08 august 2015 ug - Pierce Distribution

August 2015
Pierce Distribution Services Company
Kevin Hogan Writes...
Well, by now most know
about the terrible tragedy
that hit this company and
the Hogan family. Julie and
Jay Hogan (Ripley GM)
were killed in a car accident while having a ‘date
night’. They were attending
a movie when they pulled
out of the parking lot and a
speeding car broadsided
them. Jay died instantly
and Julie died on the way
to the hospital. They often
take their sons, Austin, TJ,
Cole and Xander to the
movies but thank God this
wasn’t one of those nights.
As Jay’s uncle, I was there
when he came home from
the hospital after he was
born. He was always at my
parents’ house. When my
brother shipped off to Vietnam, Jay and Penny (his
mother) moved into our
parents’ house. He lived
there for a couple years
and became my little brother. I babysat for him and
when my brother was
transferred to Long Beach,
California, Penny and Jay
moved out there to live with
him. I visited with him with
my parents. He was a cute
and lovable little guy. My
brother eventually moved
back to Rockford, got a job,
bought a house and had
three more children, Matt,
Stephanie and
Chris. Penny always
worked as a teacher. They
moved to Michigan so the
only time we saw each other was on holidays. He always asked if he could borrow my record albums so
he could record them (we
liked the same music). Over time, I couldn’t
believe how big Jay grew
up to be, playing football
and attending Michigan
State. He told me he wanted to be a packaging engineer and that was funny
because I worked for
Pierce as a salesman. We
didn’t see each other as
much, but when we got
together it was like no time
had passed. Jay was a
Dallas fan as a youngster,
like everyone else during
that time, but then became
an avid Bear fan. His love
of the Michigan State Spartans was well known by the
Hogans and his Pierce
family. When I would go to
Ripley we often spent time
at Jay’s house in his pool
with friends, work associates or his family. It was a
focal point. We would always go to Buffalo Wild
Wings to eat and I’ve never
been around boys so well
behaved in a restaurant. I
knew that the death of
Jay’s dad, Tom (9/29/14)
really bothered him as Jay
often called his dad on the
way home to his house
from Ripley after work just
to talk. When my father
was alive, he would love to
go with Donna and me to
Tennessee so he could
see Jay (his oldest grand-
son). While he was with Jay,
he was waited on for his every need by Jay. Jay brought
him a beer, water, sandwich
and chips or whatever my
father wanted. My father often
told me that he was treated
like a king at Jay’s house. I
always knew that there was a
strong bond between my father and Jay because he lived
with us and was the oldest
grandson. They are together
now.
As for his history with Pierce,
Jay managed our Humboldt/
Ripley operation for 15 years.
When we moved this business from Chicago to Jackson, TN, we had a few GMs.
We were trying to find the
right fit. I didn’t have anyone
within the company to promote and relocate to this position. Finally, I was talking to
him and he mentioned that he
would move to manage our
operation. He was currently
selling packaging materials in
the Detroit, Michigan area. He
said he was serious and I
hired him. Jay went on to
manage the Humboldt operation and the move to Ripley. He built one of the best
Pierce Teams we have. We
had to be careful as Jay reported to John Mullin (VP)
who reported to Dino McNabb
(COO) as to not bypass the
chain of command. So when
he would come to talk to me, I
would ask if I should wear my
Uncle hat or my Pierce
(Continued on page 2)
Jack’s Words of
Wisdom…
“A hero never really
dies. They may in
time be gone. For
since their deeds
time flies, but their
deeds will always
live on.”
2
Pierce Distribution Services Company
Kevin Hogan Continues...
(Continued from page 1)
hat. We kept the lines clear for the
most part. When I would visit Ripley,
I’d go out to lunch with Mark Strawn
and Jay and it amazed me how
much those guys could eat. They
looked like brothers. When we visited
the Ripley Plant, Jay always wanted
to take me on a tour to show me all
the improvements that they
made. Jay didn’t always tell people
what they wanted to hear but the
truth as he saw it. He wasn’t shy. He
did a wonderful job and will be
missed by the Hogan family, Julie’s
family and his Pierce family.
The last couple of times I saw Jay,
he told me that he was very happy
with his wife, Julie, and his four boys.
Julie was a gem and Jay knew it. He
said, “I’ve have never been as happy
as I am now.” I am glad that at the
end he found happiness as many
people go through life and never find
it. Rest In Peace, Julie and Jay Hogan.
As we continue to receive calls and
inquiries from friends, associates and
family from across the country, we
will publish the families’ wishes:
College Fund Contributions for the
children of Jay and Julie Hogan
(Austin Heath, age 13; TJ Hogan,
age 12; Cole Hogan, age 6; and
Xander Lopez, age 5) are being
