At L&P, we are honored to work alongside many colleagues who have served in the military. Their dedication and service ensure we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. This month, we want to spotlight some of our amazing colleagues who are military service members and veterans.
First up, we’d like you to meet Deran Boman! Deran has been with us for 12 years and is currently a maintenance technician at our corporate headquarters. His main responsibilities include plumbing, electrical work, locksmithing, record keeping, and repairing doors and windows.
Deran is a sergeant and is serving his sixth year in the United States Army National Guard. In 2020, he was part of a Special Enforcement Detail (SED) riot control readiness in response to the wave of civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd. He also served as a security detail at GTMO (Guantanamo Bay).
“I wanted to become a part of something bigger that lets me serve this great country in a way that makes an impact,” said Deran. “The main values I developed in the military and apply to L&P are loyalty, integrity, and leadership.”
We are very grateful to Deran and all who have served!
In October, L&P teams in North and South America came together to support an important cause – the fight to end breast cancer. The event was promoted and organized by the Women’s ERG to raise awareness for self-care. In total, our teams raised over $23,000 for life-saving breast cancer research. Here are just some of the pictures and branches that supported the event.
The Carthage team hosted the Susan G. Komen Walk Where You Are Event at the Corporate Headquarters in Carthage, MO. The event encourages groups to walk where they are to raise awareness and support for breast cancer research. Over 50 employees from three branches participated in the walk.
The Hanes & Flooring team in Conover, NC, held their Walk Where You Are Event. Lauren McMahan, Human Resources Director at Hanes, said, “It was a beautiful day and a great opportunity to come together.” Employees who couldn’t walk with the group walked along with their families to support the cause.
ECS Conover in Conover, NC, also held a Walk Where You Are Event and raffled prizes to the 40 team members who participated.
Megan Lowry, Human Resources Coordinator, said, “When we began the fundraising campaign, it became apparent that so many of our teammates have been affected or know someone who’s been affected by breast cancer. The event provided our team, Together We Can, the opportunity to celebrate survivors and raise money for future research.”
LPFP – Fort Worth Prime in Fort Worth, TX, held a bake sale to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. “Many of the partners in our branch have been impacted by breast cancer,” said Aaron Fields, Branch Manager. “We asked if there would be interest in adding a bake sale to our annual chili cook-off in October, with the funds benefiting breast cancer research. The response was a resounding yes.”
Winchester Spring in Winchester, KY, held a walk at a local park and hosted a cornhole tournament after the event. The team raised $7,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Cathy Spencer, Office Manager, said, “Our team was made up of management and partners from the floor. We had a great time and a great turnout. Everyone agreed to make it an annual event.”
The West Michigan Work Furniture Branches — Moiron, Davidson Plyforms, and Genesis Seating — came together to support breast cancer awareness. The branches held various events including penny wars, candy bar fundraisers, and a Wall of Hope. The Moiron team participated in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Grand Rapids, MI. Shari German, Human Resources Manager at Moiron said, “The day started with a pink sky and a rainbow before the rain started.”
The Leggett & Platt Brazil team, along with the help of the local health department and volunteers, hosted a walk and community event with the theme: “Alone we are petals, together we are roses.” Over 230 women participated in the event. They also held group exercises, and medical professionals helped women book mammograms and offered advice on self-care.
Terrafix Geosynthetics had four Canada branches participate in the Walk Where You Are Event – Toronto, Ontario; Edmonton, Alberta; Calgary, Alberta; and Surrey, British Columbia.
Sarah Peterson, leader of the External Partnerships Committee for the Women’s ERG, who organized the event, said, “I am humbled and floored by the support and success of L&P partners throughout North and South America. Seeing so many come together, taking pride in the event, which seemed to have a personal component for all, and raising awareness for breast cancer is something that will hold a special place in my heart. I am proud and honored to have witnessed our teams do great work together!”
Thank you to our Women’s ERG for organizing and promoting such an important event and for your commitment to our Leggett communities.
At L&P, we are powered by kindness—we prioritize safety and care for each other and create an inclusive environment of mutual respect, empathy, and belonging.
November 13 is World Kindness Day, and we’d like to reshare some inspiring stories from this year about how our employees show kindness by putting people first:
How We Put People First: We invited a few of our People First Champions — L&P leaders who host local conservations with their co-workers to discuss how we work well together — to share how their teams put people first.
“Success is Showing That We Care”: Read how our Home Furniture team in Kendallville, Indiana, came together to celebrate Earth Day and appreciate one another’s hard work.
On Sunday, November 12, people worldwide will celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights.
Diwali originated in ancient India as a celebration of the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom after defeating the demon King Ravana. The holiday has different meanings and traditions for each religion and region of India and is celebrated by people in many other parts of the world, including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji.
Diwali celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. Universally, it brings joy and happiness to millions, and festivals include colorful lights, music, dancing, and fireworks. Happy Diwali to all those who celebrate!
Many of our branches have hosted monthly People First local conversations this year, inviting their teams to discuss how to enhance leadership skills and strengthen inclusion by putting people first—our first company value. They covered a variety of topics, such as belonging, community involvement, and unconscious bias.
This month, our People First local conversations are centered around gratitude, which is an awareness and appreciation of the positive parts of our lives. Gratitude is something we can practice every day, whether that’s taking time to notice what’s going right or recognizing a coworker for something they’ve done that we’re thankful for. We know that building a habit of gratitude can make stronger and more connected teams and that being grateful is tied to many mental and physical health benefits, including better sleep and a decrease in anxiety and depression.
