During November, teams around the world celebrated Quality Month—a time to appreciate quality professionals and increase importance around the continuous improvement of processes and products.
Our Automotive team in India held a kickoff ceremony for Quality Month. To celebrate, branch leadership spoke about the importance of quality management and the team pledged to maintain high standards. Posters were hung throughout the branch as reminders to aim for excellence and focus on continuous improvement.
We are very grateful to our Automotive team in India for doing great work together by taking pride in their work and one another!
In November, several L&P employees from our Home Furniture, Flooring, and Hanes businesses came together to volunteer at Safe Harbor’s ReSource Warehouse in Hickory, North Carolina.
Safe Harbor is a nonprofit organization that provides programs and services to help meet the needs of women and their children. ReSource Warehouse — Safe Harbor’s thrift store — provides job experience to Safe Harbor program participants. All proceeds from the thrift store support Safe Harbor’s services, such as providing temporary or long-term housing and a one-year sobriety program.
Photos of our volunteers — Tanya Caine, Brandon Phothichack, Chris Bolich, Tammy Watts, Julia Powers, Breanna Wagster, Samantha Howell, and Samantha’s daughter, Alexandra Simmons — in action at Safe Harbor.
Our group of volunteers put our four L&P values — Put People First, Do the Right Thing, Do Great Work Together, and Take Ownership and Raise the Bar — into action when they met to make a positive impact on others’ lives. “We took pride in what we were doing for our community,” shared Samantha Howell, Vice President of Human Resources. “We swept, organized, cleaned, were creative, assisted shoppers, and encouraged workers. We embraced responsibility and made a difference.”
Our volunteers contributed more than 32 hours of work and also collected and made donations to Safe Harbor. While volunteering in the ReSource Warehouse, they styled mannequins and helped shoppers find items. They also offered encouraging words to adolescents doing community service and were inspired by the testimony of a Safe Harbor resident who will be sober at Thanksgiving with her children for the first time.
“We got to know each other a little better, help those in need, and proudly represent L&P,” continued Samantha. “We had a great time giving back to our community and look forward to our next volunteering adventure!”
We are grateful to our volunteers for lifting up their communities and living our L&P values!
At Leggett & Platt, we are committed to building a culture of belonging and workplaces where everyone feels accepted for who they are and what they bring to L&P.
To help us accomplish this, we launched our People First learning series, designed to enhance our leadership skills and strengthen inclusion by putting people first—our first company value.
At the beginning of the year, we launched People First Local Conversations within our branches. The conversations are hosted by People First Champions — L&P leaders — and discuss how we can improve our workplaces by being a better team.
Participating in the local conversations was optional for each branch and initially started as six conversations over four months. The feedback was so positive that over half of the branches asked to continue.
Winchester Spring in Winchester, Kentucky, was one of the branches that participated in each local conversation. They finished the series this month, hosting eleven conversations on topics like belonging, community involvement, and gratitude. We spoke with Stephen Day, Richard Trent, and James Wells — the People First Champions at Winchester, about their experience.
Richard Trent, Billy Higgins, and James Wells
Stephen Day, Human Resources Manager
“What initially struck my interest was the People First courses we took before the conversations started. The facilitator was very engaging, and the content intrigued me. I was determined to make a difference at our branch. Working with Richard, James, and Billy Wiggins (Branch Manager), I knew that we were all like-minded regarding our people. Our past successes were because of the great people we have on our team. Once we got started, we received feedback from our people, and there were some great ideas on how to be more inclusive. We have implemented many of those ideas and hope to receive more.”
Richard Trent, Operations Manager
“I’ve learned a lot about our team here at Branch 2. One of the most positive changes is that people are more open with each other and management. We have a lot of different departments, and having people willing to talk to each other is a huge plus. They all started hesitant, but after we had a few conversations, they began to open up and talk with each other. The local conversations have been an excellent experience for all of us.”
James Wells, Plant Superintendent
“I learned so much about the people I work with. I have led very few groups in meetings. So, coming out of my shell, getting to know people, and finding new ways to connect were great experiences. I found things in common with people I have worked with for years. After all our conversations, people are starting to interact more with management and each other. Overall, it was a great experience, and we all benefited from these conversations.”
Thank you to everyone at Winchester Spring for your commitment to inclusion and putting people first!
We are so thankful for our amazing employees who have shown incredible dedication this year. We appreciate everything you do. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!
L&P Automotive employees Milosz Niec, Ethan Park, Stepan Tuzlov, Mario Lorenzon, Becky Ferguson, and Kartik Soni recently participated in Habitat for Humanity’s Rock the Block in Oakland County, Michigan.
Rock the Block is part of Habitat for Humanity’s Neighborhood Revitalization effort, which offers minor exterior home repairs to homeowners in need. L&P made a corporate donation to the event and has been a long-standing supporter of Habitat for Humanity.
“The key to thriving communities is to lift our neighbors,” says Milosz. “Organizations like Habitat for Humanity do this for families and entire neighborhoods. We are thrilled to work with Habitat for a second year and already looking forward to the third!”
Thank you to our LPA team for doing great work in the community!
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!
