Life at Leggett | A glimpse inside the culture of Leggett & Platt

Honoring Our Military Veterans: Meet Josh Horton

November 11 is Veterans Day in the United States, which honors all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Our military veterans have served everywhere—on land, air, sea, and even space. Their dedication and service ensure we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. For Veterans Day, we want to spotlight some of our amazing employees who are U.S. veterans.

Meet Josh Horton

Josh has been with L&P for nine years and is currently our Company Credit Card and Expense Administrator.

Serving in the U.S. Army

Josh served in the 1011th Quartermaster Company for eight years. While in the Army, he was involved in many missions, including Operation Nuevos Horizontes in Flores, Guatemala, and supporting military operations against hostile forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom at the LSA Anaconda (support base) in Balad, Iraq:

“Our core mission was to support and serve the combat units that we were stationed with. I enjoyed helping others—from the Marines who built schools in impoverished countries to providing logistics to our forces stateside.

Serving others while far away from your loved ones is tough, but I am proud of the military and their ability to step up and make that sacrifice.”

U.S. Army and L&P Values

Values help shape who we are and how we treat one another, and Josh thinks that many Army values can be found at L&P:

“I feel that many of the core values of the Army directly transfer over to our Leggett & Platt values—values such as respect, integrity, and loyalty, to name a few. I like to think that those who served honorably for the military would find this to be an easy transition.”

Thank You, Veterans!

We are very grateful to Josh and all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Your service and dedication are inspiring!

Nov 09 2022

By Life@Leggett

Honoring Our Military Veterans: Meet Robert McKinzie

Meet Robert McKinzie

Robert began working as a contractor for Leggett in 1995, providing training to supervisors and managers at U.S. Spring locations. In May of 1996, he accepted a full-time position at L&P. He is currently the Vice President of EHS, Quality, and Continuous Improvement for Domestic Bedding.

Serving in the U.S. Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserves

Robert served in the Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserves for 23 years, spending six years in active duty and 17 years in the Guard and Reserve. His active duty service took place in Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort Lee, Virginia; Fort Eustis, Virginia; and in Operation Iraqi Freedom from September of 2003 to November of 2004. Robert recalls his favorite time while serving:

“By far, the most gratifying time serving was running a base camp on the border of Iraq and Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom. To me, serving God and our country are two of the most important things we can do.”

Robert in a dining facility at Camp Buehring in Kuwait during Easter of 2004

Leadership Training

For most of Robert’s military career, he held a leadership position. He credits the military with helping him develop the skills to be a leader at Leggett:

“The military provided me with invaluable training to work with and lead others—from platoon leader in basic training and AIT (Advanced Individual Training) to Officer Candidate School, Company Commander, Brigade Primary Staff Officer, and Battalion Executive Officer—during both peace time and deployment.”

Thank You, Veterans!

We are very grateful to Robert and all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Your service and dedication are inspiring!

Nov 08 2022

By Life@Leggett

Habitat for Humanity: Rock the Block

L&P Automotive employees Mario Lorenzon, Becky Ferguson, Joe Lang, and Milosz Niec 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.

“Habitat for Humanity does important work in revitalizing neighborhoods and providing housing for those who otherwise may not be able to afford it,” said Milosz Niec, Chief Engineer of Electrical and Electronics for the Automotive Group. “They also bring the community together – people of all backgrounds and skill levels.”

*Top Left: Milosz Niec, Mario Lorenzon, Becky Ferguson, and Joe Lang.*

Our team and other volunteers from the community lent their skills to revitalize an older Southfield neighborhood.

“In the morning, the team and I worked to clear a lot for development, and in the afternoon, we helped to build some landscaping,” said Milosz. “A few of us were able to do some great team building. It was my first time to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, and I will do it again!”

Thanks to the team for exemplifying our L&P value of doing great work together!

Nov 03 2022

By Life@Leggett

Harry M. Cornell, Jr., Honored at the University of Missouri

The Herbert J. Davenport Society, which is a part of the University of Missouri’s (MU) Trulaske College of Business, recently hosted a banquet that honored Harry M. Cornell, Jr.

Harry was a lifelong leader at L&P, serving as our CEO from 1960 to 1999, and a very generous community partner.

Harry supported and contributed to the University of Missouri. In 1950, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and received an honorary doctorate of law in 2003 from MU. In 2002, Cornell Hall, which is named after Harry, was completed and became the home for MU’s College of Business. He helped found the Strategic Development Board for the Trulaske College of Business and gave a financial gift that established the Cornell Leadership Program at MU.

Read more about Harry’s legacy and check out some photos from the banquet:

Pictured from left to right, Chuck Hutchins (L&P VP-Chief Tax Officer), Sharon Beshore (Harry’s daughter), and Lance Beshore (Harry’s son-in-law) stand behind a Partners in Progress award.

Mary Beth Marrs, Director of the Cornell Leadership Program at MU, speaks at the banquet. Mary worked with Harry on the Cornell Leadership Program.

Bruce Walker, former dean of MU’s business school, speaks at the banquet. Bruce worked with Harry during the construction of Cornell Hall.

Nov 02 2022

By Life@Leggett

L&P Marketing + Creative Hosts Pumpkin Social and Food Drive

Each month, the L&P Marketing & Creative (M+C) teams get together—online and offline—to foster connection and friendship. M+C recently came together to carve pumpkins and collect non-perishable food for the Sunshine Children’s Home in Carthage, Missouri!

