Crest Ink Volume 23 • Number 04
October, November & December 2011
Ashton, IL 61006
2011 Year End Celebration
Door prizes are handed out during the production celebration.
Our fiscal year ended on August 1st and as has been the case with the past several years, it has been a great year. While the economy in general has been pretty dismal, the economy at Crest has been just the opposite. We’re for- tunate to be in the food industry that benefits from the fact that people are going to continue to eat no matter how tough times get. In addition to being in the right industry, we’re blessed with employees that understand their role in making Crest work and give their all to making sure we function as well as possible. This year the contract packaging group blew away their productivity goal of 99.75% by operating the plant at 102% plus efficiency. The dairy ingredient division surpassed their volume record while continuing their tradition of exceeding customer expectations. We’re very grateful to all employees who play a role in making this happen every day. Our year end celebration is one of the ways we say THANK YOU.
In This Issue
10 Year Trip page 4
CIP Year End page 8
Healthy for Life page 14
Nurse Joan Sky Dives page 18
On August 17th the rain managed to stay away, the big top tent went up and the party started. Six hundred steaks and one hundred and fifty chicken breasts were cooked over the heat of fourteen bags of charcoal. Mitch Karlin of Karlin Foods was our celebrity guest chef who helped man the grill and also generously donated finished prod- uct for people to take home. The folks from Culver’s dished out ice cream sundaes over three shifts. Over thirty different suppliers, many of whom joined us for lunch, donated numerous door prizes that were drawn for after the dinners. Our own Doc Hummel supplied the music and many people pitched in to help get everything served and cleaned up afterwards. We’re pretty sure no one walked away hungry! Our year end celebration has been one of those Crest traditions that started out on a small scale and has grown to the event that it is today. Thanks again to all of you who have put us in a position to be able to do some of the fun things at work.
Ice Cream is always a crowd favorite during the celebration. Dessert was provided by Culver’s of Dixon.
Jenny Loomis wins one of the many prizes our suppliers so generously donated
The tent is ready to be filled with people!
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Ed Baylor, Jeff Meiners, Mike Meiners, Mitch Karlin, Gaven Meiners, Steve Meiners, and Herb Wyckoff spend a little time at the grill
A very special thank you to all the suppliers who so generously donated prizes for our celebration. Many, many employees were recipients of some wonderful gifts. A L L Equipment A & B Freight Accurate Business Controls Alliance Shippers Amsan Supply Area Mechanical Batory Foods Beesing Welding Dayton Freight Engelwood Equipment Depot Formstart Gelita Grainger Green Bay Packaging Ingredient Solutions J.C. Edwards J.M. Swank Lonza Lundberg Construction Majestic Pkg Manpower Motion Industries National Starch PPC Industries Quality Transport Rochelle Disposal Sheboygan Paper Box St. Charles Trading Steiner Team Eagle USF Holland Zentz
October, November & December 2011 Crest Ink 3
My Ten Year Trip Brad Pittman
For my ten year trip I decided to go on a mission trip to La Ceiba, Honduras. Our trip started out not knowing what quite to expect. I went on a mission to Uganda Africa two and a half years ago so I’ve seen poverty at its worst, but I’d never been to Honduras so I was unfamiliar with the culture and didn’t quite know how the people would respond to us. Our team had plans to help build a couple of homes, and teach people about the Bible and try the best we could to build relationships with people that speak a different language than we do. The prominent language in Honduras is Spanish, but they have a couple of other languages as well. Fortunately, I remembered some Spanish from high school. It was enough to get me by at least. Be- fore I get into what we did, I want to give you a bit of history of what we were up against there. Honduras is the murder capital of the world. There are more murders in Honduras than in any other country in the world. I didn’t find out about that little tidbit until the third or fourth day we were there. We spent our entire trip helping a mountain village out that for years has been sort of like the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s. In fact, right next to the home we were building a few years ago, a man and woman were hacked to death over a few dollars with a machete. The mountain was divided into two sides with two leaders that hated each other. People in the village are in survival mode. They work for today, for them selves, for their own family, and they don’t have time to help anyone else, at least that is what they thought. There is a full time missionary that lives there in La Cieba, Jeff Hines. His dad was a missionary in Honduras and when his dad was killed in a plane crash he felt like he was called to continue his dad’s work there. So he moved himself, his wife and three kids to Hon- duras to see what exactly God would have them do. Jeff started going up the mountain to build relationships with the people in the village. He met much resistance, and had even been given multiple death threats. Any normal person would have given up, but he knew what God wanted him to do. Jeff hired two police officers with machine guns to escort him and provide protection for him up and down the mountain. For three years Jeff brought fresh water to these people just as an act of service to them to build the trust and confidence of the people. He knew if he was going to reach these people with the Bible he had to first build trust. After a few years the people received him into their village as a friend and when you are accepted into the village you become part of the people there. The people in the village live on a big mountain with about a ¾ mile walk down the mountain to get water that is disease infested water that people bathe in, wash clothes in, drink, and cook with and children are dying because of it. Besides the bad water, the walk up and down the mountain is horrible, especially for an out of shape fellow as I am. I walked it every day while I was there and it was not fun. Now that Jeff was part of the people there it was time for the next step and this is how his ministry Transformation Honduras began. The Bible teaches that we are to always put the needs of others before our own, something that would benefit us all if we applied it to our own lives. Jeff knew that if he could instill that attitude in the people it would just be a matter of time and it would open the door for the message of Jesus to