Taiden

Cole.

CertainTeed of Jackson earns Outstanding Environmental Achievement Award

Congratulations go

out to Mark Skinner

and family on their

most recent addition

– Maxwell Douglas.

Mark is very proud

to be a grandpa!

B y P a t S e x t o n

Congratulations to

Rob Romelhart and

Ken Julson. The

couple married on

August 19, 2013. We

wish Rob and Ken

a bright, loving and

happy future.

Line 0 Update

11

Because this is an R & D project at this time I will not be

addressing the process specifics.

As you all know by now, we have installed a new line on

the east end of the building. Line 0 as it is known today

is now operational. We have over the past few weeks run

successful trials and will be moving into the next phase

shortly. The project is led by the JDC and supported by the

plant. Team 0 consists of the following people;

Chuck Moses - Project Leader - JDC

Scott VanderVeen - Op’s Team Leader - Plant

Ken Fritz - Line 0 Process Tech - Plant

John Wyne - Line 0 operator - Plant

Wayne Meade - Line 0 operator - Plant

John Dahm - Line 0 operator - Plant

Jamie Valentine - Line Support - JDC

Paul Ruede - Chemical/Material Support - JDC

Krista Stancombe - Process Support - JDC

Pam Pittam - Op’s Support - Plant

Steve Zeigler - Op’s Support Safety - Plant

Martin Hoffman - Maintenance Support (Electrical) - Plant

Phillip Zubick - Process Control - Plant

Bob Dodd - Line Support - JDC

Bob Shaw - Product Testing - JDC

Travis Arbogast - Process Leader - JDC

I could not go on without also acknowledging the

contributions of others who have made this project possible:

Nick Sayles, Pat Sexton, Mark Skinner, Bill Sauer, John

Taylor and the entire maintenance department as well

as Andy and Rex. Also a special shout out to Tim Stellar

and all the guys in the die room for supporting trials. This

project truly embodies our VMVO value “Teamwork and

Collaboration” and its success will be determined by it.

Look for good things to come in the next few weeks.

Scott VanderVeen

Teamwork is a very special thing, especially seen through our youth involved in any group activity. made possible with a generous gift from CertainTeed the youth hockey teams from Jackson, Adrian, and Battle Creek ages from four to forty were able to visit and scrimmage on the home ice of the michigan State Spartans, munn ice arena. Players, family, friends, and coaches were able to spend time experiencing the feel of a collegiate locker room, and meeting one of the michigan State players to sign autographs and take pictures. There was mixed feelings being from michigan and having the other michigan team fans, still all that was set aside for the time to allow the kids to have their special day. Their time on the ice was very memorable for the kids, there was no us, them, just kids playing hockey on the big ice.

i personally would like to thank everyone that made this extraordinary day possible for the players, family, and friends. From the players, parents, and coaches there that day we would like to give a heart filled thank you to everyone involved in making this incredible event happen for our and other communities in our great state of michigan.

TeamworkB y S i d n e y C h a p p e l l

Volume 2 | Issue 2

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Some of the biggest challenges we face in Maintenance are keeping track of all the ongoing projects, Tracking Performance of the plant and how we affect the plant’s performance, and communication of all this information across the Jackson shift structure. In an effort to improve all these things we have been in the midst of a mini-renovation back in the maintenance area in coordination with the launch of the WCM reliability pillar.

In order to better track ongoing projects we needed to open up wall space for white boards where the status of all projects can be posted for everyone to see. This helps us not only communicate what we’re doing across all the shifts in maintenance and to anyone who is interested, but also helps us keep on track with completion. We eliminated the old beat-up 6 ft tall bookshelves and are going with short 2 ft tall shelves for our technical library which we can mount the white boards above.

Everyone knows that efficiency is important in a manufacturing environment, and it is no different in maintenance. We’ve tried to eliminate the clutter in our office and will be turning it into a maintenance meeting room. We have a conference table and chairs coming to facilitate better shift huddle communication, and foster an environment of sharing ideas.