As our last local conversation of the year, we want to take a moment to share that we have so much to be grateful for—our people, values, communities, customers, products, and more. We are thankful for the opportunities to enhance lives by delivering quality products, offering empowering and rewarding careers, and doing our part to bring about a better future.
References
CNP, A. L. (2022, December 6). Can expressing gratitude improve your mental, physical health? Mayo Clinic Health System. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/can-expressing-gratitude-improve-health
Our Automotive team in Chennai, India, recently celebrated Ayudha Pooja — “worship of instruments” — as part of the Hindu festival Navaratri.
Ayudha Pooja is a time to give thanks and ask for the blessing of a safe work environment. The meaningful custom of pooja (Hindu worship) gives participants an opportunity to appreciate the tools and machines used in their professions and to recognize the divine force behind these objects that provides prosperity. To celebrate, all vocational tools are cleaned, polished, and then covered with turmeric and sandalwood paste. To invite positive energy and protection, a priest performs Homam, which includes spraying holy water on the machines and throughout the branch.
We invited a few of our employees to share their thoughts on the celebration:
P. Gnanaprakasam
P. Gnanaprakasam, Manufacturing Coach, shared, “For the past 13 years, we have celebrated Ayudha Pooja. It is a unique opportunity for our company to boost employee motivation and morale, as it creates a positive work environment among us. On this day, we thank our machines and tools, and we seek blessing for a safer work environment. I participated in Homam, and the divinity gave me a positive vibe.”
D. Santha Lakshmi
D. Santha Lakshmi, Quality Technician, shared, “Ayudha Pooja celebrations provide a break from the monotony of an everyday routine. We can have a good time and return to work the next day with a fresh mind. During Navaratri (Nine Days), we worshipped, sang, and decorated Golu. This gave us great happiness because we participated as a team. After the celebration, sweets were given to us, and we celebrated Ayudha Pooja at home.”
S. Praveen Kumar
S. Praveen Kumar, Manufacturing Technician, shared, “The Ayudha Pooja celebration at our branch is a happy event. We prayed as a team—all functions came together, and the celebration made us like one family. It motivated us all. We also celebrated Ayudha Pooja with our families, using the sweets, puffed rice, and fruits given to us at our branch. This made our families happy!”
Check out some of the photos from our branch’s celebration below!
Employees gather near a priest performing Homam.
The entrance to the branch is decorated with fruit trees.
Employees gather around a Navaratri Golu display lined with dolls, figurines, gods, and goddesses.
L&P sponsored October’s Third Thursday—a family-friendly event where the Joplin, Missouri, and surrounding communities come together to enjoy local food, artists, entertainment, and shops.
The event’s theme was “Fall Festival,” and it attracted a great crowd! Twenty L&P volunteers helped set up the event and offered free games, mini-pumpkin decorating, a photo booth, candy, and popcorn to attendees. Our volunteers handed out more than 600 bags of free popcorn and helped over 100 kids decorate pumpkins!
We are grateful to all of our employees who made Third Thursday fun and successful! Check out some photos from the event below.
At L&P, we are proud to be a global company, employing people from many backgrounds and cultures. Our company values — Put People First, Do the Right Thing, Do Great Work Together, and Take Ownership and Raise the Bar — tie us together and guide us to be more connected, collaborative, and innovative.
As we continue sharing about our global mindset, we invited Samantha Lewis-Horner, Vice President of Human Resources, to share how she leads an international L&P team.
“When I joined L&P a year ago, it was clear to me that this is a global organization that values people,” said Samantha. “A global team brings diversity of thought and personality. We may think and act differently across cultures, but these differences are ultimately strengths that can bring benefit to the whole company.”
Samantha leads a team of HR leaders — Alan Ji, Clare Rees, Judith Kuhn, and Lori Kolodziej — located in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Alan works from China, and Lori works from the United States. Both Clare and Samantha are based in the United Kingdom, and Judith is based in Germany.
Judith, Samantha, Clare, Lori, and Alan
The team works closely with our specialized business units to provide global HR support that promotes growth through investing in our people, culture, and the processes that keep us competitive. Samantha Leads our specialized HR segment and is the strategic lead, along with Alan, Senior HR Director for Asia Pacific, for our Automotive business. Judith is the HR Director for Specialized Products in Europe and strategic HR lead for our Hydraulics business. Lori is the HR Director for Specialized Products in North America and strategic lead for our Aerospace business. Clare is a Senior HR Business Partner, driving Transformation and Capability improvements across our Specialized Products segment.
Every six weeks, Samantha hosts Listening at Leggett—an hour-long meeting without an agenda where the team can speak about any topic or issue.
“It’s important that we listen to our teams, no matter where they are in the world,” said Samantha. “We could all be better listeners, and we should be open to and listen to other people’s opinions. We only get the best ideas if everyone contributes.”
When asked how her team embraces a diversity of perspectives and ensures everyone stays engaged and connected, Samantha shared these key points with us:
Create clarity and foster transparency and trust, especially around future plans.
Be fair, consistent, and accountable.
Share and celebrate success.
Use available collaboration tools to check in.
Respect people’s time and time zones.
We’re really grateful to this team for putting people first, doing great work together, and enriching our global mindset!