be received. Jeff had already set the example of service, bringing fresh water for three years up the mountain and it was now time for the people to learn that it is far better to give than to receive. The first project that Jeff set up was to get the funding to dig a well on the mountain for the village. Jeff made a deal with the people that if they would work side by side and hand in hand to dig the well, he would provide the funds to do it. The people worked together to get the well dug and then built a public clothes washing basin (they don’t have electricity so no washing machines – just a bar of soap and their hands). Then a real blessing came. There are only two Adobe block mak- ers that exist in the world. One is in Africa and the other is in La Cieba, Honduras. This machine was donated to the cause and now the real work had begun. It would seem like a machine that makes the bricks for you would be a pretty good deal, right? Yea, this was the hardest work I’d ever done in my life. We started by scraping dirt from the side of the mountain and then shoveled it to the bottom of the hill; then we shoveled it through screens to make sure there were no rocks in the dirt. That was the first step. We also had to shovel sand through screens and then shovel it into a wheelbarrow and take it up the hill and dump it next to the dirt pile. Then when we stocked up enough dirt and sand, we would shovel the dirt, sand, and some lime into a cement mixer and add just a touch of water. We then dumped it out onto the ground and then shoveled all
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of it again into the brick maker and finally we have a brick – hal- lelujah. All that for a few bricks. If all of that wasn’t enough, the heat index all week was between 115 and 120 degrees. After the bricks came out of the machine we carried them to a drying sta- tion. The bricks are just sun dried, not cooked. Then after about three days of drying, the bricks are ready to be used to start build- ing walls. I know it sounds like a lot of work for a brick, but they are amazing. These bricks compared to cinder blocks are so much better. The adobe block has some amazing traits. In the hottest part of the day it is 20 degrees cooler inside the house than a house built using cinder blocks. Also, the blocks pull out humidity and do not allow for bugs to inhabit the walls. The walls kind of just suck the juice out of them and they die, which is an awesome thing if you knew some of the nasty insects they have around there. The blocks require no mortar and will last for decades with little to no maintenance. These are what all the houses that are being built are made out of and this is what Jeff is using as an instrument of change in the people there. Jeff, along with the village leaders have picked out quite a few of the neediest families in the village to give these homes to and I got to be part of building them – WHAT A BLESSING! To receive the home, which cost around $3000 to build, the family had to put in 500-1000 hours of labor. That is enough hours to build their own home and enough to help build the homes of others as well. This is the point of it all, not to be just self-focused, but make helping their neighbor a priority as well. Instead of having the Gospel message pushed down their throats, these people are seeing the Gospel message in action. To love their enemy and serve one another, to truly love their neighbors as them selves and as a result this opened the door for the message of grace through Jesus and many have received Jesus as their Lord and Sav- ior. The two clans have reconciled and are now working side by side as friends – THAT IS AWESOME! Even in the midst of a lot of grueling work and extreme heat, being part of giving a family a home is about as awesome as it gets. Because of Jeff ’s efforts and the help of many volunteers, the vil- lage is being transformed from a hateful, self-focused people to people that are becoming more and more selfless instead of selfish. That is the power of Jesus at work in the hearts of people! The trip was not all work, we were right on the Caribbean Sea and got to play on the beach or go to a tropical cove with a waterfall and palm trees all around. That was pretty cool. We also got to take a day and go to a private island and go snorkeling and I got to swim with a sea turtle. I had a great time and look forward to go- ing back possibly next summer. I’d like to thank Crest Foods and the Meiners family for my ten year trip and for the donation to our team. I don’t think I could have found a better way to use my trip than this.
October, November & December 2011 Crest Ink 5
Brian Schafer Takes Part in 9/11 Ceremony at Soldier Field by Jaime Schafer
On September 11, 2011, Brian Schafer (First Shift Senior Electrician) was honored to take part in the Flag unfurl- ing ceremony at the Chicago Bears game. His itinerary included a 7:45AM arrival at the Chicago Police Headquar- ters to be shuttled over to Soldier Field for rehearsal. Once rehearsal was finished, they were supplied with food and refreshments. They were also given field passes to use until 11:25AM to roam around the field. Even though he’s not a Bears fan, and is a die hard Cowboys fan, he was impressed with the Chicago players. Those guys are HUGE! There were players, coaches and officials, along with many other people that walked up to him to shake his hand and thank him for his service. When it was time for them to bring out the 1100 pound flag to the field, the entire crowd was chanting USA, USA, over and over. Once he was in place for the unfurling, the Falcons players and coaches jumped right in to assist, and anyone that may have been watching from home at that time would have seen him on television standing between two massive Atlanta Falcons players, #94- Peria Jerry and #55 – John Abraham. Once the ceremony con- cluded, he was given a ticket and was able to watch his very 1st NFL game at a stadium. It was, by far, one of the most exciting and memorable days he will ever have the honor to be a part of. Editors note: Brian was one of three local firemen receiving the honor of participating in this ceremony. Senator Mark Kirk’s office started the recognition ceremony and wanted to include up to 120 of the firefighters that were deployed to Hurricane Katrina as well as many of the Wounded Warriors. Brian submitted his name as well as oth- ers from MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System which is the new and improved way for fire departments to call for additional resources during an emergency situations) Division #38 of Lee County. All three were picked from Lee County to be part of the ceremony. The other two firefighters were Jeff Milton of the Paw Paw Fire Depart- ment and Jesse Arjes with the Dixon City Fire Department.
