Leggett & Platt recently made a donation of 200 medium respirator masks, 725 large respirator masks, and 250 filters to Franklin Technology Center Adult Education and High School students in Joplin, Missouri.
Attending the donation are (from left) Vanessa Gile, Commodity Manager at L&P; Nikki Medley, Effectiveness Coordinator at FTC; Dave Rockers, FTC Director; Joe Flynn, Tech Teacher at FTC; Doug Donnel, Collision Repair Instructor at FTC; and Dustin Riner, Maintenance Supervisor at L&P.
This photo and article were originally published by The Joplin Globe | Roger Nomer.
To kick off 2022, we’re introducing you to several of our newest employees and sharing their thoughts on the year ahead.
Meet Mitchell Brown, Director of Sales at Hanes, a division of L&P.
What brought you to L&P?
The story of how I started working at L&P is an interesting one. I was with my previous company for 37 years, and unfortunately back in early 2020, we stopped operations. Having worked in a similar industry, I was interested in joining L&P. I kept in touch with L&P for 18 months until I was finally able to join the company in August of this year. I am very grateful to be here!
What’s something surprising about you?
I’m not sure that there is anything really surprising about me. I am a 24/7 businessperson. My family and my career are everything. I have been married for 42 years, I have two daughters and 4 grandkids, and I still feel like a kid myself.
When I’m not working, I’m with my family and playing with my grandchildren. I try and get to the gym at least 5 days a week. I believe that a healthy body relates to a healthy mind.
What’s your biggest goal for 2022?
We have been through a couple of tough years. I truly believe that 2022 presents some tremendous opportunities for our company. My goal is to seize on the opportunities that are presenting themselves and to make our business better than ever. I’m really excited about what is in front of us and working with our team to make 2022 a great year.
To kick off 2022, we’re introducing you to several of our newest employees and sharing their thoughts on the year ahead.
Meet Tamara Cook, Sustainability Manager at L&P.
What brought you to L&P?
I was excited to join Leggett & Platt and contribute to making a positive impact on the environment. In my previous background in the government sector, I worked with cities and other government entities to implement large regional sustainability programs to reduce waste and energy consumption, conserve water, improve air and water quality, and implement numerous other environmental programs.
Leggett & Platt has a strong foundation of environmental excellence, and I chose this position because I saw the potential to use my experience to expand sustainability efforts throughout the company and business units. I look forward to working with a large number of team members to advance Leggett’s sustainability efforts and build upon all the great things happening in the company.
What’s something surprising about you?
I have two kids, ages 8 and 9. As of Christmas Day, we also have a new white lab puppy that the kids named Noelle! I play the violin in the Coppell Community Orchestra, a small orchestra in the town I live in. In between being a busy soccer and wrestling mom, I love to travel, hike, camp, and participate in any outdoor activities. I have a long bucket list of places I want to see someday and am working on instilling the travel bug in my kids!
What’s your biggest goal for 2022?
My two biggest goals for 2022 are to read more and work on my Spanish. I also want to continue traveling and see as much of the great U.S. and other countries and cultures as possible with my family – with a goal to make it to at least 5 National Parks in 2022!
Our employees are at the heart of our company. Every day around the world, they dedicate their time, energy, and unique skillsets to manufacturing quality products for L&P. Two of our employees from Branch #1704 in Houston, Mississippi, shared what they love most about their roles in Flooring Products:
“I’m very proud to be a member of the production team at L&P. We produce
high-quality padding and work hard to ensure we’re able to meet our customer
demands. I take special pride in producing the St. Judes carpet pad. In this project, a portion of sales proceeds goes to children fighting cancer.”
Shanitha Johnson
Production Scheduler
“I enjoy working in such a family-based environment, working with and training others in various jobs. I enjoy every day that I am at work, and I find our facility to be a peaceful and safe workplace.”
Shannon Wofford
Plant Wide Float
L&P’s Corporate Credit Department selects a charity each holiday season to sponsor. This year, their team chose to support the important work of both the Joplin Humane Society and Bright Futures-Carthage. Their decision to collect donations for Bright Futures was made in memory of Sherrie Lasiter, who worked in their department for many years and passed away in October.
Their team met at the L&P Corporate Office parking lot last weekend to collect donations of pet food and supplies, snacks, socks, and gift cards for the programs. They had a great response and the organizations were very grateful for all of the donations the received. The Credit team wants to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated!
“I’m fortunate to see how our employees take pride in the quality of product they produce. My team makes the core unit of mattresses we all sleep on. We’re a small part of an even bigger picture, since L&P is a leader in bedding technology. I’m also proud to be in a position where I can support the ideas of others. Often our processes grow through their suggestions. Unidos en Leggett & Platt todo es posible! (United in Leggett & Platt everything is possible!)”
Cynthia Sanchez
CI Facilitator & TPM Coordinator
Bedding | Ennis, Texas
We think one of the most exciting things about working for a global company is the friendships you make with people from all over the world – and one of our newest Automotive team members, Sabine Winkler, agrees. We reached out to learn more about Sabine and her new position as Global Product & Marketing Communications Manager for L&P Automotive.
What are you most excited for in your new role?
Business to business (B2B) Brands that are able to show the human side of their company are always a step ahead. I want to find ways to demonstrate the passion we have for our products, why our employees stay, and the factors that make our work so enjoyable. I plan on contributing a lot of my skills in this area and hope those efforts will be appreciated and valued by the global team.
How long have you been in the marketing/communications industry?
I have worked in a variety of industries and departments during my career, 20 of which were in global marketing and communications. I don’t think ‘age’ matters in marketing because everything is constantly evolving. When I started, print and direct marketing was the main focus. Digital came next and now there are a wide array of marketing initiatives. Yet, there is one constant…. it’s all about people. Without a focus on people, you miss a huge opportunity.
What passions do you have outside of work?
In my free time, I enjoy making lavender sachets and beeswax candles which I sell online. That small business still requires the same skillsets — I have to consider product packaging and how to bring it to life so that people will choose to buy your product. In selling, it is so important to use the right keywords and select compelling photos. I’m still learning a lot, even with my marketing skills.
What’s the best career advice you’ve been given?
I once had an amazing boss who was very people oriented. It really stuck with me when one of our colleagues said, “When people speak about him, they have a smile on their face.” He was well-respected and liked because he took the time to know his team members as individuals.
I want to apply a lot of what I learned from him. He made time to learn about everyone’s work, even if it was just a tiny part in the big wheel. He was in charge of a difficult, company-changing project, and we all supported him. He intuitively understood how each member of the team wanted to be led. The extra effort he exhibited was appreciated and we wanted him to succeed, too. I’m so grateful that he taught me how to be more than just the ‘boss.’
