The Crest Ink is a quarterly newsletter that celebrates the success of Crest Foods and our employees.
Crest Ink January, February & March 2023 Ashton, IL 61006 Volume 35 • Number 1
The Hunt is On! by Savannah Fagan
It was a beautiful spring day for an egg hunt and some picnicking. Thanks to a dedicated “Hunt Committee” and all of the volunteers, Crest Foods’ first annual Easter Egg Hunt went off without a hitch in April! Several hundred employees and their families gathered at the West Facility to enjoy some family time, food, and fun. Children 0-12 hunted over 3,000 eggs (which wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the Village of Progress donating their time to stuff all of them!) and were entered in to win prizes when they registered. There were 20 prizes to win between all of the age groups and 4 grand prizes overall, which included a Brookfield Zoo membership, a Raging Waters membership, movie theater passes, and a trampoline park pass! Hot dogs, chips, and over 500 fresh baked sugar cookies (thanks to the “Cookie Crew”) were handed out to everyone in attendance. Thank you again to everyone who made this event possible and for such a great turnout. We appreciate all of the volunteers from Crest (special shoutout to our Easter bunny, Marcus!) and the Village of Progress. We especially loved getting to see everyone with their families, and are already looking forward to next year!
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S. A. F. E (Safety Agents for Employees) by Karen Yardley, Safety & Sanitation Manager
Todd Lorenc, Al Kvool, Mike Jacobs, Yolanda Cadenas, Cody McCallister, Mary McWethy, Ben Yates, Karen Yardley, Jason Carter, Beca Dodd, Kelly Stevens, Roman Kozak & Jake Warren
I’ve heard it said that everyone is responsible for sanitation here at Crest and I believe that should apply to employee safety as well. This year we’ve taken a step to reinforce that idea by creating a team of hourly employees that can help us promote employee ownership of safety. They are your Safety Agents For Employees – and they want ev- eryone to be SAFE ! The goal of the team is to help empower employees to be responsible for their own safety as well as that of their co-workers. We invited employees from each department to participate and we tried to include all shifts. Your “safety agents” are: Becca Dodd (A Production), our “Coordinator” – she leads the meetings. Cody McAllister (Karlin Ware- house) Todd Lorenc (A Mix), Jason Carter (A Ingredient Division Production), Jake Warren (A West Warehouse), Al Kvool (A Set Up Maintenance), Yolanda Cadenas (B Production West), Kelly Stevens (A QA), Roman Kozak (B Sanitation), Mike Jacobs (Building Maintenance), Ben Yates (Ingredient Division Warehouse), and Mary McWethy (North Plant). The team plans to meet each month to discuss whatever employee safety concerns they have or that have been brought to their attention. Valid concerns, ideas, suggestions, etc. will then be brought from this group to the Crest Foods Safety Team, which is mostly made up of management. During our first meeting we discussed why a team like this is a good idea. Several members mentioned seeing things (unsafe acts) first hand out on the floor and want to do something to prevent it. Someone mentioned that it is sometimes difficult to bring up employee safety to co-workers or supervisors and hope that a team like this can change that attitude. A couple of members have a background in safety related fields (firefighters, first responders). Some members felt because of their experience and involvement in many different functions, they could be of service to our group. It was also mentioned that sometimes a “fresh set of eyes” looking at a situation can help come up with a solution. During our second meeting we discussed recent accidents and injuries looking for “trends”, and discussed the topics that this team felt we should focus on in the future. Areas of concern for our group were Forklift Safety, Electric Handlift Safety, Lifting , Ladder Safety and Pallet Handling. We plan to “Have some fun!” as our culture statement puts it – employee safety “campaigns”, contests, and such. We also plan to use Redzone more to promote employee safety. We hope that all employees work safe each and every day and ask that you reach out to any of these team members if there is an issue that you would like us to look into.
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Plunge Crazy by Savannah Fagan Jenny Loomis, Nikki Tintori, Hali Daehler, Jeremy Reynolds, Laura Huber & Susan Forristall (Thanks to Jen Lally for taking pictures!)
What starts out red and comes out blue? That’d be the Crest Foods Santa Claus Crew after running in to Olson Lake in Rock Cut State Park during this year’s Polar Plunge! The new group of dare-devils to join participants from the Village of Progress included Laura Huber, Susan Forristal, Jenny Loomis, and Nikki Tintori! Jen Lally also vol- unteered her time by taking pictures of the crazy Claus Crew for the Crest Ink (and possibly her own personal en- tertainment). Crest donated $100 per participant to cover the majority of each individual’s fundraising goal, and a whopping $62,504 was raised for the Special Olympics. Thank you to everyone for your participation – we can’t wait to see who signs up next year!