Virtual activities throughout the month provide a chance to connect beyond work-related meetings. The department also offers a monthly in-person activity aimed at bringing more people together. Physical gatherings usually revolve around a planning meeting or service project and include lunch or snacks.

Check out photos from M+C’s pumpkin social below!

About L&P Marketing + Creative

Leggett & Platt Marketing + Creative is an internal creative agency for Leggett & Platt. We offer design, writing, internet, and tradeshow services to L&P’s business units. We also perform creative work for a number of outside companies at a standard rate per hour.

Oct 31 2022

By Life@Leggett

United Way Spotlight: Community Clinic

Leggett & Platt fosters a culture of giving, encouraging our employees to Do Some Good. Throughout the course of our local United Way campaign, we will shine a spotlight on several of the incredible agencies that United Way serves in our community. Times may be difficult, but we have witnessed communities rising to meet these hard moments. If in a position to give this year, we encourage you to support your local agency, too.

Since its inception in 1992, Community Clinic of Southwest Missouri has had one mission: to provide quality, affordable healthcare to those in need. Physicians and community leaders started the first clinic in a donated room at the Presbyterian Church in downtown Joplin. One night a week, they would open the doors and offer a warm meal and medical assistance to anyone in need.

“We often take for granted the ability to go to the doctor or get a prescription filled,” said Stephanie Brady, Executive Director of Community Clinic of Southwest Missouri. “If we think of the thousands of people who are struggling in our community and who choose to buy food instead of going to the doctor — those are the people we help.”

Today, with community support and the partnership with United Way, the clinic found a permanent home at 701 S. Joplin Avenue. The Community Clinic serves nearly 1,800 patients, providing medical, dental, vision, prescription, and mental healthcare four days a week.

“Our prescription assistance program is a great example of the impact of United Way,” said Brady. “With funding, we have been able to provide necessary prescriptions for families in need throughout Southwest Missouri. We’ve also provided vision assistance and eyeglasses to nearly 300 people.”

The success of the Community Clinic is evident in the stories of the people it helps.

“We recently helped a man who had been out of work for years with severe diabetes,” said Brady. “He was very sick and likely going to die without medical intervention. He learned about our diabetic clinic and scheduled care. Since that time, his health has improved so dramatically that he was able to return to work. He and his wife believe if not for the clinic, he would not be alive today. When you support the Community Clinic, you are saving lives.”

To learn more, visit Community Clinic of Southwest Missouri.

Oct 31 2022

By Life@Leggett

Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Online Safety Tips

At L&P, we strive to promote good cyber practices within our company and want to recognize Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which is celebrated every October. With cyber threats and crimes becoming more common, it’s more important than ever to know how we can help protect ourselves from them. In honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) shared four actions we can take to be safer online:

Create strong passwords. For each account you have, use a unique password. Ensure passwords are long and complex.
Keep software up to date. When updates become available for your devices, web browsers, and applications, update them as soon as possible. Consider enabling automatic updates, if possible.
Think before you click. Cyber criminals may send you malicious links and attachments with the goal of installing malware or stealing login credentials.
Use two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication adds another layer of security to your accounts by requiring an additional verification step when signing into them.

Oct 28 2022

By Life@Leggett

Tupelo Sleeper Goes Pink!

Tupelo Sleeper goes pink!

Our employees in Tupelo, Mississippi, recently wore pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Oct 28 2022

By Life@Leggett

L&P Volunteers at Third Thursday

L&P recently sponsored and volunteered at Third Thursday—a family-friendly event where the Joplin, Missouri, and surrounding communities get together to enjoy local food, artists, entertainment, and shops. October’s Third Thursday served as a local Halloween event that attracted a great crowd.

During the event, 33 L&P volunteers offered free activities near one of our semi-trucks to raise awareness for and solidify our ongoing partnership with the local United Way. Community members had the opportunity to enjoy a Candy Land Truck or Treat, games, pumpkin decorating, and free bags of popcorn.

Our volunteers handed out more than 8,000 pieces of candy and helped approximately 160 kids decorate mini pumpkins!

We are so grateful to our volunteers for making this Third Thursday fun and successful! Check out some photos from the event below.

Oct 26 2022

By Life@Leggett

Diwali: Festival of Lights

Each year in the fall, an abundance of light and color fills the homes, streets, and communities of those who celebrate Diwali, which stems from the Sanskrit word deepavali—”rows of lighted lamps.” Also known as the “festival of lights,” Diwali is a five-day holiday primarily observed by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists. Each group has its own customs for celebrating.

During Diwali, people celebrate the triumph of light, good, and knowledge over darkness, evil, and ignorance. Since Diwali marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year, it is often associated with new beginnings in life. Common customs for Diwali include:

Lighting clay oil lamps called diyas.
Creating rangolis—colorful art patterns drawn on floor entrances—to welcome guests and Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity.
Visiting family and friends.
Having feasts and giving gifts.
Setting off fireworks.

To all who are celebrating this week, we wish you an abundance of light, joy, and prosperity!

Setting off fireworks, creating *rangolis*, and lighting *diyas* are common customs on Diwali.

Oct 24 2022

By Life@Leggett