Happy (almost) New Year from Leggett & Platt! As we head into 2020, we thought we’d recap 2019 with a few of our favorite posts.
We learned that our founders were awesome leaders — and two pretty interesting dudes.
We learned that we’re always searching for ways to improve – ourselves, our processes, our methods, our company.
We’ve worked really hard this year, but a bit of downtime with loved ones — or even some time to yourself — will leave you feeling energized, refreshed, and excited to take on 2020. We asked a few of our employees to share their favorite ways to relax as we head into the holiday season. Here are a few of our favorites:
1. Spend time in the kitchen…. or outdoors. I enjoy cooking dinner with my family — especially when we get to experiment with new ingredients. I’m also an avid hunter. Hopefully, we’ll have a nice duck to roast before the new year! Matt Haas, Materials Planner
2. Go fishing! It becomes a competition between my husband and I to see who can catch the most or largest fish. Usually he out-fishes me, but there are a few occasions when I get the victory. Boy do I rub it in! Melissa McAskill, Human Resources Manager, Ennis Spring
3. Cheer on your family. I relax by watching my kids sporting events (just maybe not when I’m loudly suggesting they play better defense). It takes my thoughts away from whatever else is consuming them and allows me to be present in that moment. Susan Lee, Sr. Credit Manager II – Remote Specialist
4. Stretch yourself… literally. I really enjoy yoga as a way to relax. In addition to the physical benefits, it’s a great way to decompress after a stressful day. Ashly Farmer, Paralegal & Billing Administrator
5. Do nothing. For me, relaxation is a lazy, Saturday morning in bed with my family — coffee cup in hand, of course! Chris Cochran, Human Resources Manager, Logistics
‘Tis the season to give back and do some good! Our team at Pegasus is doing just that.
They participated in the Middletown Salvation Army Adopt-A-Family Program, which means they sponsored families experiencing severe economic, emotional, or physical crises.
For the holidays, they “adopted” three assigned families by purchasing new clothing, toys, household items, and grocery store certificates.
Since mid-November, they’ve collected over 100 items to donate! They plan to spread holiday cheer by donating the items today.
Jason Maneke & Russ Dunton
Earlier this fall, our No-Sag Products branch in Kendallville, Indiana, earned the Hire Vets Medallion award – a national recognition for hiring, training, and retaining veterans in the workforce.
Over the past 12 years, the branch has held a company picnic to recognize veterans and commemorate the September 11 anniversary.
Nominees for the award are evaluated on their veteran hiring practices, percentage of veterans in the workforce, training, education and other services offered to veterans and support of active duty veteran employees, among other criteria.
After being nominated by the local Indiana WorkOne Veterans Representative, Russ Dunton, General Manager, and Jason Maneke, HR Manager, accepted the award from Deputy Secretary of Labor Sam Shellenberger in a ceremony at the Department of Labor in Washington, D.C.
Congratulations to everyone at No-Sag Products!
Dana Nevens was recently hired as a Territory Manager for our Flooring Products Division. We spoke with him about his first few months at L&P.
1. Can you tell us a bit about your background?
I’ve worked in the flooring industry for approximately 12 years. Most of those were spent in the hard-surface manufacturing side, which includes hardwoods and ceramic tile. Most recently, I had a national sales position with a relatively new company. I learned a lot from that job, but the schedule was very demanding for my family. I was looking for a change and learned about L&P. Since starting in August, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the customers in my territory — which includes Connecticut, Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
2. How has the transition gone so far?
I was hired to replace Jon Thierfeld when he retired from L&P. His retailers were very comfortable with him because he’d been working with them for over 25 years. Thankfully, I was able to travel the field with him for several weeks before he left. This allowed him to share the ins and outs of his customers in great detail — I still refer to those notes on a daily basis. It really helped me to earn the trust of my customers and to ensure them I would put in the same effort as he had to make sure their needs are met.
Since Jon left, I’ve found my sales support team here in Fort Worth to be just as accessible. I’ll never have all the answers, but they’re always a phone call away as I learn more about L&P’s culture and the way we do things.
3. What does a normal work day look like for you?
The majority of my week is spent connecting with as many of our customers as possible. I try to meet face-to-face whenever I can, so much of my time is spent in the car traveling to various parts of New England.
I enjoy introducing retailers to new products they’ve never seen before. If they’re an existing customer, I also evaluate their sales programs to determine what’s working, what’s not working, and make changes to increase their profits. The rest of my days are spent responding to calls or emails from customers who need to place orders and get answers to technical product questions. Every day is unique and I really like the challenge.
4. Has anything surprised you about L&P?
From prior interactions with the company, I only knew L&P as a flooring and underlayment supplier. When I learned the scope of our products and everything our company is involved in, it was very encouraging. On my team in the Northeast, it isn’t unusual to talk to employees who have been here for over 20 years — something which is very unique in this industry. It speaks well for the company and I’m glad to be a part of it.
The holidays are all about spending quality time with friends and family — often while gathered around plates of delicious food. However, feeding a crowd can take know-how and a tiny bit of courage. Sue Balcom, our Food Services Supervisor, has both. She leads a team of 5 dedicated food service staff who prepare meals for up to 500 employees a day, and cater around 300 corporate events per year!
We asked Sue to share her best advice for planning a holiday dinner. These tips will make your meal more memorable — and will leave you smiling once you find your seat at the table too.
1. Keep it simple. This isn’t the time to experiment with new, complicated dishes. When planning, select easy recipes with basic ingredients you can source locally. Driving all over town in search of a rare spice or out-of-season produce will quickly drain your holiday spirit.
2. Plan and prep. Leftovers are much better than running out of food. Find out how many guests you will be serving and plan for a 4 oz. portion of each food per person. Make your grocery lists carefully so you only end up at the store once. Then peel, chop, and prep anything you can ahead of time. This will leave you with more time to mingle once your guests arrive. “I like to prepare as much as I can a couple days ahead, especially my pies,” says Sue. “I just bake them that day, so they are fresh.”
3. Include family favorites. Tried-and-true traditional dishes are a must. For Sue, they include creamy corn casserole and baked sweet potatoes. These recipes are generally less stressful in the kitchen and can be sentimental to your guests. Consider creating a family cookbook to record those memories.
4. Have plenty of options… and a few surprises. “I like to make two entrees,” shares Sue. “That way I know everyone will have an option they enjoy.” She also recommends including a unique vegetarian dish — and finds that usually guests will all try it. If others want to contribute, ask them to bring a special side dish. This allows you to try something new too!
5. Treat your guests! Pies, cakes, and pastries are a sweet way to end any special meal. Sue takes it one step further and sends everyone home with a special jar of her homemade jam.