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All employees were required to take the OSHA Refresher course late this summer. The break room was utilized as a large classroom where Karen Yardley, Safety Manager, presented the information. Using our own employees and our facility, a video was made with the help of our loss control consultant. The training also included a power point on Hazard Communication.
October, November & December 2011 Crest Ink 7
CIP 2011 4th Quarter & Year End Winners
by Garett Meiners
The Continuous Improvement Program (CIP) is a program where employees may submit suggestions on ways that they think can improve Crest Foods. These suggestions may help improve overall efficiency, employee safety, sanitation, record keeping, maintenance and various other areas around Crest Foods. In exchange for their suggestions, each employee is rewarded with a $5.00 gift certificate to our Crest store. At the end of every quarter, all of the suggestions are evaluated and top suggestions will receive a cash prize up to $250. At the end of our fiscal year, the top CIP suggestions will be reevaluated and employees could receive a cash prize up to $1000.
Mark Smith Year End Grand Prize Winner • $1000
Mark’s idea was to create a tool-less carton flight. The concept is to have a “notched” flight that will snap into place on the flight chain on all horizontal cartoners. The movement of the chain will help to hold the flight in place as the cartoner is running. Then when we want to go to a different carton size the flight can come off the chain and be replaced without the need for tools. Currently changing flights on a cartoner for a changover is one of the more tedious jobs and this improvement would definitely help to expedite that process.
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Sandi Stover Year End First Runner Up • $500 4th Quarter Grand Prize Winner • $250 Sandi’s suggestion was to create a broker rating system at the Karlin Warehouse of all of the trucking companies that they work with. The truck lines will be rated on a few basic principles: being on time for their appointment, having the correct information from the dispatcher and maintaining their scheduled appointment times without calling to change them. At the end of the year they will have a documented rating system on each of their brokers dependability and quality of service. The tool can then be passed on to the Karlin Foods corporate office, so that they have an idea on which brokers are providing the best quality of service to Karlin Foods. Great suggestion Sandi.
Alan Anschutz Year End Second Runner Up • $250 4th Quarter Runner Up • $150 Alan’s idea was to simplify how we change the Teflon on our pouch sealers. Currently changing the Teflon is a somewhat difficult pro- cess and at times very time consuming. Alan redesigned a few key elements on the top seal bar assembly system, which made chang- ing the Teflon a much easier and less time consuming process. Thanks for the Great work Alan.
October, November & December 2011 Crest Ink 9
Crest Happenings
With Sympathy To To Honie Newcomer (A shift Mix) on the loss of her mother. To Deb Beran (A shift Production) on the death of her father, Jim Beran. To Max Ballard (Technical Service Director) on the loss of his mother. To Joan Wubbena (Crest Foods Nurse) on the loss of her mother, Bernice Miller. New Arrivals Congratulations to Aaron (A Shift Mix) and Amanda Baker on the birth of their daughter, Emmeline Grace. She was born on May 16th and was 7 lbs. 4 oz. Emme- line was 20 inches in length. Kelly and Shaun Whitman announce the birth of their daughter, Hannah Jo. Hannah was born on June 23, 2011 and weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz. and was 21 inches in length. Baby Hannah is the granddaughter of Watson Smoot. (Ingredient Division) Casey (A shift Production) and Joe Blomberg are happy to announce the birth of their daughter, Aylah Jolynn. Aylah was born September 13th. She was 8 lbs. 9 oz. and was 21 inches long. Congratulations! With Thanks Thank you for thinking of me and the nice plant arrange- ment after my recent neck surgery. It was greatly appreci- ated! Mark Johnson (Sales Dept.) Thanks, you guys, for the pretty flowers. They sure bright ened up my hospital room, and even the nurses admired them! Michelle Berard
With Thanks Thank you for the plant, cards, and prayers at the sud- den loss of my sister, Marcia Boyd. Al (A shift Production Supervisor) and Pam Hess Thank you so much for the beautiful floral arrange- ment sent in honor of Al’s sister, Marcia. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. The Boyd Family Dear Crest Foods Employees: Thank you for the lovely plant. Steve is recovering nicely from his surgery. He can’t wait to return to work and see all your smiling faces! The Zellers Family (Steve, Machine Shop) Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers. The plant was a beautiful touch. Your generosity and sup- port during this difficult time is greatly appreciated. The Family of Ida Kettley Mark Hussey (A Shift Production) and Teri Wolber (Customer Service) would like to extend our deepest appreciation for all the sympathy wishes, cards, flow- ers, plants and memorial contributions in the passing of our Mother, Carol Hussey. It helped us through a very difficult time and we are grateful for the expres- sion of friendship and kindness. We would like to express our thanks for all the prayers, sympathy, and thoughtfulness. It will be remembered and deeply appreciated. Thank you for the donation in her memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospi- tal in Memphis, TN. Max, Patty and Family of Margaret B. Ballard We would like to thank Crest Foods for the beautiful plant that was sent to welcome our new baby boy, Max well Stuart Smith. It was very thoughtful of the com- pany. Thanks, Val Smith and family Dear Crest Employees: Thank you so much for the plant. It was a very nice surprise that lifted my spirit at a time I really needed it. I do miss you all at Crest. Elaine Gablemann