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Celebrating with Popcorn! A standing ten year tradition at Crest has been to celebrate meeting daily production efficiency goals for contract packaging by serving popcorn in the breakrooms. Each day that we hit an average 97.5% efficiency (this year’s goal allowing for a certain amount of downtime) for all three shifts in both facilities, we celebrate by cooking up fresh batches of popcorn the next day in the main plant, west facility and mix building breakrooms. Whenever that day happens to fall on a Thursday, we up our game a little by upgrading to caramel corn. Since the folks in contract packaging are such nice people, anybody at Crest is welcome to enjoy a bag of popcorn that resulted from their great work. Many days we are greeted by the smell of fresh popcorn in the breakrooms and our unofficial record for consecutive days is seven. It’s always fun to celebrate success….even if it is with something just as simple as a bag of popcorn! Thanks to our many popcorn poppers who take the time to make up fresh batches for us all. Getting to Know: Crest Foods Popcorn Poppers
Glenn White (Sanitation A West) Time at Crest? 13 years. If you could be any animal what would you be & why? A cheetah because they run fast. Tell us something on your bucket list? Visit Ireland and drive a race car at the Indy 500. Is popcorn your favorite snack? I don’t eat popcorn, but I love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. What is your favorite part of being a Crest Foods Popper? Seeing people happy. Nick Sterling aka Popcorn Nick (Sanitation A MP) Time at Crest? 4 years. If you could be any animal what would you be & why? Dog because they can pee and lay where ever they want. Tell us something on your bucket list? Go back to Florida to visit and see the ocean. Is popcorn your favorite snack? I can’t eat popcorn. If you ate popcorn, what flavor would it be? Movie theater butter flavor. What is your favorite part of being a Crest Foods Popper? The smell in the buliding, making people happy, and I’m getting better at making the carmel flavor! Crystal White (Sanitation B MP) Time at Crest? 2 years. If you could be any animal what would you be & why? Wolf because they live in a family pack and I like how they look. Tell us something on your bucket list? Visit Greece. Is popcorn your favorite snack? Not my favorite.. I like vanilla ice cream sand- wiches! What is your favorite popcorn flavor? Butter! What is your favorite part of being a
Crest Foods Popper? Making it. Helen Mead (Sanitation Mix A)
Time at Crest? 15 years. If you could be any animal what would you be & why? A horse, to run free. Tell us something on your bucket list? If I want to do it, I do it - no bucket list. Is popcorn your favorite snack? I’m popcorned out. What is your favorite part of being a Crest Foods Popper? It makes people happy.
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Marcus Meeker (Sanitation A West) Time at Crest? About a year. If you could be any animal what would you be & why? A bald eagle - no one is allowed to kill them. Tell us something on your bucket list? Go to New York City to see the Statue of Liberty. Is popcorn your favorite snack? I hate it! Give me pizza! What is your favorite part of being a Crest Foods Popper? Making it for everyone who does like it. Matt Roach (Sanitation B West) Time at Crest? 3 months. If you could be any animal what you be & why? Lion because they are king of the jungle. Tell us something on your bucket list? See the glaciers. Is pop - corn your favorite snack? I’m popcorned out! If you ate popcorn, what flavor would it be? Cheesy. What is your favorite part of being a Crest Foods Popper? Making people happy by delivering a snack to them. Doug Carolus (Sanitation B West) Time at Crest? 9 years. If you could be any animal what would you be & why? A cat because they get to nap a lot. Tell us something on your bucket list? With 20 years in the military, I’ve already been able to see many places that most people haven’t. Is popcorn your favorite snack? Not my favorite... I love my veggies. What is your favorite popcorn flavor? Movie theater butter. What is your favorite part of being a Crest Foods Popper? I like getting to make popcorn for my co-workers. Fun Fact: I have a lot of experience with making popcorn, as I used to work at the movie theater when I was younger. Bob Mlejnek (Sanitation C MP) Time at Crest? 3 years. Ken Gapinski (Sanitation C MP) Time at Crest? 6 years. Favorite part of being a Crest Foods Popper? Making it. Randale Wilkinson (Sanitation C West) Time at Crest? 5 years. If you could be any animal what would you be & why? An eagle so I can fly away. Tell us something on your bucket list? Win the lottery and go to California. Is popcorn your favorite snack? I’m popcorned out. What is your favorite part of being a Crest Foods Popper? The smiles on the faces of the popcorn lovers! Tom Baeza (Saniation C West) Time at Crest? 10 years. If you could be any animal what would you be & why? A bear be-
cause the Chicago Bears are going to the Super Bowl this year. Tell us something on your bucket list? See the ocean and go to Vegas. Is popcorn your favorite snack? I’m popcorned out. I like beef jerky. What is your favor ite part of being a Crest Foods Popper? I get to hang out in the break room for a while.
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SQF Audits by Brandon Meiners
Another day, another audit of Crest Foods! Over the last two months we have completed multiple Safe Quality Food (SQF) re-certification audits of our various facilities and divisions. These audits measure our level of compliance against Global
Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards to ensure our operation is utilizing globally recognized food manufacturing processes to produce the safest product possible for the end consumer. Out of all the audits conducted within our facilities each year, these re-certification audits are the most crucial as our final rating is scrutinized by all customers and identifies where we stand as a company with our food safety management system. All three divisions performed exceptionally well and we were able to maintain the high ratings our customers are accustomed to seeing from Crest Foods year after year. It seems like food safety audits of our facilities are just as common as the mail being delivered anymore! Whether it’s a customer, regulatory agency, or even an internal employee, there is always someone in our facilities verifying that Crest Foods is adhering to established food safety protocols. This is somewhat of a recent phenomenon as we used to not only prepare for audits, but also only experience a handful each year. We take great pride in the fact that our facilities are always audit ready due to the complex food safety management system utilized throughout our company. Hats off to all of our hourly and management employees who make these audits easy by simply following our food safety protocols and having pride and ownership with their assigned responsibilities!
