Category Archives: Employee Spotlight

Employee Spotlight: Introducing Gustavo Lemos from Sorocaba, Brazil

Although Brazil is considered one of the world’s most promising markets, its volatile economy has proven frustrating for many businesses. According to Eric Rhea, President of Leggett’s Bedding Group, “Establishing a business in Brazil can be risky, but managing a successful business there can be even more challenging. After years of fighting unfavorable conditions, we’ve recently turned a corner and want to seize the opportunities we’ve developed.”

Gustavo comes to Leggett with an engineering background, an MBA, and years of experience as an Operational Director with 3M.

Gustavo Lemos (center) comes to Leggett with an engineering background, an MBA, and many years of experience as an Operational Director for 3M.

“We found the kind of leader who confronts such difficulties head on with Gustavo Lemos,” said Eric. Gustavo joined Leggett in November 2014 as the South America President over Leggett & Platt de Brasil, a facility in Sorocaba with 305 employees that manufactures residential furniture and components. Continue reading

Employee Spotlight: Russ Dunton & Jason Maneke Make an Environmental Impact

Russ Dunton & Jason Maneke

Jason (left) and Russ received the Indiana Governor’s Award in 2011 for their branch’s environmental efforts. “I had to wear a suit, so it was a big deal,” Jason joked.

Russ Dunton and Jason Maneke may be two of the most passionate people at Leggett & Platt. Both work at our branch in Kendallville, Indiana. Both exude excitement when they talk about their jobs. Both invest significant time and energy in their facility, the environment, and the intersection of those worlds.

Russ and Jason support a facility with 85 folks who work hard and stay put – the average employee tenure is 16.5 years! Their efforts have demonstrated how a single facility can make a large, ongoing impact on the environment.

Kendallville is a wire-forming business that supplies materials to the bedding and furniture industries. Russ currently serves as Branch Manager and has previous experience in engineering, IT, and machine design. Jason may wear the title Human Resources Manager, but he also oversees their safety, environmental, and continuous improvement efforts. Jason joined Leggett after being part of the plastics industry for many years.

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Company Spotlight: Work Furniture

Work Furniture in a RowLeggett & Platt is North America’s leading independent manufacturer of office furniture parts. If your office chair tilts or swivels, there’s a good chance that mechanism came from L&P. But how did Leggett & Platt grow to become a giant in the office furniture industry? It began in 1984, with the acquisition of Gordon Manufacturing.

Big Opportunities

Gordon Manufacturing, out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, manufactures chair controls and steel bases for office furniture. When L&P acquired the company, it did so in an effort to broaden its sofa mechanism business. But the acquisition proved a success in its own right, and David Haffner, current CEO of Leggett & Platt, was tasked with expanding the office furniture business. He soon became president of the newly formed Office Components Business Unit (OCBU). Continue reading

Employee Spotlight on Sonia Smith: Fanning the Flame of Continuous Improvement

At Leggett & Platt, we care about finding a better way to do things. The whole company puts a priority on quality and continuous improvement, but some businesses, like our Automotive Group, have to meet extra high standards. “Customers expect their products to be free of defects,” explained Mitch Dolloff, Automotive Group VP. This requires rigorous improvement to designs, processes, and materials.

Perhaps no one embodies quality and continuous improvement in Automotive more than Sonia Smith. Armed with technical expertise, industry insight, and an incandescent personality, she’s the “go-to person for manufacturing and business process improvement,” according to Mitch. Based in South Wales, Sonia has been the Director of Quality and Program Management for our European automotive operations since 2006.

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My Experience as an IT intern at Leggett & Platt

Tommy LyI found my ideal IT internship at Leggett & Platt during my final summer of college in 2013. I knew I wanted to stay in Southwest Missouri to start my IT career, so I got input from friends, classmates, my career counselor, and of course, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor. Ultimately, I chose Leggett because of its good reputation and its promising (even mysterious-sounding) internship program name, Doors.

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Employee Spotlight: How an Engineering Intern Kept On Keeping On (And How it Has Paid Off)

If there’s one quality David Redick embodies, it’s commitment. While working in an auto body shop, his commitment to providing for his family led him back to college at 30 years old. His commitment to learning led him to pursue an engineering degree and an internship at Leggett & Platt. And his commitment to excellence during his internship led to employment as a Junior Engineer on our Bedding Product Development team.

DSC_9381Currently, he’s only two semesters away from graduation and a role as a full-time Product Engineer. Even with a busy school and work schedule, he managed to make time for an interview.

1. How did you get your start with Leggett?

I began as a Drafting Intern for the IDEA Center in 2012. As a student at Pittsburg State University, I heard about an internship opportunity with Leggett. After talking with my advisor about it, I interviewed and got the job! I was very excited to be part of the initial group of DOORS interns that year. Continue reading

Opening Doors to a Career at Leggett & Platt (or Why 30 Year-Olds Can Be Interns, Too)

Doors-Internships-Leggett-Platt

I was a 30 year-old intern.

I know, right?

But that’s not a bad thing. My internship in the DOORS program at Leggett & Platt was a game-changer.

Interns at Leggett don’t fetch coffee and aren’t expected to just hang around and learn by watching others work. Instead, DOORS connects students with opportunities to develop as professionals in the real world. DOORS lets interns do, y’know, actual work. They get to work on projects that are making a difference for the company.

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Employee Spotlight: How a Finance Professional Makes Every Day Worthwhile

As my interview with Suzanne Hall wrapped up, I asked her one final question: “What is the one thing you’d like our readers to know about you?”

“I want them to understand how passionate I am about my job. And that I truly care.”

For the past 20 years, Suzanne has proven how passionate she is, pouring her heart and soul into her role as Staff Vice President of Finance and Payments. I recently sat down with Suzanne to hear her story of working at Leggett & Platt: Continue reading

Employee Spotlight: How an Internal Auditor Found His Home Away from Home

What would it take for you to move 5,179 miles across the globe?

For Jamil Sabbag, it took an exciting career change and a strong desire for “something different” in life. In February of 2014, Jamil moved from Sorocaba, Brazil to Carthage, Missouri, U.S.A. to work as an Internal Auditor for Leggett & Platt.

Jamil fluently speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Jamil is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

When Jamil noticed the opening at Corporate Headquarters, he thought the opportunity promised a challenging new career for him along with valuable experiences abroad for his wife Maria and their 11-year-old son Gustavo (neither of whom, by the way, spoke English prior to the move). If a relocation of this magnitude sounds adventurous to you, then you’re just beginning to scratch the surface with Jamil.

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