maintained by Regions Bank, (Justin
Brown, Branch Team Leader). If you
wish to contribute to one or all four of
these funds, please make check payable to:
Regions Bank
ATTN: Justin Brown
11 Murray Guard Drive
Jackson TN 38305
Please note on the check memo any
specified distributions and ATTN:
Justin Brown. If no designation for
children is made, it will be divided
equally. Any questions, please call
(731) 984-6152.
I would like to thank all Pierce associates who contributed money to the
children’s college funds. It is all
about their future.
Also, to some of our
customers who have
contributed; Don
Thrush (Komatsu),
Terry Anderson
(Komatsu) and Jim
Bathie (Metso), it is
genuinely appreciated.
Speaking of gems, it
is terrible that my sister in law, Penny, a
true sweetheart, has
to endure the pain of
losing her husband,
Tom (Bolingbrook)
and her oldest son
Jay (Ripley) within
ten months. Please
keep her in your prayers.
I would like to wish
everyone who is celebrating a birthday in
September a Happy
Birthday. In addition
to this, congratulations to all celebrating
service anniversaries
including one milestone: Randy Cantonwine, GM of ICP celebrates 5 years on
September
20th. Other notables
anniversaries: Jorge
Perez (Rockford) 22
years on September
20th, Jon Munchus
(ICP) 19 years on
September 6th and
John Mullin VP
(Corporate) 11 years
on September
1st. Thank you for
your service and
commitment to Pierce
Distribution Services Company.
In Memory
Jay Hogan
Oct. 5, 1970—July 30, 2015
Kevin Hogan
3
Pierce Distribution Services Company
Corporate Safety Writes...
Hello everyone! I’m just returning
from our Risk management conference in Chicago and I am very
excited over a couple of things.
First off, the weather in Chicago
was absolutely beautiful giving
me “fall fever”! It was wonderful
while I was there; coming home to
humid Tennessee, not so much. I
really cannot complain too much. The weather has cooled
off but there is no comparison to that breeze coming off the
water downtown.
I would like to take a second and thank each and every
person in all facilities for doing such a remarkable job being
safety conscious, your inputs on safer ways of doing things,
your efforts in performing your job tasks the safest way
possible, and your participation in changing the safety culture within our company. We all pulled together and worked
as one Team and everyone’s dedication has paid off. While
in Chicago, I had the pleasure of accepting not only an
award of safety achievement, but also an award of Excellence (the 2nd highest award in the captive I may add) on
behalf of Pierce Distribution Services Company. It was one
of the most exciting experiences I have had during my time
with Pierce and I was so proud to be able
to do so. This is such a tremendous accomplishment; an accomplishment that no
one person can make on their own. It takes
everyone to achieve this kind of recognition. So, thank you and GREAT job team!
Did I mention that was the 2nd highest
award in the captive?? So, this means that
golden cup awarded to the best in class is
right within our grasp. Our goal next is
maintain, continue improving, and walk
away with the highest award and again, it
will be very well deserved.
There were a lot of new and exciting topics
discussed during the conference. There
were presentations on changing safety cultures, the utilization and benefits of job descriptions, the importance of proper disaster planning, and capabilities of deescalating conflicts. Gallagher Bassett is
continuously improving our workers compensation claim resolutions and they have
developed a mobile app that if needed,
each associate will be able to use if there
is an incident. This feature will allow the associate to have
direct access to their claim and everything that is going in
with it. Hopefully, there will not be a need for this feature
but if there is, it would be a great asset for everyone involved.
Gallagher will also be offering Pierce the ability to subscribe to a new website full of health and safety resources
created by the teaming of Mark Everest, the former Pittsburg Steelers occupational therapist and Mike Melnick,
occupational therapist as well. The website is titled Game
Plan For Living. The website will contain videos, the latest
safety information for our safety managers and supervisors, and will be jam packed with a lot of useful information not only beneficial to our workplace but our home
lives as well. Very excited to get this under way and will
be in contact with all our safety managers once instructions and information has been made available to us.
Thank you again everyone for making the difference… Tracy Schmitt
4
Pierce Distribution Services Company
Our C.F.O. Writes...
Wellness &
Prevention
Newsletter
August 2015
Each month WilliamsManny provides The
Wellness & Prevention Newsletter to you as a service for
distribution to your employees. Please
find the newsletter attached. The newsletter includes information on health,
wellness, nutrition and disease. This
month’s topics include:

Community Connections for Individual Health and Happiness

OUTER AISLE FRESH-Learning to
Become a Locavore

EATING WELL RECIPE-Avocado
Chickpea Salad Sandwich

GET MOVING-Everyday Ways to
Burn 100 Calories

FISCAL FITNESS-Keeping Your
Spending Money Close To Home By
Using The 3/50 Approach

THE WHOLE YOU-Physical Health:
What To Do When You Get a BooBoo

THE WHOLE YOU-Emotional
Health: Be Giving To Get More Out
Of Life

HEAD ONLINE FOR MORE RESOURCES: Aug.hopehealth.com

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS-Before
You Have To Say Goodbye To Summer

ISSUE INSIGHT-Buddy Check

August is National Sandwich Month
Employee Resource Center Key
SEPT. BIRTHDAYS
Name
Features…

The Health Resources section
features informational links on fitness and nutrition, senior health,
kids’ health, prescription drugs,
emergency resources, health calculators, mental health, disease
risk assessments, and health information from the world’s largest
medical library, the National Library of Medicine.

The Financial Resources section
presents articles about budgeting
and saving, college planning, kids
and money, taxes, credit and
debt, retirement planning, insurance, investing, leasing vs. buying
a car, purchasing a home and getting a mortgage, and making a
will.

The Other Resources section
offers tips about local volunteer
opportunities, charitable giving,
motor vehicle safety, vital records,
and weather warnings.