Congratulations to Jesse Morris on his recent certification as an EMT and his promotion to Lieutenant!
Jesse has served Crest since 2016 as a First Responder and part of our Emergency Response Team but he’s been with the Franklin Grove Fire Protection District (FGFDP) since 2011 when he signed on as a Cadet. The Cadet program is designed to give young men and women (usually those who are minors) the basic knowledge and preparation for a career in the fire service or as an Emergency Medical Technician. Jesse was a Cadet until he turned 18, then became a Firefighter. Until being certified as an EMT, Jesse was an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) but has since been promoted to Lieutenant. The FGFPD responds as needed. The farthest call that Jesse has been involved in was the Grand Bear Lodge Fire in Utica in May 2022. A total of 57 fire departments responded and assisted according to the Utica Fire Protection District Assistant Fire Chief. The course that Jesse recently completed was a total of 140 hours of class time – 4 hours, twice a week for 17 weeks! It was held at the Franklin Grove Fire Station and while Jesse was the only one from Franklin Grove, there were many other local communities represented. The instruction was presented by OSF Saint Anthony and there were multiple instructors involved. There was “book learning” – like medications, their names and dosage – and “hands on” or practical training – like CPR. Jesse said they covered 43 chapters which were divided into 7 sections and each section had an exam with 50 questions. The final exam of the course, held December 22, 2022, had 125 questions. After completing the course, Jesse had to sign up to take a national exam which consisted of 120 questions. Jesse took (and passed!) this exam in January of 2023. Jesse said the reason he invests so much time and effort into the service he provides Crest and his community is so he is able to help others when they are at their worst. We appreciate your service and support here at Crest and in the community Jesse! Thank you!
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Take a Step Back in Time to Headon’s Fine Meats by Jeff Meiners
It’s about a half hour ride along the backroads between Ashton and Creston. The ride brings a little of the flavor of Northwest Illinois with a few trains, tractors, cows and endless corn fields to be seen along the way. It becomes quickly obvious that the town of Ashton (population 1000 and the home of Crest) is a metropolis compared to the tiny little town of Creston. However, Creston is home to a treasure that any town would be envious of…the unique business known as Headon’s Fine Meats. A single step through the front doors will find one immediately transported to a scene from the 1950’s. Wood plank floors, tin ceilings, old fashioned show cases, overtly friendly staff, more cuts of meat than one can imagine and countless home made goods create an atmosphere that draws people from miles around. Headon’s business is based on high end quality and service that sets them apart as unique and is refreshingly different than most other food buying experiences in the area. Fortunately for us, they have been the caterers to our Christmas dinners and Year End celebrations for many years. Last year they supplied a whopping 800 pounds of turkey and ham, along with all the trimmings, to our Christmas dinners. Headon’s has been in business since 1970 when Lyle Headon returned to his home town after serving in the Viet- nam war to build a business based on his skills as a butcher. No doubt, he built a great business, but when it was time to hang up his cleaver he was looking for the perfect fit to lead his business into the future. He found just the right people in the father and son team of Mark and Justin Hibshman. They had been working together in other ventures for nearly 13 years and jumped on the chance to take on a new challenge. A hand shake and a promise to carry on the traditions and keep the name were the foundations of passing on this business to new owners. Mark, Justin and their 23 valued employees have indeed done everything promised to carry on traditions and bring this business to a new level. The shopping experience at Headon’s is exceptional. Their products are superb in qual- ity across the board. Their selection is pretty amazing….in one week alone they will make over 1500 pounds of brats in up to 57 different flavors. Last year this tiny little store tucked away in a wide spot in the road in the middle of the cornfields sold 582,000 pounds of meat, 643,000 brats, 71,000 pork chops and 408,000 beef sticks. Just for kicks, they even processed 730 deer for hunters this fall. We’re proud to consider Headon’s a valued supplier. Stop by and see them sometime if you are looking for a unique experience combined with some really good food. By the way, rumor has it that they make up some pretty mean Bloody Mary’s on Saturday mornings.
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Crest Happenings
Our Sympathy Our sympathy to Natasha (Production A) and Kameron (Production B) Pretzsch on the passing of Natasha’s mother, Teresa Covington, in March. Our sympathy to Jean Armstrong (Production B) on the passing of her mother in March. Our condolences to Francisco Herrera (Production A) on the passing of his wife, Alma Leticia Herrera, in February. Audra Reindel’s grandmother, Carmella Serino, passed away at the age of 95 on January 13, 2023. Audra flew out to Las Vegas ASAP to be by her grandmother’s side. Our condolences to the family of Mike Hoyle, who passed away in January. Mike was an employee at Crest Foods for 30 years before retiring in 2012. Our sympathy to Jeanna Harvey (Production A) on the passing of her sister in February.
