Compliance Facilitator Positions by Jeff Meiners Contract Packaging at Crest Foods creates a strange business model. We run up to 30 different production lines that change over continuously – we have limited control over the scheduling of these lines – we have limited control over the vendors who provide supplies for these lines – volume fluctuates significantly from month to month…we would not represent the standard model for a manufacturing facility. None the less, it is the business we are in and have grown very proficient at managing the chaos associated with run- ning an operation with so many moving parts and so little control. One of our ongoing challenges is that we be- come so focused on the production floor to managing the impacts of this always changing schedule that the finesse issues that we feel define who we are as a company often take a back seat to simply surviving another day. We’re uncomfortable with that reality and are making some changes to address it. Two new positions of Compliance Facilitator have been created in contract packaging. The people filling these po- sitions will have zero focus on how many cases we produce. They will however be focused on issues such as safety, housekeeping, documentation, GMP’s and standard operating procedures. They will spend the vast majority of their time on the floor. Their role will not be that of a police officer who points out deficiencies, but to be a facili- tator who recognizes opportunities for improvement and achieves those improvements through those who do the actual work on the floor. No one will report directly to these positions, but everyone should work with and be im- pacted by them. They will work split shifts so employees on all shifts will have access to them. Garett Meiners will be the compliance facilitator for all areas West – Production, Mix, Crest Warehouse, Karlin Warehouse and Ingredient Division Warehouse. He has been with Crest for 12 years and has worked in Production as a supervisor and Mixing as the department manager. Dean Rhodes will be the compliance manager for the Main Plant Production Facility. He was the fire chief in Dixon for 6 years and recently has been in charge of a number of training programs at KSB Hospital. While he lacks specific Crest experience (he will pick that up quickly), his past work experience will serve him very well in his new role at Crest. The addition of these new positions at Crest represents a significant investment on our part to gear our manage- ment style to our unique set of operating circumstances. We want to be at the top of our field and we think these changes will strengthen us in that endeavor. Please welcome Garett and Dean to their new jobs and be open mind- ed to this new direction.
While at the Seattle Airport wait- ing on his departure plane to Chicago after visiting a customer, Steve Starke (Tech. Service) ran into the guys from the TV series “Gold Rush” on the Discovery Channel. As a huge fan, Steve was pretty excited to meet Jack Hoffman, Todd Hoffman, and Andy Spinks and talk with them for about 10 minutes. All three were very friendly and were curi- ous about what Steve did for a living and who he worked for.
Steve Starke & Jack Hoffman
Steve Starke & Todd Hoffman
14 Crest Ink April, May & June 2016
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