The holiday season is a time of giving. We reached out to several L&P employees about what their wish lists include. We weren’t surprised that most of them spoke about the things they are most thankful for — family, good health, and joy.
We hope you will create many lasting memories in the coming days. Join us on social media to share what you are most looking forward to!
How do you plan to celebrate this year? Join us on social media to share your fun or unique ideas!
The letterhead of this 1892 receipt bears the Leggett & Leidy Combination Spring Bed Company name. Apparently, Leggett and Platt were conscious of the costs of waste, as a close look reveals that “Leidy” was crossed out and “Platt” written underneath. An ample supply of old letterhead must have been available, since the partnership between J.P. Leggett and C.B. Platt was established in 1885 and Martin Leidy had left the company years earlier.
This year has undoubtedly been full of surprises – for most of us, we’ve had to adjust to changes in routine, limit visits with loved ones, or accommodate remote school or work. Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we think it’s more important than ever to recognize all the things we have to be grateful for this year.
We asked a few of our employees to share what it is that they’re most grateful for as we head into the holiday season, and here’s what they said:
1. Connectivity. “2020 has been a really difficult year for all of us, but there are a lot of things to be thankful for if we look for them! The thing that I am most grateful for this year has been the ability to connect more with my family. The simple things like getting to say good morning each day, cooking dinner together on weeknights, grading my son’s homework, and playing with our puppy have helped us to grow even closer together.” -Brandon Lin, Director of Business Process Transformation
2. Self-Care. “Self-care is essential, especially around the holidays, but even more so this year. 2020 has taught us many lessons, and taking care of ourselves mentally, physically and spiritually is important to me. During the holidays, I usually relax by dedicating time for an early morning run, spend a few minutes meditating and the rest of the days loving on my family, which includes my Yorkshire Terrier, Maxx. Taking care of myself is essential when also needing to care for others.” -Wednesdá Furman, Director of HR
3. Memories. “As Thanksgiving approaches, I realize this year will be very different. It makes me extremely thankful for memories of past Thanksgivings and the traditions that have been passed down over the years. I’m also thankful for family who are willing to do things differently this year to make the ‘Pandemic Thanksgiving’ a safe and memorable one.” -Tammy Jones, Loss Control Engineer, Corporate Risk Department
4. Friends and Family. “I’m grateful for my friends and family. This being a really difficult year to work with all the changes taking place in the world, we tend to lean on the ones we love and care the most for support – especially when we don’t know what’s around the corner. But friends and family will always be there to get you through the tough times.” -Brent Hardesty, Systems Administrator
5. Technology. “I’m thankful for the way this year has helped me better connect with my friends and family who live far away. As I started using more virtual hangouts and video chats as creative ways to socialize while social distancing, I’ve gotten closer to some of my out-of-state friends as a result. It has been a huge silver lining of the pandemic.” -Megan McManus, IT Trainer, Tech Adoption Team
Leggett & Platt’s team at Omega Motion in Tupelo, Mississippi has a longstanding cultural reputation of family, friends, and opportunity. They recently participated in one of several team and community building activities that we featured here on our blog – but we wanted to know more about their workplace culture firsthand. We asked a few employees to tell us what they love most about Omega Motion. From the sound of it, there’s a lot to love!
John Gory – Branch Manager
John started his journey with Leggett & Platt in 1985 as a drafter at the Super Sagless branch. Over the years, he’s worked his way up through the company to his most recent promotion from a Senior Engineer to Branch Manager at Omega Motion.
“I love the ‘friends and family’ atmosphere here at Omega. We love innovation and thrive on a challenge to invent something that’s never been done before. There is great joy in working with our team to figure out how we can do it, and get it done!”
“This isn’t just a job – it’s a place to build your career and there’s always room for advancement. If you have a passion for what you’re doing, it’s easy to grow in this company.”
Andy Lesley – Production Supervisor
Andy started working at Super Sagless in 1987 as a machine operator and transferred to Omega Motion in 1999. He was promoted to Line Back-up Lead, then to Line Lead, then to Maintenance. His most recent promotion was in 2019, where he was promoted to Supervisor of the Assembly Department.
“I like the comradery of the people and the many friendships I have made throughout the years here at Omega, along with the opportunities I’ve been given to advance. I’m a proven example of; if you work hard, believe in yourself and others, anything is possible.”
“I still actually enjoy operating a rivet machine to assemble hardware from time to time, to inspire teamwork and to put a competitive edge on each line for reaching their production goals, and then some! When they feel like they’re in a competition, they really work together to get those numbers!”
Misti Lambert – Director of EHS, QC and CI
Misti joined the Omega Team in February of 2014 as the QC/CI Manager. She then gained the responsibility of Safety in March of 2017 and then Environmental in July of 2019.
“I really enjoy my job and the family environment here at Omega! My roles here allow me to interact with the employees daily and hope that I always do my part in making each employee know their importance to our organization. I have an open-door policy and want them to always feel like they can come to me and know that I genuinely care about them and their wellbeing. I have told the manufacturing team often; without you, they don’t need me!”
Omega Motion and Super Sagless are both hiring for roles in their manufacturing facilities! You can apply for open positions at Omega here and Super Sagless here, both located in Tupelo, Mississippi. Keep following our blog to learn more about the positions and culture offered at their facilities.
We value a culture of giving and encourage our employees to Do Some Good. Throughout the course of our Corporate campaign, we have shown a spotlight on several of the incredible agencies that United Way serves in our local community. Times may be difficult, but we have witnessed communities rising to meet hard moments. If in a position to give this year, we encourage you to support your local agency, too.
Many working families in our community have come to rely on the exceptional care their children receive at the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Missouri. At only $25 per semester, their after-school program is very affordable — saving families money during a time when funds have never been tighter. Participating children develop ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals while interacting and having fun with friends their own age. The program has been carefully designed to advance academic success, character, and healthy lifestyles.
This year presented several creative challenges. The staff used the shut-down to complete a planned renovation and expansion of their facility but were able to move to an alternative location for their summer program. The pandemic also required them to operate at a reduced capacity and to implement additional safety protocols. Taking these measures allowed the participating kids to be kids again: playing with friends, spending time with mentors and heroes, watching guest speakers, and participating in a variety of fun activities.
In addition to the other changes, Boys & Girls Club also worked to strengthen their virtual programming this summer. This meant even more kids were learning through targeted and engaging activities. Staff utilized social media and created video content to help to minimize learning losses during the pandemic, often encouraging kids to share their results and engage using hashtags.
“We take a very educational approach to our program,” says Rhonda Gorham, Executive Director. “We focus on providing them with learning opportunities in math, reading, and especially science — which is fun because it can be messy!” During the school year, staff also require all students to complete their homework, which frees up their evening to focus on time with their families.
Throughout the rest of this school year, the Boys & Girls Club is committed to encouraging the kids in their program. They also hope to increase the number of students they’re able to serve. The United Way donations they receive are vital to that service — covering staff salaries, project materials, meals, and other expenses of the program.
“We look forward to a time when we can welcome volunteers into our doors again. It was really nice to have those extra hands,” says Rhonda. “However, people can help in many other ways. We really appreciate it when people take the time to connect with us on social media and help to share our message. Our club is working to build our community… starting with each of the children we serve.”