Our condolences to Travis Day (Forklift B) on the passing of his sister, Sharon Daphne Day-Miller, in March. Our condolences to Kim Gallagher (Maintenance) on the passing of his mother, Janice Mitchell, in March. Our sympathy to Evan Knack (Purchasing) on the pass- ing of his uncle in March. Congratulations Congratulations to Autumn Swift (granddaughter of Jim and Audra Reindel) and the Dixon High School Bowling team for making sectionalss where they fin- ished 6th place. Congratulations to Kylie McCullough (granddaughter of Jim and Audra Reindel) and the Rochelle High School Bowling team for making it to sectionals where they finished 12th place. Congratulations to both Dixon and Rochelle Bowling teams for a great year!
Remembering Mark Stuart
The Crest family was saddened by the recent passing of Mark Stuart. Many won’t recognize the name, but Mark was one of those people who worked behind the scenes to make Crest a better company for us all. Mark was the President of Bren - nan and Stuart – our insurance broker for the better part of the last three decades. He helped us become self-funded for health insurance, which has been key to us not raising our rates for the last five years. He was the guy who stepped forward when contract language with a customer put our business in jeopardy after the tornado and took the initiative to figure out how to get us covered. He embraced Crest cul - ture just as much as we do and in every way was indeed part of the Crest family.
Mark’s story was that of the home town boy done well. He grew up in LaSalle, was a high school and college football star, came back home to enthusiastically take the reins of the family business and was the gracious – hum- ble – successful type of guy that all were drawn to. He loved working and playing with generations of his own fam- ily. He loved the outdoors in almost any form. To Crest – he was a supplier of the year, a resource for general business knowledge and a very good friend. He lived his life so well. God’s speed Mark Stuart…you will be deeply missed.
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Crest Happenings
Happy Retirement, Teri Wolber! After 34 years with Crest Foods, Teri began her retirement in January. In the late 80’s Teri found her home in the Customer Service department for the Ingredient Division. Back in that time, our customer base was far smaller and orders were written down on carbon copy then distributed on to production by hand. In her years at Crest she saw a lot of change and built hundreds of relationships with our customers. She brought the highest level of professionalism and kindness to her career. In return she built some relationships with our customers that will last far beyond her years at Crest. To say she is missed is an understatement and we wish her nothing but the best in the next stage of her life.
Mark Smith of the A-Shift Maintenance Department decided to hang up his tool belt and retire from Crest Foods in January. Mark spent his entire 18 year career at Crest with the Mainte - nance Department, and his expertise and knowledge of ma - chinery will certainly be missed! We want to thank Mark for his time at Crest and wish him all the best in retirement where he will no doubt enjoy his time fixing up his house, barns and tractors. Congratulations Mark Smith!
Congratulations to the following employees for obtaining new jobs at Crest Foods over the last few months!
Olesia Avramenko QA Line Technician A-Shift
Katrina Berogan Ingredient Division Document Specialist
Justin Lugo QA Line Technician B-Shift
Jackie Fransen Payroll Assistant
Reed Hickey W. Whse Forklift A-Shift
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Crest Champion is our new employee recogntion program itended to acknowledge employees that perform above and beyond their normal job duties and those that identify and prevent mistakes from happening. Peers can recognize each other, or Managers/Supervisors can recognize
employees. We want employees to know they make the difference and that their efforts are recognized and appreci- ated! Employees nominated have either : Gone above & beyond (anything outside of normal job duties), Pre- vented or Minimized a problem, or Demonstrated creativity (creatively solves problems or improves procedures).
Congratulations to all employees nominated as Crest Champions & thank you to those who have nominated someone! Below are winners from the past few months. Jacob Bergner (Production B) Jacob bought pizza for his whole crew of new employees for dinner one night. It was a very nice gesture! Chris Bryant (Maintenance C) Chris wasn’t busy in the Main Plant one night, so he came out to the West Facility to help in Produciton when we were short people. It was much appreciated! Ray VanDrew (Warehouse B) Ray helped out a fellow employee and truck driver by bringing out tools to fix the brakes on the trailers when they began to freeze. He then went and hopped in an other truck to help catch things up on the route without even being asked. He saved the day and kept things moving. Jesse Morris (Maintenance A) We had a new employee get stuck in the snow/mud after orientation one morning. Jesse went and got chains and helped pull the guy out.
Welcome Bob Haberkorn, IT Director! Bob joined Crest Foods as our new IT Director who will be taking over the responsibilities of Mark McWethy when he retires. Bob brings over 30 years of IT experience, with 15 of those years being in a leadership roles. Bob resides in Kingston with his wife and 2 of his 4 children. In his free time you can catch Bob camping or bowling! We are excited to have Bob join the Crest family!
