Crest Ink - Volume 27 - Number 01

James Long (Ingredient Division Lead Sanitarian): It’s been a wild roller coaster ride the first 20 years! Sometimes I sit back and reflect on the “key” people that kept me here. First: A big thanks to the Meiners Family – Jeff, Steve and Mike. Your Dad would be proud of you guys for building a first class organization! I am thankful you didn’t fire me a long time ago. Then there’s Randy Reuter. Although he has two grown children, I’m sure I gave him a few of his gray hairs. Whenever I need to talk he is always there. Last but not forgotten, there is Stephanie Quinton. If Stephanie was a super hero she would be “Wonder Woman” for all she’s done for me over the years. There is one that sticks out for me: the week that my Dad passed away she sent me a hand written note which I still have today. For all you people above, thank you. For all you young people here: like Dorothy says in the “Wizard of Oz” – there’s no place like home! James Jim Lyles (A-Shift Mix, Level 6): My 20 year journey actually started in June of 1982, right out of high school. I started as a dumper on Big Batch Cookies. Bob Warkins was the lead mixer in my dump room. A funny story about that room was one day I was really tired and had dozed off. All of a sudden I hear this big loud voice that startled me. I jumped up and there is this big man with bright pants and a bright shirt giving a tour. When he left I asked Bob “who the hell was that?” He said “That’s the name on the bottom of your paycheck – Jay Mein- ers!” Then I went on to being a lead in the Pillsbury Fudge Jumbles. All those years ago talk about no allergen program! Fifty pound cubes of peanut butter through a screen on a particulate hopper and also 50 pound boxes of peanuts! No tagging mixers, totes or anything. The only bad thing was having only 2 man mix crews: Shuttle, weigh, pull batches and take them out. We handled one hundred pound bags of flour and sugar. One guy would throw 5000 pound batches while the other weighed and shuttled. Then I moved on to weighing single drum scales and four drum mixers. A lot of fun! Our crew was good though: Pete Capes, Jon Harrison, Gerry Temmen and Scott Webb. (All of these people except Pete Capes are still working at Crest Foods!) We had no dust collection but it was good times. Then after 7 years I thought the grass was greener in Rochelle. Not so much. In 1994, after three more jobs, Jason Anderson from Crest Foods contacted me about coming back to Crest to work on third shift. I jumped at the opportunity. After a short stint on third shift I went to scheduling as the mix scheduler. From there I went on to consumers for a very short time, before going to the West Warehouse and back to Mix. I have to say it has been a very eventful trip through my 27 years. Big changes, some for the good and some not so good. I have met a lot of people that have become great friends. I want to thank Jeff, Mike and Steve for the opportunities they have given me. I look forward to the opportunities in the future. As we all know – nothing stays the same at Crest Foods. Congratulations to the newest 20 Year Club Members: Adam Drew, Ingredient Division Support; April Fichter, Production A Shift; Candy Koch, QA Admin Support; Cheryl Sanderson, Production A Shift; Crystal Kessel, QA A Shift Line Tech; Donna Long, Production A Shift; James Long, Ingredient Division Sanitation; Jennifer Loomis, Production A Shift/Mentor; Jerry Sikkema, Mix Manager B Shift; Jim Lyles, Mix A Shift; Laura Mares, Production A Shift; Lloyd Droege, Ingredient Division; Marc Smith, Mix B Shift; Mike Ward, Production B Shift; Nina Sims, Production A Shift; Pam Furman, Consumer Products Lab; Randy Reuter, Ingredient Division Production Manager; Rod Bunger, Manufacturing Engineer; Steve Crook, Product Development; Sue Osborne, Production Manager.

4 Crest Ink January, February & March 2015

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