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Crest Happenings
Congratulations To Joe (A shift Production) and Carol Richardson. They celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary with all of their children and Grandbaby on August 14, 2011. July 5, 2011 was an exciting day for Emily Hilpert. Emily was chosen 4H Princess. Also, a free-hand drawing of dogs and a dog basket qualified her for the State Fair. Emily is 11 and lives in Memphis, Missouri. She is the great- granddaughter of Linda Myers. (QA Lab) To Kurt Messer, son of Peggy Messer (Human Resources) on being hired by the Illinois State Police. He is cur- rently attending the six month ISP Academy in Springfield, Illinois. Prior to his hiring by the ISP, Kurt worked over 3 years for the Will County Sheriff ’s Department. In July, Ken hung up his tool belt and turned over the keys to the Crest Foods truck and drove off into the sunset to enjoy retirement with his wife, Judy. After 18 years of fixing something in nearly every nook and cranny at Crest Foods and numerous trips here and there in the Crest Foods pickup truck, Ken is going to be spending his ‘fix ‘em up’ skills with a honey do list provided by his wife. Many of Ken’s co-workers were treated to a fish fry hosted and prepared by Steve Herwig as a farewell. We wish Ken the best in his retirement and hope to catch a glimpse of this busy man out and about on occasion! Farewell Ken Ponto!
Front Row L-R: Garnie Stevens, Jeff Brecunier, Ken Ponto, Wally Karper, Jerry Lawrence, Garett Meiners. Back row L-R: Denton Yocum, Brian Schafer, Neil Henert
October, November & December 2011 Crest Ink 11
10 Year Trips - Worth Waiting For! Just ask these people who earned their Ten Year Trip if it was worth the wait! Every year, we have a large number of employees who pass their 10th anniversary with Crest Foods and receive their much coveted Ten Year Trip. Just as a reminder, any employee who passes their 10th anniversary receives $3,500 to take a trip anywhere they wish, but they must take a trip. We encourage any em- ployee receiving their Ten Year Trip to submit a photo or short article for the Crest Ink.
Just in the last three months the following employees have earned theirs:
Ray Van Drew, Warehouse
Dale Lippens, Maintenance Irene Garza, Production Tommy Hamm, Technical Service
Humberto Lopez, Mix Deborah Jenner, Mix Sanitation Anna Richter, Production Bob Ziankoski, Ingredient Div. Michelle Berard, Production
Kathy Conant, Q.A. Joaquin Villa, Production
Deb Noon, Production If you see any of these employees out and about, be sure to ask them about their ten year trip!
The Video Jet room is complete and in op- eration! A special room was partitioned off near the Parts Room to provide a secure, well ventilated place to clean and repair video jet machines. This new room is wel- comed by the maintenance crew as they no longer have to share space in the other repair areas for this specialized machine. Gerald Gibson was instrumental in initiat- ing this project due to the increasing vol- ume of video jets to be cleaned & repaired. Thank you Gerald!
Gerald Gibson and Mark Smith
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Jim Schultz Retires by Jeff Meiners
Jim Schultz, long time Technical Director for Crest Foods, who started his career with us in 1974 will be retiring this January. Jim’s journey to Crest actually started from his youth on the farm in Castalia, Iowa, through his education including a Ph.D. from Iowa State, to General Mills in Minne- apolis and ultimately to Ashton, Illinois. We’re grateful for the journey that brought Jim to us. When he leaves the rest of us here to keep working, Jim will leave behind a long list of accomplishments that when put all together make him one of the people that built the foundation that Crest stands on today. Jim has spent his time at Crest exclusively in the Dairy Ingredient Division. The majority of his time with us has been spent as our Technical Director
involved with the development of stabilizer systems and solving customer problems in the field. His unique under- standing of the dairy industry has resulted in the application of numerous new technologies that are still at work with many of our customers today. His knowledge of dairy products is as complete as anyone’s in the country to- day. Jim also spent many years serving on our board of directors as well as being a member of our Technical Ser- vice team as he started to wind down his responsibilities at Crest. Bigger than any of his accomplishments at Crest is the fact that he is as nice a guy as you’ll ever want to meet. Re- tirement will find Jim spending more time where his roots have always been planted, on his family farm in Iowa where he has built a cabin and tends to his maple syrup operation. Retirement will also find Jim traveling with his wife Sharon to visit parts of the world that don’t have dairy plants in them, and visiting with daughters Wendy and Beckie. People just don’t get any more good natured or down to earth than Jim Schultz – we’re proud that he chose to make Crest Foods such a big part of his life and we are so much a better company by him doing so. We wish him only the best in retirement.
Ben Fichter snapped this picture of a great blue heron out at the warehouse. Check out the bird’s great catch!