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2023 1st Quarter CIP Winners
Audra Reindel, Production A-Shift • Runner Up • $150.00 Audra suggested a digital screen in the Main Plant warehouse area so all of the change- over information can be on display to help forklift drivers know where to put supplies. We will start working on how we can automate the changeover information/schedule, which will be a timely process, but great idea! Ben Henrikson, Production B-Shift • 1st Place • $250.00 Ben suggested installing a sensor in the downpipe to send off an audible or visual signal to the dumpers when powder is low down stairs. He also mentioned an override switch to turn on or off when at the end of a run or shift. Great idea! We are working with Mainte- nance on feasibility/implementation.
Jerry and Rick came up with an idea to get air hoses, cables, printers and some electrical panels off the floor. They added plexiglass to the top of the Hayssens on lines 15-21 and then mounted printers and Speedee cabi- nets on top of the plexiglass (pictured). Air hoses have been addded to Bartelts and Hayssens to keep hoses off the floor. Great idea! They are working on implementing in other areas! Rick Cox & Jerry Maronde, Maintenance B-Shift • Runners Up • $75.00 each
Casey suggested having some type of annual training with Line Operators and Main- tenence Technicians together to share best practices. Great idea! Collaboration with main- tenance and line operators to share best practices is a great concept. We will consider for future training events. Casey Jones, Production B-Shift • Runner Up • $150.00 Nina suggested making a box to hold micro retains for any lines that have micro retains. It would prevent people from making boxes out of cardboard or having it say the wrong product name or codes. Great idea! We will purchase a small tub and label it “retains”. It will be placed on the stacker table for a central collection location. Nina Sims, Production A-Shift • Runner Up • $150.00
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It’s OK Not to be OK by Amanda Hering, Benefits Manager May is National Mental Health Awareness Month . With so much happening around us both within our personal and work life, it’s important that we find time to prioritize our mental health! Remember, it’s ok not to be ok! It’s natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief and worry. Life throws us so many unique situations that it can impact us in different ways. Knowing how to cope, lean on support, and utilize resources is more important than ever! Crest Foods has so many great resources that can help you through these feelings and any of life’s challenges: • Employee Assistance Program through Sinnissippi Centers - Think of Sinnissippi as your “Everyday Assistance People.” The EAP provides support, counseling, and resources for life situations that can take a toll on your emotional wellbeing or take time away from the things you value most, like family, friends, and work. EAP services are 100% confidential, no cost to you, and convenient scheduling for whenever you need them! • Employee Assistance Program through Lincoln Financial Group – Lincoln Financial Group offers Em - ployeeConnect – professional and confidential services to help you and your loved ones improve your quality of life! With EmployeeConnect you and your family get access to in-person guidance, unlimited 24/7 access to on - line or toll-free phone support for family matters, referrals, legal matters, and financial guidance. EmployeeCon - nect offers a wide range of online information and resources like videos, articles, interactive tools, budgeting worksheets and more! • Will Preparation & Estate Resolution through Lincoln Financial Group – LifeKeys services from Lincoln Financial Group provides you with access to will preparation with EstateGuidance, GuidanceResources online access to information and “Ask The Expert” for a wide range of topics including legal, financial, family, career, and identity theft resources. • Mental Health Support through HealthJoy - Through HealthJoy’s mobile app, you can connect with a licensed therapist or psychiatrist to listen and help you find solutions. Services are available via phone or video, day or night, from the comfort of your home. Services are 100% confidential and subject to a copay. • Mental Health Coverage Under Crest Foods Medical Plan – The Crest Foods medical plan offers mental health support, behavioral health, and substance abuse services both inpatient and outpatient. The medical plan deductible/coinsurance/out of pocket maximum do apply for the tier in which your provider falls under. Lean on your support system during these times. This could be your family, friends, coworkers, manager, a neighbor, or any of the great resources Crest Foods has available for you and your dependents to help you cope through your feelings and any of life’s situations. Open communication and staying connected is key. How will you be celebrating Mental Health Month? I challenge you to take a few minutes each day for yourself. Whether it’s a 5 minute walk around the block, exercise, performing a random act of kindness, or even taking a break from news, emails and social media. Do something for YOU, do something that will make YOU feel good, do something that will give YOU value! If you have any questions or would like additional information on any of the resources available to you and your dependents through Crest Foods please reach out to Savannah Fagan and I.
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Expo West by Ryan Crouch, Consumer Products Sales
In early March I was able to travel out to Anaheim, CA to attend the Natural Products Expo West. With over 3,000 exhibitors spaced through 5 Halls, consisting of over 600,000 sqft Expo West is well known for being one of the largest shows companies can display new, innovative products that specifically target the “better for you market”. There were a several goals in attending the show; first was to look for potential new companies to work with, I also wanted to meet in person with companies we have been working with over the last year or so and finally I wanted to explore what is new and trending in the food industry.
I feel my goals in attending were met and then some. After returning back to Ashton, I almost immediately started having conversations with companies I met at the show, I also had the chance to meet in person for the first time several people I had only worked with virtually and I definitely saw many innovative new products. The number and types of plant based products being shown was staggering. There were also many companies showing some very interesting varieties of ice cream. This was the first time I or anyone from Crest has attended Expo West and following the experience, we are already planning to attend the Natural Products Expo East Expo this fall in Phila- delphia.
