November 11 is Remembrance Day. We are thinking of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to secure the freedoms of many of our colleagues.
Remembrance Day
November 11 is Remembrance Day. We are thinking of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to secure the freedoms of many of our colleagues.
Today, we honor all the men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. We thank you for your service!
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.
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, 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, 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, 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!
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.
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:
We’re really grateful to this team for putting people first, doing great work together, and enriching our global mindset!
On October 28, L&P teams across the U.S. and Canada will walk together in the Susan G. Komen’s More Thank Pink Walk, raising funds for breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.
Leading up to this event, we’ve been sharing stories from our team members on how breast cancer has affected their lives and those of their family members.
Meet Susan McCoy, who works at Leggett & Platt Corporate in Carthage, MO. We asked Susan about her experience with breast cancer and why L&P’s support of the Susan G. Komen Foundation is meaningful.
Recently, 19 team members participated in the American Heart Association’s Four States Heart Walk at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, MO. Combined with a contribution from L&P, the walkers raised nearly $3,800 for the American Heart Association and their fight against cardiovascular disease – the number one killer of all Americans.
Thank you to all those who participated and continue to uphold our value of putting people first!
On October 28, L&P teams across the U.S. and Canada will walk together in the Susan G. Komen’s More Thank Pink Walk, raising funds for breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.
Leading up to this event, we’ve been sharing stories from our team members on how breast cancer has affected their lives and those of their family members.
Meet Shyre Creamer, who works at Clearfield in Ogden, Utah. We asked Shyre about her experience with breast cancer and why L&P’s support of the Susan G. Komen Foundation is meaningful.
On October 28, L&P teams across the U.S. and Canada will walk together in the Susan G. Komen’s More Thank Pink Walk, raising funds for breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.
Leading up to this event, we’ve been sharing stories from our team members on how breast cancer has affected their lives and those of their family members.
Meet Lisa Overby, who works at ECS Fort Smith in Fort Smith, AR. We asked Lisa about her experience with breast cancer and why L&P’s support of the Susan G. Komen Foundation is meaningful.