The Employee Resource Center
is designed for all age groups, and
content is appropriate for children
and adults.
To log into the Employee Resource
Center, enter:
http://ercubabenefits.com/
Using the following credentials:
Username:
wellness
Password:
erc
Tony Chiodini
Chadwick Hawks
Lorenzo Gonzalez
Gary Wilson
Ermis Vazquez
Maurice Arnold
Reth Chey
Gloria McDonald
Carolyn Robinson
Luis Vazquez
Patricia Dewalt
Donnell Mann
Anne Jarnigan
Kimberly Quartaro
Leticia Medrano
Reginald Lake
William Taylor
Mortisha Richardson
Brenda Littles
Khun Ngoy
Jody S. Edwards
Ronetta Pringle
Moe Jordan
Tiffany Ward
Cynthia Mena
Tony Strawn
William Williams
Jacob Hickey
Mary Evans
Jesus Rodriguez
Day
04
05
05
05
06
06
06
06
07
07
09
09
10
10
11
12
14
15
15
16
16
19
20
20
21
22
25
26
27
Plant
7
ICP
8
5
7
ICP
7
7
ICP
7
7
7
ICP
2
7
7
7
7
ICP
ICP
4
7
7
8
7
4
2
7
8
SEPT. ANNIVERSARIES
Name
Day
John Mullin
Jon Munchus
Timothy Owens
Howard Jones
True Matyja
Larry Sindelar
Curtis Robertson
David Miller
Carolyn Robinson
Anthony Henderson
Dennis Gardner
Atlas Gaddy
Jessica Millner
Crystal Ruiz
Mary Quinton
Ray Brown
Gary Wilson
Jose Ortiz
Randy Cantonwine
Jorge Perez
Tammie Rogan
Reginald Lake
Brenda Littles
Larry Capps
Johnny Moore
Frank Williams
Xavier Manns
Edgar Figueroa
Erick Fouts
Blaine Parron
Triwayne Davison
Kira Mahendran
9/01/04
9/06/96
9/08/14
9/08/14
9/08/14
9/08/08
9/08/14
9/09/13
9/09/13
9/09/13
9/09/13
9/09/13
9/09/13
9/09/13
9/09/13
9/15/06
9/17/12
9/18/11
9/20/10
9/20/93
9/21/14
9/22/14
9/22/14
9/22/14
9/23/14
9/26/11
9/26/11
9/29/14
9/29/14
9/30/13
9/30/13
9/30/13
Plant
C
ICP
4
4
5
8
5
7
7
7
7
7
7
2
7
7
8
ICP
ICP
2
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
5
ICP
5
5
5
5
Pierce Distribution Services Company
ICP (Portland) Writes...
Isaac Thompson just completed
an interesting Mil-Spec packing
job of large (one to a crate) clevises destined for the US Navy.
They are impressive!
In August, ICP recognized the 5
year service anniversary of Lorenzo Ayala and the 10 year anniversary of Brad Herr. Lorenzo
received a Sears gift certificate
for use on his big DIY home improvement project. Brad was presented with a very cool disc golf bag and 10 year service polo shirt. Thanks guys!
Randy Cantonwine
Celebrating August Service Anniversaries
On the right is Lorenzo
Ayala who celebrated his
5 year Service Anniversary
on August 13
On the left is Brad Herr
who celebrated his 10 year
Service Anniversary
On August 28
Also Celebrating September Service Anniversaries
Erick Fouts
1 year
Sept. 29
Antonio Ortiz
4 years
Sept. 18
Randy
Cantonwine
5 years
Sept. 20
Jon Munchus
19 years
Sept. 6
6
Pierce Distribution Services Company
Ripley Writes...
“Remembering Jay”
Plant 7 is in a state of shock. I’m not
sure this feeling will ever go away.
Everyone says the same thing, “I
can’t believe he’s gone.” We keep
looking and waiting to see him walking through the plant.
There’s not a minute that goes by
that I think, I can’t believe he’s gone.
No text, no phone call, no lunch together. I’ve been through this whole
ordeal and it’s still unbelievable. His
office door is shut; just doesn’t seem
right. We all miss you, Jay. Love
You Man.
On Thursday August 12th, the Pierce
and Komatsu employees who could
not attend the funeral services had a
balloon release on the parking lot at
3:00 in honor of our departed General Manager, Jay Hogan. You will
be deeply missed by many and we
pray God holds you in the palm of
his hand.
Mark Strawn
7
Pierce Distribution Services Company
Ripley Continues...
“What A Blessing –
Devin
Foster”
Plant 7’s Associate of
the Month comes from
2nd Shift. Devin Foster
works in the Woodshop Department and
works for Metro Industrial (our temp service). Devin was nominated by his Line Lead, Leslie Mayberry, who
states it is a blessing to have Devin in his department. What a nice compliment to give to a young
guy who has struggled a good part of his young
life. From the big city streets of Chicago and Nashville to the small country life of Halls, TN, Devin
has found his career working in the Woodshop at
Pierce Distribution. He lives with his aunt, Ms.
Nickki Fields, and is surrounded by other family
members who truly care for his success. Devin
states he is playing “catch up” as he is a full time
student at Tennessee Technology Center in Ripley
(planning to graduate the end of this month), as
well as working 40 hours per week. Leslie states
Devin is very quiet and respectful, but is eager to
learn new trades. Almost daily, Devin is requesting
new job assignments – he continuously wants to