The Lost Art of Making a Phone Call by Al Duthie, Tech Service
In today’s world, both with business and personal, it appears most everyone wants to use any long distance commu- nication method which avoids having to make an actual person to person phone call. Why? Well, if you make a “live” call you will have to have an actual conversation with another person, on the spot. And that’s becoming a more and more rare situation for most people. Those of us who grew up with being forced to use a landline telephone (dare I say a rotary dial phone) do know how to appropriately talk on a phone call. However, even our older generation has significantly changed its ways in terms of communicating with our smartphone tools of texting, e-mailing, videos, etc. Often, these contact meth- ods end-up being the best ways to successfully contact someone. It is a 2 way street. We all fall into the “trap” of convenience having a smartphone in our hands. Older people raised with phone calls who get out of the normal practice of phone conversations may even develop phone “anxiety”, like many younger people seem to have. I can think of reasons why telephone calls are better than other communication methods. One reason is clarity with a concept of idea. For example, instead of having to send multiple texts or e-mails to explain something to some one, pick-up the phone and call. A second reason is the immediate back and forth interaction, where there can be timely questions asked and answers given. A third reason is that a phone call can be much more efficient and pro- ductive, especially for more business-related items, and this provides more impact with the encounter. I would make this case; why not set yourself apart from others and use the phone call to your advantage. This no doubt applies to business/work calls, but also with personal calls. Of course, the biggest challenge to this premise is that the per- son you call must answer the phone call! But that can happen, perhaps more oftern than you think. Try it! See what happens.
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2023 Charity Madness by Kristina McWethy
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly heard of March Madness. Even those who don’t follow basketball suddenly become entranced by the allure of the NCAA bracket. Who will come out on top? Will there be an upset by an underdog? How far will you make it before your bracket is busted? These are the questions asked every year when the competition rolls around.
At Crest Foods, we love March Madness too! In fact, we love it so much that we’ve added our own little twist. Here’s how it works: We randomly assign 64 customer teams to a slot on the bracket, and on Selection Sunday they learn which NCAA team to cheer for throughout the competition. For each final four team, Crest Foods makes a monetary donation to the customer’s charity of choice in their honor. The top team earned a $1,500 donation, second place got $1,000 and third and fourth each received $500. We also draw a wild card winner from the remain- ing teams for a $500 donation. We put our money where our mouth is, and it’s all for charity! Unlike ordinary contest bracket, we want to make sure everyone wins. In addition to the 5 big winning donations, every individual participant receives a gift code to DonorsChoose.org, allowing them to make a $10 donation to a help fund public school project of their choice. This year, $2,970 in DonorsChoose gift codes have been used for a wide variety of projects, from funding classroom incubators to hatch baby chicks and ducks, to countertop ovens to teach cooking skills, to math games, to interactive and decodable books, and so much more! In total, Crest Foods was able to donate $6,970 this year to the charities and public school projects that mean the most to our customers! Check out the big winners below! Happy Tails Humane Society happytailsanimalshelter.org Happy Tails is a limited-intake, no-kill facility that shelters and cares for stray and abandoned dogs and cats until they are adopted into loving, permanent homes. National Kidney Foundation of Illinois nkfi.org The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois works closely with community leaders, healthcare professionals, and civic-minded corporate partners to improve the lives of patients and families affected by kidney disease. The or- ganization provides patient access to resources and information, hosts numerous educational events, supports in- novative research, advocates for improvements in healthcare policy, and provides free kidney health screenings all across the state of Illinois. Northern Illinois Food Bank solvehungertoday.org Northern Illinois Food Bank focuses on delivering food and healthy eating services to the Northern Illinois com- munity. As part of the national Feeding America network, they serve 13 counties by providing 250,000 meals per day Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation gadyf.com The mission of the Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation (GDYF) is to develop and provide broad-based financial sup- port to enhance and expand Georgia Dairy Youth Programs conducted via state, district, county, national and local activities. *Note: At the time of publishing, one customer was in the process of selecting a charity so it was unable to be listed above.