We also wanted to give the maintenance guys a clean, efficient work environment so we’ve also been making some changes in the shop. We started with moving out all the “junk” and getting the large spares (Screws, Barrels, Motors,) as well as the spare “Green Tag” equipment up on the floor where they are needed. Having this equipment up on the floor in the line 16 area should help us 5-S our spare equipment so a quick visual inspection will reveal what we have available and what needs to be worked on. This opens up the shop floor for a safer, more open area for work.

We wanted to give each maintenance man his own work area so we built a wall with partitions so we could do this.

All of these changes are in an effort to help us achieve our mission of efficient customer service. In keeping with WCM principles of 5-S, Industrial Efficiency, and Eliminating Waste we hope to be able to bring Jackson Manufacturing a higher level of service than ever before possible.

MAINTENANCE UPDATES

Maintenance Renovation Underway!

B y J o h n T a y l o r

12 13

CertainTeed - Jackson

Helping SupporT CHildren wiTH BaCk To SCHool SupplieS

A special thanks to the planning team that shopped and put together school supplies for the registered CertainTeed families K - 12. Congratulations to the randomly raffled 4 special backpack winners.

Please be sure to thank the planning team members for their time and effort!

14 15

CertainTeed sponsored a Bass Tournament August 24, 2013.

There were 8 boat entries and prizes were awarded for

Big Bass and for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place.

Congratulations to Martin Hoffman and Melvin Hoffman for winning

BIG BASS and 1st Place!

Volume 2 | Issue 215

Production UpdateB y J e r e m e y G a l l a w a y

While we are making that “high quality siding” here at the Jackson plant, there are numerous activities going on that many are aware of, while others might not. Some of these activities involve many employees from the production floor. These include WCM projects which, during this wave include lines 1 and 9, while other activities are geared around Digital Dashboard.

Line 1’s Autonomous Maintenance 6 month project is coming to a close. That project took a look at getting rid of contamination from the process. Contamination is defined as leaks of all sorts, ie: compound, nail notches, water, etc. While some were easy targets, others have not been so easy. Spurring off of this project, came a new WCM project, The Dust Control team is looking at a way of eliminating dust/powder contaminates. This team is looking at many different ways of attacking this issue.

Line 9 has many different activities going on. Many employees I’m sure have seen the dry erase easel for the Hour by Hour tracker. This is generation 1 of this project. Through talking to many employees on this and taking their advice, there is a Gen 2 coming soon. This board will take the same type of concept of getting all employees on the line involved on the line’s performance. The Gen 2 Hour by Hour board is designed to help understand how the line is running by all involved on the line, plus there will be some other departments involved in the board as well. There is an audit schedule coming from management to come look at the board to start some conversation on the line’s performance.

Another line 9 project is the Auto-Start project. This team is looking at ramping the line up faster while going through its steps. Currently lines were taking anywhere from the mid 20 minutes to stabilize, to where the team has now got that time down to below 10 minutes. This creates less tear offs and will make checking the color sooner. This team has taken off quick and has already started implementing their successes. This is a great cost improvement.

Lastly, another line 9 project is Auto-Lost Production. This project, like many other projects is a Jackson first project, meaning once the bugs are worked out of it, it will expand to the other lines and then onto the other plants. There have been many people from across the CertainTeed group that have helped in trying to get this going. The reason on going the direction of Lost Production being automatic is to help get more accurate data. All teams look at lost production as a tool on what to improve on. Data gathering is essential when trying to improve the processes that we work with. The system recognizes that there has been either a regrind, scrap or a downtime event and will flag the operator of this issue. The operator will then take that event and select the actual issue through drop down menus.

These are just a few of the projects going on in production. Please take a look at all of the WCM boards on the many teams going and if you don’t understand what they are about and need more clarification, feel free to ask the team members. I’m sure that they will fill you in.

There’s a lot going on in our plant that will help Jackson continue to be the leading plant in the group.