learn the new machines in the department. As
Devin “volunteers” for new assignments, Leslie will
ask if he knows how to use the new machine and
Devin will quickly reply, “Yes, Sir – I’ve been
watching and learning ever since I’ve been
here.” And sure enough, with only minimal direction, Devin has proved he can run the machines
(table saw, chop saw and pack line, etc.). Leslie
went on to say, “Devin could have been one of the
young men we see on the evening news in a sad
situation, but instead he chose to change his surroundings to be a young and productive citizen.” Devin states he is thankful for the opportunities he has been given. He appreciates his aunt
and other family members for their continued support. He is quick to say thanks to his pastor, Brother Mark, for his encouragement and direction. Devin states he enjoys cooking, especially
BBQ, and watching movies. Congratulations,
Devin! We are proud of you and your many accomplishments.
Mike Moore
Associate of the Month
L-R: Leslie Mayberry, 2 nd Shift Woodshop Line
Lead and Devin Foster, 2 nd Shift Woodshop
What’s Your Nickname?
One of the things that all people
and places have in common is
“names”. Have you ever asked
yourself, “what does my name
mean?” Most people have some
idea of their name meaning or
where their name came from. But
what about nicknames? We know
every unit in the military has a nickname, but some are way cooler
than others. Most nicknames are
given by family members and
friends, and sometimes the nicknames are earned by the individuals for their acts or behavior and
some nicknames you simply want
to quickly forget or pray that they
go away. Your nickname makes
you one of a kind, special, worthy,
rare or unique. Some nicknames
are familiar or humorous names
given to a person instead of using
their real name. It is often a name
that is short or long, can be funny,
cute or just plain weird. Calling a
person by their nickname shows
endearment, friendship and also
shows you know maybe more than
you should about the individual, but
it is all in good natured fun. When I
started my employment with Pierce
distributed several years ago, I was
introduced to “Ugly”. Surely, this
was not the man’s name! Thinking
this was a joke, (and being the new
guy at the plant) I was hesitant to
call him “Ugly” as I thought I was
being set up. Being close to the
same age as “Ugly”, John King and
I quickly became great friends and
he was adamant on being called
“ugly” (or Ugly Man). I recently
compiled a list of our associates in
Plant 7 and asked the associates to
share their nicknames. As some
associates were reluctant to share
in the beginning, (and others very
proud of their nickname) this activity created some quality conversation as many associates shared the
origin of their nicknames as a
means to “defend” the chosen nickname. (Also, let it be known that
some nicknames could not be printed for obvious reasons.)
(Continued on page 8)
8
Pierce Distribution Services Company
Ripley Continues...
(Continued from page 7)
Nicknames may be a “southern” thing,
but here is the list I would like to share
with you—(some associates admitted to
have more than one nickname). ENJOY:
Walter J. Ammons—Jason
Maurice Arnold—Smile
Sylverine Barbee-5 Faces /TT/Baby Girl
Crystal Bates-Ziggy Baby/Criddle
Cubert Bell-Sonny
Felica Bonds—FeFe
Jackie Bonds—Pudding
Robin Bonds—Little Ann
Larry Borders—Bubba / Bub
Judy Borgmann—Trouble
Jeffery Bradford—JT / Skeet Skeet
Frances Brent—Francine
Rachel Brewer—Shelley Belley
Tammy Brigman—Tammy Jane
Ray Brown—Dr. Ray/Sugar Ray/Ray
Charles
Tracy Brown—Red/Lil Momma
Brandon Burnett—Red
Larry Capps—Mike Larry
Debra Chalk—Debra Ann / Nana
Debbie Chipman—Debbie D
Marcko Clemons—Polo
Joella Cook—JoJo
Kelvin Cole—Bo Bo
Londell Currie—Sporty
Brian Cutts—Toad
Michael Deberry—Little Man
Cedric DeMoss—Ced Poo Poo
Patricia Dewalt—Ann/P-Ditty/8 Ball
Dewalt
Latrice Dixon—Big Trice
Patricia Douglas—Petula/Chocolate/
Pattie Cake
Terrance Dowell—Squirt
George Edley—Scrapper
Derek Ellison—Bird
Mary Evans—Granny/Shorty/Half Pint
Garvin Ferguson—Matt
Lisa Finch—LeLe
Walter Fisher—Geno
Jackie Freeman—Red
Kristen Fulton—Fulton/Rabbit
Atlas Gaddy—Vernell/Hercules
Dennis Gardner—Get-R-Done
Tommy Garmon—Tom Tom
Stephanie Gill—Angel/Puddle
Violet Glenn—Trisha
Jackie Graves—Jack Jack
Jeffery Graves—Jabbo
Danny Guzman—DJ
Balinda Hairfield—”itch” in the B/Lulu
Jackie Haley—Annette
Jerry Hankins—J-Ro/Jerry Lee
Jackie Hart—J
Margaret Haycraft—Magpie/Margo
Chris Hayes—Little Hayes
Walter Hayes—Mr. Walter