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Employee Birthdays
January
Day
DOMINGO MANCILLA ALIYAH STINNETT TERRANCE JONES ERIKA WHALEN ROMEO ATANASIO TOMMY BALCH JENNIFER LOOMIS MATTHEW RICHARDSON AMANDA BAKER CASEY JONES LINDSEY BEASLEY TANYA MILLAN LONNY BRIGGS SALENA STERLING WILLIAM HUSSEY VLADYSLAV VITOMSKOV ANDREW MC CANNON ROBERT PITTMAN TERESA SMITH
2 5 6 7 7 8 8 8
ANN WEGE
10 10 11 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 17 18 18 20 20 20 20 22 23 23 24 25 25 26
EARVIN STURGES JEFFERY FRIDAY JAMES KETTLEY
BERNARD IWEMA RANDALL BERGMAN VERONICA AVOLIO HEATHER THOMASSON JUSTIN GUENTHER SHELLEY SCHOPP DARRELL ELLIOTT KAMERON PRETZSCH STEVEN MEINERS AMANDA MCCLAIN WALTER WILLSTEAD SHANYA KOEHLER EUSEBIO MARQUEZ CONSUELO NAMBO NATHAN SCHUBERT MARK SMITH KENNETH HELFRICH THOMAS VOGELER KENNETH GAPINSKI JAIME SCHAFER ROBERT VANRADEN MARTHA HOLDER ROBERT KNIGHT LAMAR ROCHA WILLIAM STROHL ALFONZO ALVARADO KELSIE WHITE JENNIFER MEIERHOFF NATHAN POND JACOB MC KNIGHT DANIELLE SCHMITTO MARIA HERRERA JOHN LOOMIS
1 1 1 2 3 4 6 6 7 7 8 9
MAGDALENA GARCIA OLESIA AVRAMENKO MARY MC WETHY DUSTIN KOCH GLENN WHITE STEVEN STARKE RUSSELL NOYES KIMBERLY YOUNGE EMILY SMITH CRYSTAL WHITE DEBRA WORLEY JOSHUA ASBURY CALVIN BENNETT MICHAEL BOATWRIGHT JOHN DERR
11 11 12 12 14 15 16 17 17 18 18 18 20 23 23 24 25 26 26 26 27 28 28 28
10 10 11 12 12 13 14 15 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 31 31
PEYTON BROWN
BEN KINN
JAMES RUCH
JAMIE COOPER PENNY ELLIS JORGE RAMIREZ
KATRINA BEROGAN
JADE CLIFTON EVAN KNACK AARON YOCUM JAMES LONG
MATHEW REYNOLDS MARTIN VAN BEEK VIRGINIA SANCHEZ ALANNA THOMAS SAMUEL FEARING PAMELA KELLEY ANDREA HESS JONATHAN BAKENER RANDALL CALVERT
LORI SHINABARGER REED HICKEY MARIA MAGANA TAMMY WILLIAMS DANIEL ESTRELLA
JOE BUCKNER
LINDA BEETS 26 BARTLOMIEJ BARDZINSKI 27 BENJAMIN HENRIKSON 27 KATHERINE HENRIKSON 27 EDWARD BAYLOR 28 DAVID BUSHMAN 28 DEVON CANADA 29 VALERIE SMITH 30 KYLE LAWRENCE 31
March
Day
MARK POWERS LISA O’CONNOR
TARA LIFKA
2 2 3 3 8 8 9
THOMAS BEAUCHAMP
LILJANA REFATLLARI JANET SUTTON JAKE WARREN APRIL COVER JEAN ARMSTRONG
February
Day
JEFFREY KARAS RANDEL SHANKEL
1 1
MARIA ESCATEL
18 Crest Ink January, February & March 2023
Employment Anniversaries
January
Day Years
JORDON SMITH CORY MORRIS ERIC DROEGE
24 24
5 4
PAMELA KELLEY JAMES NALLEY SUSAN LARSON
1 3 3 4
46 28 28 24
25 16 25 13
March
Day Years
NATHAN SCHUBERT TRUDY WHALEN MARIA MAGANA
JAMES SMITH
1 13 6 34 7 18
25 27
1 8
JOSEPH MARONDE
DAVID BRANSCUM LISA O’CONNOR CHERYL KEMP JANNA MAHAFFEY
SAMANTHA ZELLERS 4 JARED STUMPENHORST 5
1
JAMIE COOPER JOSEPH GOMEZ
29 16 31 19
19
8 9
1
JEFFREY KARAS HOLLY GLEISSNER DAN STUMPENHORST RANDEL SHANKEL JACKIE FRANSEN REBECCA SCHULTZ
6 9 9
9
1 ROBERT SCHWABENLAND 9 14 SHERRY JOOS 12 16 JOSHUA PETERSON 12 16 LINDA HOLLEWELL 13 17 RANCE BARDO 14 7 HANNAH DERKSEN 14 7 JOHN THOMPSON 14 1 JOSEPH LOOMIS 15 30 GARETT MEINERS 15 19 MARTHA HOLDER 16 14 MAGDALENA GARCIA 16 14 RYAN BURGER 17 9 MATHEW REYNOLDS 18 4 JOHN LEFFELMAN 18 4 YOLANDA FUENTES 18 4 RANDALL CALVERT 18 4 ROMEO ATANASIO 19 11 TRAVIS CAMPBELL 19 5 RUSSELL NOYES 19 5 EARVIN STURGES 21 1 BRIAN DVORAK 23 35 GERALD GIBSON 23 31 RICKY HILLEMAN 25 21 DELORA NALLEY 26 39 KELLY STEVENS 26 39 SHAD HEWITT 26 22 SERVANDO CADENAS 28 15 MICHAEL BOATWRIGHT 28 12
11
February
Day Years
4 1 2 3 3 3 3
ZYGMUNT CICHOSZ DARREON SHUCK CRAIG FRIDAY EVAN KNACK JOSHUA HOWARD PHILIP BLYTHE REGINA BONNELL LONNY BRIGGS
1 2 3 3 8 9
16
10 11 12 12 13 13
1
31
3 2 8 2
JAMES CURRY JAMIE BOCK JAIME SCHAFER JAKE WARREN LORI TALLEY
13 26
10
11 10
14 32
KYLE O’DELL 12 16 JACQUELINE FURMAN 13 11 MATTHEW HOELZER 14 1 KYLE LAWRENCE 15 23 JASON BREEDEN 15 2 JESUS CASTILLO 15 5 ANA BUTCHER 15 2 SANJUANA HERNANDEZ 15 2 MILTON WILCOX 15 2 ANNE CASTRO 15 2 STEVEN SMAIL 16 8 BRIANA STOMBERG 16 8 SARAH CLEMONS 16 8 DEVON CANADA 16 1 JACOB BERGNER 17 3 WILLIAM STROHL 17 3 NICHOLAS STERLING 18 4 SUSAN BURKE 18 1 RONALD COIL 19 5 LAURA HUBER 19 5 LAURA MARES 21 29 STEPHEN OSBORNE 22 13 KYLE HASSLER 24 31 MARTIN VEGA 25 15 CARYNN HOWELL 26 5