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Healthy for Life Kick Off
by Cheri Kemp
August proved to be a very busy month for Crest Foods in a number of ways, the least of which was the kick off of a new year to think about the overall wellness of our employees. It all began with testing for cholesterol, glucose (diabetes) and high blood pressure for those employees on our health insurance plan as well as their spouses. Through the help of the nursing staff of KSB Hospital in Dixon, we spent 4 different days covering all our build- ings and shifts as well as trying to make it as convenient as possible for spouses to come to our facility for their test- ing. The goal of this testing is to alert someone to the possibility of an undiagnosed health condition so they can seek treatment before the condition becomes life threatening. Over the last few years since we started our wellness program, there have been employees and/or their spouses who were made aware of situations resulting in their seeking treatment for the conditions identified. Our Healthy for Life program this year also includes the ability to earn credits. These credits then earn the employee a discount on their health insurance premiums. Employees are encouraged to participate in any number of ways such as weight control, physical fitness, nicotine cessation or something as easy as having a routine annual physical. All of these will earn one or more credits to be used toward the reduction of health insurance premiums. We wish to thank all the employees and their spouses for making our days of testing go so smoothly. Together we can all work toward keeping you Healthy for Life!
Left to right: Jenny Loomis, Andrea Dowse, Esther Hernandez & Casey Blomberg Nurses (in pink) Brittany Mighell and Emily Jones This colorful group of ladies are waiting for their test results with the help of the two nurses from KSB Hospital.
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Stretching Benefits by Avery Mann Stretching benefits your health and vitality, and it keeps you at your active best. Understanding the proper way to stretch before exercise and the importance of stretching can keep you injury free and feeling energized. And don’t forget — a good stretch also feels great. Stay flexible with a good whole body stretch. According to the Mayo Clinic, stretching and good flexibility in your muscles and joints will improve your performance in any sport or exercise. It will also improve the way you move and your overall range of motion. You will appear more graceful and coordinated. Flexibility can protect you from injury, so stretch often. Regular stretching with good form will improve blood flow and help your body be less prone to injury. With a body that is loose and strong with no muscle tension, any movement is made safer. Even a simple grocery store visit is safer with a good stretching regimen. Lift that heavy sack of potatoes with confidence, knowing you are physically trained and prepared for any physical circumstance. Stretch and be flexible in the office. Staying flexible to new ideas in the workplace may be valuable, but physical flexibility can really come in handy when crouched in a cubicle all day, hunched over a computer or with a phone receiver clenched between your cheek and shoulder. Flexibility and body strength will keep you from experiencing many painful office ergonomic pitfalls. You can even stretch in the office. Learn the proper way to stretch. It is important to know the proper way to stretch. Incorrect or over-enthusiastic stretching can actually cause injury. Also, try to perform sport- or activity-specific stretches before that activity, and stretch to the point of resistance, not pain. As with any new physical activity, seek your physician’s opinion and guidance before trying a new exercise. Stretching profits your entire body and prepares you for every move you make. When your body is optimized, you can get the most out of every moment and every day. The importance of stretching should never be underesti- mated. Stretching is a relaxing way to stay healthy, vital and fit. Best of all — everyone can do it. Reprinted from Spry –inspiring healthy living ! There is now a machine that provides a similar method for testing glucose levels, and gives an average of the glu cose level from the past 90 days. This is called an A1c test. With a finger prick the testing machine can measure how well a diabetic has managed their glucose level over a period of time. Most everyone knows the debilitating effects of poorly managed diabetes. Diabetes affects the kidneys, eyes, cardiovascular system, and nerves as well as other organs of the body. By managing this condition a person can help reduce the long term effects of this dis- ease. If you have diabetes and wish to see how well you have been managing your diabetes, please set up an ap- pointment for an A1c test with our nurse. New in the Nurse’s Office - A1c With the advancement of technology comes easier testing for a variety of health conditions. For example, the annual testing conducted right here at Crest Foods for glucose and cholesterol is a simple finger prick where a drop of blood is put in a cassette that is loaded into what is called a Cholostech machine. This machine is able to then provide a read out of the glucose and cholesterol level in five minutes.
October, November & December 2011 Crest Ink 15
EMT’s & First Responders
Pictured are all of the certified and active EMT’s or First Responders that work at Crest Foods. They are the people who are available to respond in the event of an injury or other emergency at Crest, and we thank them for dedicating their time to all of the employees here.
Brian Schafer EMT
Anna Richter EMT
Pat Hilliker EMT
Matt Richardson EMT
Blake Carson EMT
Deb Jenner EMT
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Teresa Morris First Responder
Kevin “Doc” Hummel First Responder
Marc Smith First Responder
Ed Baylor First Responder
Dave Henrikson First Responder
Brandon Sanders First Responder
Mike Ward First Responder
Randy Reuter First Responder
Sandi Stover First Responder
Alex Cheeseman First Responder
October, November & December 2011 Crest Ink 17
Nurse Joan Takes Flight!