Chad Hawks—Big C
Anthony Henderson—AJ/Big Country
Heddie Henderson—Baby Ruth
Steven Hendrix—Stevie
Douglas Hill—Chicken Hawk/Drifter
Distinctive Holloway—D-Nice
Misty House—Baby Girl
Jason Howell—J-Bird
Robert Howell—Smooth
Debra Isom—Ms. D
Eric Jackson—Big E
Jackey Jackson—Dixie Crème
Gerhard Jerding—Gerry/Ger
Terry Johnson—Gerry/Ger
Terry Johnson—ToJo
Maurice Jordan—Moe
John King—Ugly
Sondra Knight—Grace
Rachel Langley—Pumpkin
Reginald Lake—Reg
Tabitha Lee—Tabby
Anthony Lineberry—Tony/Grandy
Ann Littles—Jeanette
Brenda Littles—Big Cheese
Priscilla Longoria—Princess/Pocohantis/
Squirrel
Susan Lovett—Sue/BooBoo/ (Mark Strawn
calls her Suzanne)
Donnell Mann—Cheeks
Xavier Manns—Nell
Leslie Mayberry—Horse
Gloria McDonald—GG/Chop Chop
Annette McKinnis—Nette
David Miller—Speedy
James Miller—JC/Phil
Jessica Millner—Jessie Brook
Brandon Moon—BB
Coleman Mooney—Jim Bob
James Moore—Bird
Johnny Moore—John John
Mike Moore—Sunshine/ Magic Mike
Jade Moses—Jadecka
Tina Nichols—Tinkerbell/Shorty
Donna Oliver—Dino/Beetle
Samuel Palmer—Sammy
Brenda Pearson—Phat
Latonia Peet—Tonia
Kenneth Perry—Kenny/Chubbs/Big Sexy
Mark Powell—MAP
Milton Powell—Pimp
Cloudette Qualls—Ms. Thang
Mary Quinton—Goat
Mortisha Richardson—Sha
Janice Rice—JT/Cousin Tuna
Todd Rice—Toddzilla—the Killer
Carolyn Robinson—Net
Tiffany Robinson—Tif Tif
Tammie Rogan—Shell
Mary Rucker—Bam/Mud
Alejandra Sanchez—Janero/Chikis
Houston Sanders—Mac/Phil 2
Tracy Schmitt—TraTra/ Schmitty
Elizabeth Scott—Dizzy Lizzy
Teresa Scott—Sister Sue
Diana Spann—Hooker
Samantha Stenson—Sam
James Story—Crazy/MVP
Carley Strawn—Carl/Carley Sue/ Carley Jo
Mark Strawn—Freeman
Tony Strawn—Mr. Clean
Tracey Strawn—Tra
Benny Taylor—Sweetness (only to
women)
Kristi Taylor—Prissy
William Taylor—Tater Bug/Old School
Michelle Theus—Shell
Opal Treadway—Ophelia Jones
Anthony Turner—Jack
Yvonna Turner—Boss Lady
Consandra Walker—Smurf
John Walker—Disco
Patricia Wallington—Gangster Pat
Johnny Ward—Christopher
Tiffany Ward—Tiff
Ralph Watson—Mr. Clean/Papa
Stephanie Wiggins—Firecracker
Frank Williams—Tennessee/Bacon
Dustin Willis—DuDu
Kelli Willis—Kellie Bellie
Jereme Yancy—Worm
Jerry Yancy—Doc
Justin Yarbrough—JuJu Bobo
Sherita Yong—RiRi
Nick Wooster—Slick Nick
Geneva Paris—Stinky
Sammy Presswood—Gus Gus
Donna Sangster—Shorty
Kim Adams—Kim Shea
Ren’ee McWilliams—Nay Nay
Janice Tillman—Sis
Doris Puente—Suzie Q
John Puente—John Boy Walton
Qwanette Holland—Q
Teresa Phelps—Boo Boo
Takena Graves—Niecy
Megan Taylor—Monkey
Connie Barbee—Frances
Eddie Maxwell—Hillbilly
Mike Moore
9
Pierce Distribution Services Company
Belvidere Writes...
As I write this newsletter, we are in the middle of a
shutdown of our IFS system. Thursday afternoon we
stopped printing orders at 11 am. We had to have all
of our orders shipped in IFS by 2:00 and logged out of
IFS entirely by 3:00. Everything went very smooth and
we finished early thanks to a great warehouse staff.
They stepped it up to get the job done! Friday and still
today (Monday) we are still not allowed in the upgrade
version of IFS to do any transactions. We have a system in place for processing machine down emergency
orders. The process has worked seamlessly. Tomorrow morning we should (if all goes well today and tonight) be able to get back to running the business. My fingers are crossed that
everything goes smoothly, that everyone can log on and I don’t hear my name
being called all day for things that don’t work! It has been a long two year process. It is a relief but we admit to some nerves as we flip the switch.
Plant 8 was very saddened by the news of Jay Hogan and his wife Julie passing in a horrific car accident. Our thoughts and prayers have been with the Ripley Plant and with the Hogan family as they go through this tragedy. Jay has
been to our plant several times, and I will always remember his warm smile and
his friendly personality. They will be missed by so many, especially their young
children.
Recently I became a Grandmother again. I now have five Granddaughters and one step Grandson. My newest Granddaughter is
now three months old. Her name is Carrigan Ralston Walsh. She
joins two big sisters, Miari and Brecken. There is nothing better
than walking in the door and having them run up to me yelling
Grandma Jenny, and hugging me. Best feeling in the world!! This
summer I was able to watch two of the girls Irish dancing. I didn’t
know anything about Irish dancing, but now I love watching. It
takes great skill to know all the steps and they have to have great