WILLIAM HUSSEY 14 15 DELNORA MARTINEZ 14 15 AMANDA BAKER 14 4 BEVAN CLARK 14 4 CHRIS BUHLER 14 4 HANNAH HODGES 14 4 KENNETH GAPINSKI 15 5 CASEY WARD 16 11 RACHEL SALTZ 16 6 CHRISTIAN MALTBEY 17 1 STACIE VOGELER 17 1 DARRELL ELLIOTT 18 7 CARMEN LOPEZ 18 7 STEVEN HILLMAN 18 7 JUSTIN TAYLOR 18 2 SAMUEL FEARING 18 2 PAYTON SIPES 18 2 CATHERINE LARSON 19 8 ROGER WOLBER 20 31 JAMES SHUCK 22 27 HOLLY ADAMS 22 16 MARIA HERRERA 23 17 MARIA HERNANDEZ 23 17 JOHN MONT 24 18
January, February & March 2023 Crest Ink 19
Buying a House & Down Payment It is spring, the perfect time to start thinking about buying a house! But where and how do you start this journey? Often people want to begin with going to open houses, or looking online for the “perfect home”. This could be dangerous as the home you fall in love with may not fit into your budget. There are many things to think about be- fore you look at houses. The better way to start is with your loan officer and taking a look at your house buying capabilities. You will want to make sure your credit is looking good, that you know what you can afford, as well as what you will use and how much you need for a down payment. Let’s talk about down payment options that you may be able to use to purchase your home and how much you may need to put down. Some easy options for down payment funds are: Funds in a checking or savings account. This should be money you have been setting aside. You will have to provide at least two bank statements showing the balance. If there are any large deposits you will need to explain and prove where these originated from. Your income tax refund. This would be a great way to invest your tax refund. You will need to give your lender a copy of your tax return and proof the funds are in your account from the IRS. Stocks, Mutual Funds. Again, a nice option. The lender will need your last two monthly statements to show the funds are in the account. Remember the value is always changing. A gift from a close family member. If you have a family member that is able to and would like to give you a gift for down payment this is often an option you can use. There are a few very strict rules. Talk to your lender to find out what they will require. A Grant. Depending on your income, the loan program you choose and sometimes where the home is located, you may be eligible for a grant from an organization or government entity. Each grant program has its own guidelines. Some loan programs may not allow specific grants. Ask your lender for details of any grants they may offer. Borrowing or taking a distribution from your 401k. This may be an option for some. Check with your employ- er first to see if they will allow an early distribution or loan from the plan. If so, find out if there will be any income tax consequences that may cause you a hardship.
When considering how much to put down, talk to your lender. There are many options, and different programs that will allow you to put down less than 20%. Your lender will be able to give you op- tions and guide you to the perfect amount and way to fund your new home. Member FDIC & Equal Housing Lender
20 Crest Ink January, February & March 2023
Crest Culture: Have Some Fun
January, February & March 2023 Crest Ink 21
Crest Culture: Have Some Fun
22 Crest Ink January, February & March 2023
A publication of Crest Foods Co., Inc. PO Box 371 • Ashton, IL 61006 • Phone: (815) 453-7411 • Fax: (815) 453-2646 Jeff Meiners, President • Steve Meiners, V.P. Corporate SalesMike Meiners, V.P. General Mgr Contract Mfg. Savannah Fagan, Erika Whalen, Jeff Meiners, Kristina McWethy, Gaven Meiners: Editors Copyright 2023
January, February & March 2023 Crest Ink 23
CREST FOODS., INC.
ASHTON, IL 61006
PO Box 371
815-453-7411
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Crest Foods Year-End Celebration Wednesday, August 9 @ the Main Plant
24 Crest Ink January, February & March 2023
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