March 20 is the International Day of Happiness. How will you celebrate?
March 20 is the International Day of Happiness. How will you celebrate?
Leggett & Platt’s team at Omega Motion in Tupelo, Mississippi has a longstanding cultural reputation of family, friends, and opportunity. They recently participated in one of several team and community building activities that we featured here on our blog – but we wanted to know more about their workplace culture firsthand. We asked a few employees to tell us what they love most about Omega Motion. From the sound of it, there’s a lot to love!
John Gory – Branch Manager
John started his journey with Leggett & Platt in 1985 as a drafter at the Super Sagless branch. Over the years, he’s worked his way up through the company to his most recent promotion from a Senior Engineer to Branch Manager at Omega Motion.
“I love the ‘friends and family’ atmosphere here at Omega. We love innovation and thrive on a challenge to invent something that’s never been done before. There is great joy in working with our team to figure out how we can do it, and get it done!”
“This isn’t just a job – it’s a place to build your career and there’s always room for advancement. If you have a passion for what you’re doing, it’s easy to grow in this company.”
Andy Lesley – Production Supervisor
Andy started working at Super Sagless in 1987 as a machine operator and transferred to Omega Motion in 1999. He was promoted to Line Back-up Lead, then to Line Lead, then to Maintenance. His most recent promotion was in 2019, where he was promoted to Supervisor of the Assembly Department.
“I like the comradery of the people and the many friendships I have made throughout the years here at Omega, along with the opportunities I’ve been given to advance. I’m a proven example of; if you work hard, believe in yourself and others, anything is possible.”
“I still actually enjoy operating a rivet machine to assemble hardware from time to time, to inspire teamwork and to put a competitive edge on each line for reaching their production goals, and then some! When they feel like they’re in a competition, they really work together to get those numbers!”
Misti Lambert – Director of EHS, QC and CI
Misti joined the Omega Team in February of 2014 as the QC/CI Manager. She then gained the responsibility of Safety in March of 2017 and then Environmental in July of 2019.
“I really enjoy my job and the family environment here at Omega! My roles here allow me to interact with the employees daily and hope that I always do my part in making each employee know their importance to our organization. I have an open-door policy and want them to always feel like they can come to me and know that I genuinely care about them and their wellbeing. I have told the manufacturing team often; without you, they don’t need me!”
Omega Motion and Super Sagless are both hiring for roles in their manufacturing facilities! You can apply for open positions at Omega here and Super Sagless here, both located in Tupelo, Mississippi. Keep following our blog to learn more about the positions and culture offered at their facilities.
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!
Last Friday, manufacturers across the United States celebrated Manufacturing Day, also known as MFG Day, by opening their doors to showcase the potential of modern manufacturing and inspire the next generation of manufacturers.
This year, six L&P locations hosted MFG Day activities:
Here are a few highlights from the day!
A manufacturing team at Spring Hill demonstrated the assembly of an adjustable base for local students.
L&P’s Walter Jones welcomed students from Pasco-Hernando State College.
Spring Hill management pictured with guests of honor.
We care about learning at Leggett & Platt. It’s how we adapt, grow, and continually reinvent ourselves to succeed in our jobs. We’ve worked to foster a culture of learning for employees at every level, and at the core of our operations are hundreds of frontline supervisors who are ready to learn.
Supervisor Essentials is a training program geared specifically toward our frontline supervisors at manufacturing locations. “Frontline supervisors have a tremendous amount of influence on the culture of L&P,” says Stephanie Elliott, Learning & Development Program Manager. “It’s essential that we help equip them with the skills to be great leaders of people.”
For many years, a training program for frontline supervisors has been highly requested from our operations. Frontline supervisors juggle multiple demands throughout their workday. While facing deadlines and urgencies within their operations, they also often lead a team of people – which requires a different skillset altogether.
In response to this request, we launched a pilot program launched last fall, with a total of 65 participants completing a trial of the training in Missouri and Texas. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive as participants found the training to be relevant and impactful. One participant shared, “I learned how to look at both sides of an issue when working with my team, as well as how to be fair in my decision-making.”
This year, the same training from the pilot program became much more widely accessible to our operations, as onsite trainings are currently underway. Participants explore topics such as effective communication, leadership, safety, handling difficult interactions and conflict, and respect in the workplace. The program takes a blended learning approach of both eLearning and instructor-led training, which means participants will guide themselves through a series of online modules at their own pace, then also attend onsite training sessions to further explore to the material. Continue reading
Here they are! L&P’s Emerging Leader Academy – Class of 2019, 2020, and 2021!
(Of course we ran with the silly photo. Anything with a front-and-center leprechaun jump is a winner in our books.)
We are so proud to host and learn alongside such a dedicated and diverse group of participants. Last week was a truly wonderful week!
This week, our Corporate Headquarters welcomed an amazing group of people to the third annual Emerging Leader Academy (ELA) conference! Over 100 L&P employees joined us from across the globe to network, learn from senior leaders, and study concepts of change management. What a week it’s been!
Doug Thrasher (Plant Manager, Carthage Wire Mill) shares his thoughts on change management during the roundtable networking event.
Mitch Dolloff (COO) and Steve Henderson (President-Automotive Group) spoke openly about their vision for the future of L&P during the closing keynote.
Participants had many opportunities to network and build their relationships — some even enjoyed a quick game of horseshoes during lunch.
ELA participants Nathan Herndon, Chris Whitesell, and Vinny Dimino.
Ben Cuthbert (European Sales & Marketing Director) was peer selected to serve as Valedictorian of the 2019 graduating class.
Today we celebrated the legacy of Jim Hess, former VP of Operations Services, by dedicating a conference room in his honor during a ceremony for his friends and family. For 17 years, Jim’s passion for statistics and continuous improvement impacted many of us at L&P. His work will live on for years to come.
Last Friday, manufacturers across the United States celebrated Manufacturing Day, also known as MFG Day, by opening their doors to showcase the potential of modern manufacturing and inspire the next generation of manufacturers.
This year, five L&P locations hosted MFG Day activities:
• Flex-O-Lators in Carthage, MO
• Flooring Products in Berwick, PA
• Genesis Seating in Kentwood, MI
• Davidson Plyforms in Grand Rapids, MI
• Adjustable Bed (Consumer Products) in Spring Hill, FL
Our Adjustable Bed branch in Spring Hill, Florida, hosted a representative from NAM (National Association of Manufacturers) and a Recruiter in Workforce Development at Pasco-Hernando State College.
They were also visited by students from Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School.
The Emerging Leader Academy (ELA) annual conference is in full swing at our Corporate Headquarters! We’re hosting nearly 100 L&P employees from across the globe to network, learn from senior leaders, and improve business acumen. What a week it’s already been!
CFO Matt Flanigan networks with ELA participants Andy Cline and Travis Sageser.
Sonia Smith, President of European Automotive, and Joe Espinoza, President of Asian Automotive, check in at the start of the conference.
ELA participants Andy Cline and Jennifer Little.
Mitch Dolloff, President of Specialized Products and Furniture Products, opened day two by sharing his vision for the future L&P.
A small warm-up activity for day two.
Our L&D Program Managers, Rob Sotlar and Stephanie Elliott.