How many people have skydiving on their bucket list? Well, Joan Wubbena, RN, our very own Crest Foods nurse, did have this adventure on hers! How did this get on Joan’s list you ask? Well, Joan asked her grandson, Colton Scott, age 17, what he wanted for his graduation from Forreston High School. His answer: “Go skydiving.” Joan’s answer? “OK, only if I get to go with you.” So on July 9, along with Colton, Joan took the big leap of faith! When Joan talks about the dive, her eyes sparkle as she recounts the moments just before falling out of the airplane, then the exhilaration of the one minute free fall before the parachute opens. She said she felt very confident in the skills of her tandem skydiver so was not that nervous. If you wish to see Joan’s skydiving, you can see it at www.sky divewisconsin.com. Go to videos then select July 9th and find Joan and Colton’s video of their sky dive!
You never know what you might find when you pick up your paycheck! Lynn Burnette got in the patriotic spirit for the Fourth of July when she was handing out paychecks. Just wait til Thanksgiving. Maybe we will see a little turkey?!
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Welcome to Crest Foods Crest is proud to announce the hiring of Steve Starke as a Technical Service Manager in our Tech/Sales department. Steve resides in Independence, KY and will be working out of that area. His father is a retired attorney and his mother is a retired school teacher. He has 3 children Chelsey (21 years old), Alysha(17 years old) and Andrew (14 years old). Steve has been familiar with Crest Foods over the years as he has worked for Louis Trauth Dairy (Dean Foods) for the past 20 years. He comes to us with years of experi- ence in making cottage cheese, sour cream, butter milk, and yogurt. After Dean decided to close the Trauth plant, he was offered several positions but decided to come to work with Crest Foods. He will be going through an extensive training program and then he will be on the road doing Tech work for us. Steve’s interests/hobbies are ATV riding, modern technology (electronics), and watching the reality series Amazing Race and Survivor. Congratulations and welcome to the Crest Family.
The Consumer Products Department is happy to introduce our newest employee, Sue Chitwood. Sue earned her Master of Science degree in Food Science at the University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana after receiving her BS degree in Food Science. She has worked in the Food Industry at FONA International. There she worked with flavor applications for dry mix beverages. She also worked at Tate & Lyle working with starch and sweetener optimization in ice cream, beverages, and salad dressings. Susan Chitwood Joins the Crest Family by John Arnould
The Crest Consumer Products Lab works to create or improve dry seasoning flavors for products like sour cream dips, yogurt, ice cream, and potato chips to name a few. Once developed, the seasonings are blended by Crest Foods and sold to our customers who retail them in grocery stores. Sue is already busy working with flavor formu- las, along with nutritional information the customer needs for their product packaging. Daily, Sue and the employ- ees of our lab taste products in order to make changes in the formula or “recipe” to reach our goal. Sue’s husband Tom also works in the Food Industry as a salesman. They have two wonderful daughters, Alison who is 9 years old and Katie who is 7 years old. Since the kids are back in school, I will give you a multiple choice quiz about Sue. Favorite sport to watch: A. hockey B. baseball C. tennis (Answer: A) Favorite food: A. cottage cheese B. cheesecake C. chocolate (easy question) (Answer: C of course) Favorite Celebrity: A. Justin Bieber B. Dave Letterman C. Walter Payton (Answer: C “Sweetness”) Type of family dog: A. Dachshund B. Norwegian Elkhound C. Teacup Poodle Answer: B (I bet her daughters wish they had a saddle for the dog!) Her age: I could really get in trouble with this one. Maybe she does like Justin Bieber best. I know you will all make Sue feel like one of the Crest Family. As you can tell, I (John) like the statement in our Crest Culture about “Have some fun!”
October, November & December 2011 Crest Ink 19
Circle of Excellence
Joe Loomis, Matt Richardson, Tom Saunders
Al Tefiku, Lloyd Droege
Carol Milens
Martin Vega
Anne Harris
Amanda Stumpenhorst, Teri Wolber, Chris Pfoutz, Susie Miller
Adam Drew, Bill Zacharias
20 Crest Ink October, November & December 2011
SQF Recertification
by Karen Yardley
For those of you who have worked here for more than a year, SQF should be a familiar acronym. SQF stands for SAFE QUALITY FOOD. You would also know that we recently made the change to the SQF standard after fol- lowing the AIB (American Institute of Baking) standard for many years. This change was made in part due to requests from our customers, but also because the SQF 2000 System is one of the standards established by the Global Food Safety Initiative ( GFSI ). The SQF audit is a third party or independent audit, meaning it is not an internal, customer or regulatory audit. The main goal of the SQF standard is to reduce the incidence of unsafe food products reaching the marketplace. It requires commitment from all levels – from the President to each and every hourly employee! Jeff Meiners, Presi- dent of Crest Foods, issued a policy regarding our commitment to food safety which you will find posted in each facility. We encourage you to take a moment to read this policy and use it as a guideline in your daily activities here at Crest. Our recertification audits took place this year - the Ingredient Division in January, Main Plant in July and West Fa- cilities in August. Some of the issues noted during these audits that we are addressing and that we feel you should be aware of – In the area of Facility Maintenance – Peeling/chipping paint, cracked light shields, holes in walls or ceilings, espe- cially in food product zones. In the area of Equipment Maintenance – Torn/worn conveyor belts, chipping paint, temporary repairs. In the area of GMPs/Personal Hygiene – Hairnets and beard nets worn properly, hand washing policy followed. Pertaining to our Allergen Program – Employees should use the appropriate hand broom or LP air in the washbay until we relocate the air shower unit to clean off their clothing when moving from one area to another. Keep an eye out for these issues and notify your supervisor or responsible department manager so that they can be addressed in a timely manner. It is all part of our commitment to producing safe, quality food.
