What’s Inside: Maag Americas Message from VP Featured Team – Die Plates New Video – New MAAG Group Trailer Employee Appreciation Sales Meeting Recognition Service Anniversaries Safety Message New Hires Employee Hobby Employee Interests
October 2023 Newsletter MAAGAZIN
Dear MAAG Americas Team:
It was a real pleasure meeting all of you during the past weeks. I thank you very much for the kind reception and good feedback you have provided me. We have great teams here in the Americas. And, as many of you have discussed with me during our meetings, we have several priorities to work on in the months to come. The highest priority for me is communication! This includes working on communication within our own Americas organization, the communication with our sister companies (especially in Europe), as well as the communication from our management team to all of you. We will drive personal exchanges and increase opportunities for you to visit and learn from our other locations in the US. You will also see a higher presence of the management team in all the locations as we start rotating our meetings. Please do take the opportunities when we are at your location to talk and engage with us. It is important that we receive first-hand information about what we are doing right and what you think we should be doing better, together. I am very much looking forward to talking with you individually when I visit the locations in the future! For now, it is back to work – and there is a lot to do!!!
All the best, Paul Merich
VP / GM Maag Americas
One Maag America – Together, as a team, we can accomplish more Maag Gala – Die Plates
Die Plates are an essential part of an underwater pelletizer. It is a point where polymer strands exit the die face and are cut by the cutter knives under water and form pellets. Gala Industries, now MAAG Gala Inc., began Die Plates production in 1977 together with designing and manufacturing the very first Gala pelletizer – Model 8. The name of a Die Plate matches the name of a pelletizer where it is implemented, therefore the first Die Plate was Model 8. Gala first Die Plate was sold to Weyerhaeuser.
Model 8
During the first years of Die Plates production, Gala saw very few orders – less than 10 orders in a year. Now, with the purchase and installation of Doosan machine, the yearly manufacturing volume is expected to be about 2,400 new Dies, 400 resurfaced, and 300 in maintenance, totaling more than 3,000 Dies in a year! Our biggest Die Plates customers since the beginning of 2022 are Shaw Industries, Modern Dispersions, and Equistar Chemicals. MAAG Gala Die Plates are sold both domestically and internationally, with approximately 50% being international sales!
After the purchase of AMN, the large die plates production company in Normandy, France, the range of MAAG Die Plates now extends from the small ones, with only 50 mm of die face diameter to the massive ones, 1350 mm in diameter. Gala team stays in close contact with AMN team, exchanging ideas and experience.
With AMN, MAAG Die Plates Team got bigger. Now Die Plates team consists of Gala Die Plate Engineering, Die Plate Manufacturing, and Die Plate Sales Teams! Thank you to all MAAG employees who contributes to MAAG Die Plate business growth and development!
AMN Die Plate
New Video
New MAAG Group Trailer
October Raffle Winners Kent: Bryce Laughlin and Scott Turner EGR: Ria Jordan and Steve Aaron Remote: Isaiah Dunifer and Dan Smith
Congrats to our winners! Tickets for November are Purple Good luck to everyone!
Sales Meeting
MAAG Gala hosted a Sales Meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday of October 9 th and 10 th . This is a quarterly event that MAAG will hold for the outside sales team in order to improve communication, exchange ideas, get updates on industry current trends, and discuss strategies.
Thank you to all the participants and those who helped!
October Anniversaries
Department
Location
Name
Yrs. Of Service
George Vince
18
Manuf. & Operations
Kent OH
Jayson Foss
15
Manuf. & Operations
Kent OH
Robert Torgersen
7
Manuf. & Operations
Eagle Rock
Donna Dyer
7
Manuf.& Operations
Eagle Rock
Lloyd Sharp
8
Sales & Marketing
Charlotte
Jeffrey Willett
5
Manuf. & Operations
Eagle Rock
October Anniversaries
Department
Location
Name
Yrs. Of Service
Kevin Bell
4
Manuf. & Operations
Eagle Rock
Patricia Baswell
2
Manuf. & Operation
Kent OH
Jacob Garrison
2
Manuf. & Operations
Eagle Rock
Daniel Dillow
2
Manuf. & Operations
Eagle Rock
Jarod Hix
1
Manuf. & Operations
Eagle Rock
Safety First Document
MAAG New Hires
Paul Merich VP/GM Maag Americas
Farewell We wish the following people who left in March the best of luck in their future endeavors: Kent: Trevor Penick, Don Ellenberger Eagle Rock: John Agbo, Daniel Hunt, Tom Argentin
Hobbies Traveling and Experiencing Other Cultures
Meet Bob Bolger, Strategic Sourcing Manager in Eagle Rock, VA. Bob’s passion for travel was apparent when we first met Bob as he shared stories about his extensive travels, both personally and professionally. It all started with an unexpected experience during his first full-time job with AT&T. One day Bob was given the important task of hand-delivering a crucial package that FedEx was unable to deliver through regular means. Bob informed his manager that he would undertake the task himself. Bob then traveled to Florida over the weekend and delivered the package to the Vice President in person. This opportunity also gave him time to visit Disney World where he enjoyed the Space Mountain ride. This experience sparked Bob’s lifetime passion for travel. Bob, along with his wife and family, love to explore different countries and cultures. Exploring unique architecture and marveling at the historical significance are an amazing part of his journeys. For example, during his trip to Beijing, he stood on the Forbidden City Road where the emperor of Beijing was once carried down. Bob was awestruck by the durability of the structures that characterized the architecture there. Bob also formed long-term friendships with many people he met on his travels, including a supplier/now friend in China who made Bob an “uncle” to his newborn daughter. Bob is also a foodie who loves to try new restaurants while traveling. He particularly enjoys ordering hot pot, which is a flavorful broth traditionally served in a large metal pot that simmers throughout the meal. He enjoyed it so much that he brought this experience back home to share with family and friends. Bob stated he has tried some unusual foods, such as rattlesnake brain (which he found to be quite chewy but made a good broth). He also was presented chilled monkey brains (just like the scene from the Indiana Jones movie). Despite finding the monkey brain experience unsettling, Bob ate two bites following his translator's explanation that refusing such a delicacy would dishonor the culture of the people he was visiting. Such experiences have left lifelong memories of which Bob and his family enjoy adding to as often as possible.
Employee Interests
Favorite Recipe Chicken Gnocchi Soup This is a Nester family favorite to welcome Fall! Ingredients: 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 large yellow onion 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 ½ cup if prefer to use pre-shredded carrots) ¼ c. all-purpose flour 6 cups chicken broth 1 ½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces 1 tsp. chopped, fresh thyme ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. black pepper 1 lb. dried gnocchi 1 5-oz container baby spinach, roughly chopped 1 c. half-and-half 2 celery stalks, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped Directions: 1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. 10-12 minutes, adding the garlic during the last minute. 2. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until evenly combined and vegetables are well coated, about 1 minute. Gradually stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, thyme, sale, and pepper, and return to a simmer over medium. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. 3. Stir in the gnocchi and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and half-and-half. Cook, stirring occasionally, until well combined and spinach is tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Best Friends
Meet Bo Miles (Field Service Technician) and his wonderful pup, Oakley. She loves traveling, going to NHRA races, and playing with their chickens!
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