All the work that goes into our efforts

to be environmentally responsible can

be a daunting task, just ask Pat Sexton,

Mark Skinner or Scott Shirel. From

identifying how to properly segregate

and dispose of our many different waste

streams to working with the City auditing

our emissions and effects we are having

on the land and water that surrounds us

can take a total team effort. This was

most evident in the Line 0 start up. All

the work that had to happen before the

line could run was unbelievable. Getting

permits, and identifying how to properly

handle and dispose the different forms

of waste was challenging because much

of it was unknown at the time. We are

still analyzing and working with outside

sources to better understand the impact.

Also, we continue to recycle scrap metals

and corrugated from all areas in the

plant. All of this is important and may

not reflect heavily on the bottom line, but

it is no doubt the right thing to do. The

goal will always be striving towards zero

land fill and the plant has done a great

job working to achieve this.

So how can we contribute to this effort?

By taking the time to put trash where it

belongs, use the recycle receptacles to

dispose of papers, cans and plastics.

Don’t throw ear plugs or trash in the

parking lot, take PRIDE in the fact this is

where you work and BE PROUD OF IT!

The Warehouse Guy

RESPECT THE EnViROnMEnT

?This CertainTeed employee grew up

in Jackson, MI with 5 siblings. As a child, they wanted to be a baseball player when they grew up, but lucky for us, they built a career at CertainTeed and have been here for over 29 years. They have been married to their spouse for 32 years and looks forward to moving somewhere warm and travelling when they retire. This employee is passionate about the Wounded Warrior Project and enjoys woodworking in their spare time. They were born under the Virgo astrological sign and blue is their favorite color.

If you think you know who this employee is, submit an answer to

Human Resources. The first person to submit the correct answer will receive a

$25 cash prize!!

Mystery PRoFiLE

Pat has been with CertainTeed for over 13 years – Pat was

born under the astrological sign of Scorpio and grew up in Vandercook Lake with his 2 siblings. As a child, Pat wanted to be a police officer. When not at CertainTeed, Pat likes to relax and enjoy life. He is also passionate about being a good parent to his 1 child he has with his wife of 9 years. Looking into the future, Pat would like to do nothing when he retires.

Pat had you all stumped – no one guessed his mystery profile!!

PAT RoSS

Last issue’s Mystery Profile was...

Volume 2 | Issue 2

16

**Will be processed though a payroll deposit.

My name is Jody Hayslip and I am a Machine Repair Journeyman at the Jackson, MI Siding Plant. I have been working at CertainTeed for 19 years. My career at CertainTeed as a packer, worked as an operator, and then moved into the maintenance department as an apprentice. Completed the apprentice program and enjoy the daily challenges of the job where no two days are ever the same. I have two children, a 17 year old daughter named Melanie that is a senior in high school, and son, Dylan who is 12 years old .

I have lots of hobbies, everything from playing softball and volleyball to coaching baseball and driving in Demolition Derby Races. A Demolition Derby (aka Auto-Cross) is a race for laps that involves jumps, turns, and the ever-exciting intersection where you have to time your entry just right or get smashed by another driver. We have a race team called Twisted Metal Racing and it consists of about 7 drivers from Jackson and we compete against other teams and drivers at the local fairs in Lower Michigan. We recently had our “hometown” race at the Jackson County Fair in which I won the Heat Race and advanced to the feature race of the night. By the luck of the draw, I drew the last position in the feature race and while driving hard to catch the front of the pack, flipped my car after making it through the intersection. I climbed out of the car, flipped the car back over (with help from track officials) and proceeded to take 2nd place in the feature race. That was an adrenaline rush and to do it front of your hometown crowd is awesome!

The Twisted Metal Racing Team gets sponsors for a number of event races. CertainTeed has generously sponsored the team for a number of years. Every year the team has racing shirts printed and gives them to fans at the Jackson County Fair. This year there were several shirts left over and the team donated to needy families in the community.

Last issue’s Mystery Profile was...

16 17

What did you do on summer vacation? Draw a picture!

BY: ___________________________________________Summer 2013:My Favorite Memory AGE

Presorted StandardU.S. Postage

PA I DPermit No. 258

Jackson, MI

701 E. WashigntonJackson, MI 49201

Guess who visited our plant this summer? More on Page 8