Sheri Tefiku is all smiles after becoming a citizen of the United States. On September 8, 2011, Sheri and her son Bekim drove to Chicago to the Immigration Building so Sheri could take her test to become a citizen. Sheri said “I was very scared. The test was very hard but the officer said ‘Mrs. Tefiku, you did a good job!’” Sheri said she tried to take the test four years ago when her husband, Al, took the test, but she did not pass it at that time. She was determined to complete this important step and finally felt secure enough in her use of the English language to try again. As this smile prove, Sheri can now proudly say “I am a U.S. Citizen!” Congratulations Sheri. We are ALL very proud of you!!!
October, November & December 2011 Crest Ink 21
We’ve put together a team of Crest Management who will be meeting monthly to discuss safety here at Crest. When you see these people out on the floor feel free to stop them and point out any safety concerns or bring up any safety issues you may have. You can also call any one of these team members and leave a message at any time. Be sure to leave your name and where you work so we can follow up. Meet the Crest Foods Safety Team!
Denton Yocum Engineering
Angie Paul Production
Cheri Kemp Benefits Manager
Marty Barclay Quality Assurance
Erika Meiners HR Manager
Garett Meiners Mix Facility
Jared Stumpenhorst Maintenance
Jeff Meiners (left) President Jim Spangler (right) Facilities Engineer
Karen Yardley Safety/Sanitation
Rick Rice Engineering
22 Crest Ink October, November & December 2011
Up Close and Personal with Ned Tippie by Al Duthie Ned Tippie entered the dairy industry with no dairy products experience when he joined Crest Foods in 1988. He had, fortunately for Crest, answered a classi- fied job advertisement. Ned did not know Crest Foods and Crest Foods did not know Ned Tippie. However, Ned did have solid, pure selling experience and at that time Crest believed the technical aspects could be, and in this case were, taught to a capable, willing individual.
Ned began his Crest career as a technical sales representative within the mid-Atlantic territory. He quickly pro- gressed up the learning curve able to make plant visits and plant trial visits on his own. Taking advantage of his professionalism, personality, and dairy industry knowledge Crest Foods promoted Ned to Corporate National Sales in 2001. On a national level Ned is responsible as a liaison for information flow between Crest Foods and Safeway, Kroger, and Dean Foods. This position is crucial to help tie-in business projects and activities between Crest and its customer base. Ned was born and raised in Lima, Ohio. In high school he was a good student, a star athlete (football, basketball, track), a great musician (trombone in marching band), and lead vocal in the school choir. From high school he went on to Ohio State University majoring in agricultural business. Ned’s plans were to use his farming background and after earning a degree go into farming for himself. Ned successfully earned his B.S. degree; however, he quickly figured out that buying a farm was a huge investment, and one he was not inclined to attempt. Therefore he used his degree by seeking and gaining employment in the agricultural field (literally) when he went to work for Edward J. Funk & Son’s Seed Company. Like Crest Foods, Funk Seed Company was a solid, family-owned business. Ned resides in the Springfield, Ohio area with his wife Margaret. Ned has 3 grown sons, Jason, Nathan, and Seth. Currently he has one grandchild. Outside of work Ned’s interests lie with church, music, sports, wood-working projects, and fishing. His bass voice in song is outstanding (as told to me by one of his relatives), but Ned is reluc- tant to say or share this talent with many folks. Ned plays the guitar, practicing on his own. And the sales group and technical service group hopes that someday he might play and sing for us at an annual Crest Foods sales meeting. And of course Ned is an avid Ohio State Buckeye fan! Ned does plan to retire from Crest Foods within 5 years to pursue his hobbies and spend much more time with family and extended family. By finally being off the road and at home, except for desired vacation travel, I’m sure that Ned will not miss all those early mornings and late nights in dairy plants, nor all those hotel stays, airports, rental cars, and restaurant meals amassed during those many years working in sales. But until then Ned will continue to work hard in helping Crest grow along with its many customers in the dairy industry.
FLU SHOTS TO BE GIVEN Watch for signup sheets for the flu shots. Crest Foods will again be giving free flu shots in the month of October and/or November to any employee who wishes to have this vaccination. Dates and times will be posted later but don’t miss your chance to sign up!