endurance to be able to complete the dances. I am amazed at how
good they are at such a young age. I also was able to watch my
oldest Granddaughter play softball all summer. She did very well
playing shortstop and pitcher. I am looking forward to next summer, but she is switching sports for the winter. She is on a competition cheer team. She is a busy girl and keeps her Grandma busy,
but I love every minute of it!
2
Jenny Ralston
3
1
Carrigan Ralston
Walsh
2
Miari and
Brecken
3
Kaitlin
1
10
Pierce Distribution Services Company
Belvidere Continues...
What’s happening at Plant 8?
Change is happening!! We have our
new upgrade in place. It’s taking
some time to get used to it as all new
things do. But I’m chugging along.
Last month, July, we closed out averaging at 173 Lines a day and an average of 4,003 pieces per day to
pack and bin in receiving. August is
off to a high start with an average of 202 lines per day. Receiving continues to do an awesome job keeping up with the work
load coming in and getting it turned in a timely fashion. I have
the best Team in the Plant!! We have a few new people that
have been with us for a while now throughout the building. I
would like to welcome you all to our humble little Plant. I hope
you like working here as much as we do. Receiving would like to
welcome Aaron Bankes. Aaron comes to us with a great enthusiasm to learn our receiving binning processes and procedures.
Aaron has been able to adapt very well in our department and
works great with the Team members in order to get the job
done. Welcome aboard! We send our deepest sympathy and
prayers to the Hogan family with their recent losses. May God
Bless you and aid in you in the healing process needed through
this difficult time.
Cynthia Mena
I’m BreAnna Holiman, and I
am the mother of two beautiful
twin girls who are 21 months
old and who also share the
same birthday as me. I have
been working for Pierce for
five months through Staff on
Site. Since working here, I
started in shipping as a packer
and then moved to the carousel. I am currently working in receiving. Since being
in receiving, I have learned UPS, pre-pack, trucks,
and how to run the dock. I am currently training in
Returns. Over the past few weeks working in returns,
I have learned how to process many orders from
checking in UPS returns, annuals, and terminations.
With this comes learning how to use the IFS system
looking up part locations and completing RMA’s. I
like working in returns because you can do multiple
things and I am able to work with many different customer service representatives. I enjoy my job at
Pierce and hope to have a long future here.
BreAnna Holiman
Corporate Chris Writes...
The “escape from Rockford” plan couldn’t have gone better. We were packed
for our week-long Florida vacation
ahead of schedule. We woke up on
time the day of the flight; no small miracle there. Daughter Annie dropped us
off at the Clock Tower, home of the fine
dining establishment known as the Tilted Kilt Restaurant, where the waitresses wear the tiniest skirts imaginable.
I’ve used bigger band aids.
We were early, which is a good thing
because the 9:00 a.m. bus to Midway
was almost standing room only. The
bossy control freak in me pushed Joe
and I to the front of the line with our $50
fare, where we were the first of fifteen to
board the already packed bus. There
still were five seats available and we got
two of them. Ten guys headed to the
Taste of Chicago and a baseball game
had to stand. However, they’re Cub
fans and thus used to disappointment.
A quick drive to Midway and two outrageously expensive hot dog combos
later, we were forced to pick separate
seats on the plane because we couldn’t find two together. Joe ended up a
row ahead of me, the next aisle over.
Southwest Airlines knows that everyone loves to be jam-packed into seats
touching complete strangers and to
that end, I spent the whole flight with
my shoulder tongue and grooved into
some 15 year old boys’ smelly armpit.
Perhaps he’s writing a blog about his
experiences. I can see his headline
now, “Flight of my Dreams: My two
hours sitting next to a Cougar Hottie.”
There were three flight attendants on
our plane. Two were Jamaican.
Their musical voices were soothing
and their professional appearances
were everything a flight attendant’s
should be. Beautiful cornrows were
looped into classy updos. They were
wearing expensive perfume, makeup
and heels. Those two were serving
the front of the plane.
Then there was our flight attendant,
Attila the Hun. She was going to be
serving the back of the plane, where
we were. Her dark, limp hair was in
a messy ponytail and she was
dressed like a high school girls’ PE
teacher, except frumpier and without
a whistle. She didn’t have a melodic
Bob Marley intonation; hers was
more like Gilbert Gottfried. I could
tell she was going to be trouble because she stared us down, hands on
hips, as we took our seats.
(continued on next page)
Chris Cacciatore
11
Pierce Distribution Services Company
Corporate Chris Continues...
Now, Joe and I have a long, delicious
history of bringing small airplane bottles of liquor onto the plane and once
we’re served those puny Dixie cups of
juice, we spike the bejesus out of
them. The alcohol to juice ration is
way off but it does comfort and soothe
one’s ragged nerves. To that end,
Joe got two mini bottles of vodka out
of his carryon and sniggered as he
passed them to me for storage in my
purse while we awaited the flight attendants to come around with the
drink tray. I felt like we were in a
James Bond movie.
The flight got underway and the prison-guard attendant came our way
with the rattling cart. I heard Joe request tomato juice when it was his
turn to order. Apparently he fancied
himself a Bloody Mary of sorts. When
she had her back turned, I leaned
forward and smuggled a miniscule
bottle of vodka forward to where Joe
was sitting. In true spy fashion, he
palmed it and then snugged it into the
elastic pocket on the seat in front of
him, with only the red cap sticking out.
I relaxed now; it was drink time. I put
my earphones on to listen to my iPod,
and “Barracuda” was playing which
was really ironic because at that moment, I looked up to see Joe’s least
favorite flight attendant, Attila, holding
that same small bottle of vodka in her
man-hands. Joe’s vodka. Even from
my seat, even with earphones on, I
could see how uncomfortable he was.
The tips of his ears matched the red
cap of the bottle of vodka. I wondered
what was going on.
She glared down at him. “Is this
yours?” she demanded. Although I
couldn’t hear, I could read her lips just
fine and could tell she was being obnoxious. From my vantage point,
though, I couldn’t tell if she was holding an empty bottle or an untapped
one.
Joe shook his head so hard his earphones came out. He is a terrible
liar. For someone who’s all, “they
don’t care if you drink on the plane,”
he sure was quick to fib.
er, more accurate word. He was proud
that that I was able to sneak my vodka.
(My dad was a cop, though. I know
how to sneak when I have to. I had a
lot of practice growing up.)
She studied the vodka bottle as if
she’s never in her life seen anything
like it, despite the fact that she must
crack about a hundred of them open
per day for her thirsty passengers.
She then stuck it in the pocket of her
fashionable blue track suit pants,
confiscating it. I wonder how many
other bottles she’s got in her deep
pockets. It was clear I had to be on
high alert now so I wouldn’t get
caught.
As we make our way through the airport, both he and I agree that we will
have to be far sneakier when we fly
home…just in case Joe’s reunited with
his very least favorite flight attendant.
When I received my miniscule cup of
juice and ice, I waited until all the
flight attendants, including the gym
teacher, were yakking at the front of
the plane before I snuck the bootleg
bottle out of my purse.
I took my earphones off to better
gauge danger. The snap when I unscrewed the lid of the little vodka
bottle sounded like a gunshot, but I
soldiered on and glugged it into my
cup. I probably looked like I’d just
escaped from a rehab facility. The
kid sitting next to me watched me the
entire time. (Take notes, kid.) Since
I had already consumed half the
juice, the resulting drink was so
strong my eyes watered and my
throat felt like it was going to close…
but I’m no quitter. It was delicious
and I drained every drop in record
time then happily crunched the ice.
The flight landed way ahead of
schedule. We got off the plane and
weren’t even into the terminal when
Joe started in, full of righteous anger.
“Did you see what happened? Oh,
my God! What a snot! She took my
liquor!” Although he didn’t use the
word snot. He used a much strong-
* Inspired by news story about the
model Kate Moss getting drunk on a
plane, and the fact that apparently
you’re not supposed to sneak your own
liquor on a plane. This information
would have been helpful before we
boarded
** Also inspired by Joe’s hilarious indignation that someone took his drink.
Post flight & much happier.