October, November & December 2011 Crest Ink 23
RetireSMART - 101:
Planning is in Session – Enter into a Drawing to Win an Apple iPod Shuffle
Auxiant Case Management – What Is It? To quote Auxiant: “Auxiant Case Management is an added benefit for you and your family. A Case Manager is a Registered Nurse who works with you (the member), your family, attending physician(s) and other health care pro viders to facilitate the appropriate health care services to meet your health care needs.” This is a benefit that comes in to play during a medical condition that may be a long term recovery or a condition or illness that is of short duration but serious in nature. A Case Manager is required to have a minimum of 5 years of clinical experience and previous medical management background in their area of expertise. The Case Manager will help you understand your condition, provide guidance, education and a better quality of life as they work with you and your attending physician to guide you through your recovery process. The Case Manager also has the sup port of a multidisciplinary team consisting of board certified physicians, clinical review specialists, a registered dieti tian and a licensed social worker so all aspects of care can be handled as needed. This service is provided at no The seven course modules will educate individuals on each of the core principles of retirement planning: 1.) Learn- ing; 2.) Saving; 3.) Allocating; 4.) Consolidating; 5.) Planning; 6.) Guidance; and 7.) Pre-Retirement. MassMutual customized site for this initiative is www.retiresmart101.com Participants who complete the RetireSmart-101 course series by October 31, 2011, will receive a Certificate of Com- pletion and be entered into a drawing to win an Apple i-Pod Shuffle. RetireSmart-101 will show that you can learn about the importance of proactive retirement planning and have fun doing it. Visit www.retiresmart101.com and challenge yourself today. 1 National 401(k) Day was created by the Profit-Sharing Council of America (PSCA) as an annual event to promote retirement savings education. Typically, 401(k) day is the first Friday after Labor Day 2 National Save for Retirement Week (designated as the third week in October) was created by Congress in 2006 with the intent to increase personal financial literacy and raise public awareness of the retirement –savings vehicles available to all workers, including public- and private-sector employees, employees of tax-exempt organizations, and self-employed individuals MassMutual Retirement Services will celebrate National 401(k) Day1 and National Save for Retirement Week2 with the launch of its customized multimedia education series, RetireSMART-101. Designed for participants and non- participants just like you!
cost to you and is strictly confidential between you, your physician and your Case Manager. Auxiant Case Management partners with AWAC.md (an inVentive Health Company)
24 Crest Ink October, November & December 2011
Culture: How Does it Move You? by Rick Rice Is culture important enough to move 700 miles and start life in a new country? This was the question my family faced when a comic remark at Christmas time last year became a serious consideration a month later. For years I have worked at jobs that have afforded me the opportunity to travel to new lands and meet new people. I can happily recount fishing on a wide river in central Russia immersed in a bubble existence where language and customs melded into something almost religious in its simplicity. I remember fondly playing golf at St. Andrews (though the score that day is buried deep below the experience of just being on that hallowed ground) and walk ing Hadrian’s Wall musing at how ineffective the wall was at keeping the Celtic hoards (a.k.a. Scottish and Irish) from Briton. I spent 7 glorious days in Prague in the Czech Republic trapped by an expired visa to Russia but not even noticing my “inconvenience” when strolling down cobbled streets where Bohemians have walked for over 1000 years. I’ve sailed amongst the Greek Islands, wandered through the Roman Coliseum, gazed at the pyramids of the Egyptian, Aztec and Mayan peoples, and stood on the sites of Troy and Carthage of antiquity. As awe-inspiring as the ruins of ancient Rome and Greece can be there is a sense of wonder that fills you from the ground up when you stand in Yosemite National Park and look up at a giant sequoia that was here long before a group of patriots got fed up and threw tea into the harbor at Boston. I was moved to stand within the confines of the Alamo and immersed in quiet reflection when looking across the harbor at Fort Sumter and walking the battle ground at Gettysburg. I have been fortunate enough to see all of this in my travels. While all of these places left an indelible mark on my mind and a permanent record on my soul, it has been my experiences here in the United States and, in particular, those in the Mid-West that have had the most lasting impact on me. So, how does a guy from Niagara Falls, Ontario end up in Ashton, Illinois? Better yet, what compels a guy with an unobstructed view from his front porch at the world famous Horseshoe Falls at Niagara voluntarily move to the town of Creston with 500 people, and work in the town of Ashton on the Great Plains? The simple answer is CUL- TURE. For me, culture isn’t a cliché and it’s certainly not just a saying on the wall in the reception area. It is the key ingredient of life. I have worked in a lot of places here in the mid-west and I can honestly say that Crest Foods got under my skin. It isn’t just the people. It isn’t just the facilities or the working conditions. It isn’t just the family-owned environment. It is ALL of these things and more. No better word describes the melding of all these things like culture. Where else can you come to work every day and feel like you want to be here? What other job have you had where the owners cared if you were healthy, not because they have a slot to fill on a packaging line but because you are a necessary part of the very fabric that makes everything work. I first started doing work here at Crest in 2009 when my former employer was first installing equipment on lines 80 and 85. From the very first day I was impressed with the level of commitment and the spirit with which everyone approached their jobs. They all knew that they had a key part in the success of this enterprise and they were not afraid to do whatever it takes to get the job done to the best of their abilities. It is this dedication and integrity that made me feel compelled to come here during my vacations, unpaid by my employer, to help Crest Foods with a ma- chine that I knew just wasn’t quite right or to just see how everything was going. In the people of Crest I found the very qualities that I count as first priority in my own life. From that very first visit I was, looking back now, al- ready plotting my course to arrive here in Ashton, Illinois. So, here I am, 700 miles away from my home, on a journey that took over 2 years to complete, in the warm embrace of everything that is the Crest Foods Culture. I hope that my story inspires you in the way that the people of Crest Foods and this community have inspired me. I look forward to journey that we will take together in the coming years and thank you for making me feel like part of the family.
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