Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 127, Number 1, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 1 January 2004 — Page 7

Three Nappanee companies are making a point

Gulf Stream Coach, Inc., Sea Hawk Recreational Vehicles, Inc. and Fairmont Homes, Inc., all of Nappanee, continue to excel in their industries at what they build. And we are not just talking about their products. We are talking about their number one asset - their people. More than 1,600 employees of the three companies have participated in training programs at work to help them better meet the needs of the companies’ customers. As a part of their classroom and on-the-job training, they receive recognition from both the state of Indiana and from Vincennes University. “Without good people, we could not hope to meet the expectations of our customers. As a Lean Manufacturing organization, the value our customers place on what we put into our products is critical to us.” said Brian Shea, President of Gulf Stream - Motorized Division. Shea also commented on the efforts of the company to uSe training as a core principle to their efforts in becoming a Lean Manufacturer. “It takes time to become a learning organization,” Shea said. “We have been pursuing our vision for continuous improvement since the mid 1990’5. Education and training are an, important part of preparing our people to do their work. It is also an important part of providing opportunities. for our employees to experience personal and professional growth.” .

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„ , _„ , PHOTO PROVIDED Kyle and Kaitlyn Verhaeghe with their brother and sister, Klay and Keisey, stand with their awardwinning sheep at the 2003 North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) in Louisville Kent. They are the children of Jeff and Dana Verhaeghe of Argos

Siblings honored at NAILE Verhaeghe's win Junior Showmanship awards

ARGOS Kaitlyn and Kyle Verhaeghe of Argos exhibited sheep at the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE). Kaitlyn won Junior Showmanship honors of the Dorset breed and Kyle won Junior Showmanship in the Natural Color

Staying infomed doesn’t have to be a part-due fob. I have a full-time job ...I’m the shuttle service for \‘Jf my soccer-playing, tap-dancing kids... I have a wife, jjj ’ Jjt^ parents and a dog. How do I stay informed? Like I\ ,• *||S everybody else, as best I can. ; jIHK JEJf Why do I take time to read the public notices in the newspaper? Simple - they tell me what I need to knp? ~ Like the township is abandoning the alley behind my house so somebody can build an office. Or the time my neighbor asked for a permit to build a garage that [ would’ve gone six feet over our property line. Public Notices i . ’ j Mfll l lh norm noucmg

On Dec. 11, Gulf Stream, Sea Hawk, and Fairmont Homes recognized more than 1,600 employees for their efforts and hard work. Vincennes University, a Community College of Indiana partner and Indiana’s first college, presented certificates to these employees. The certificates were presented to employees that have participated in the programs of their companies’ corporate universities, in conjunction with Vincennes University. Each employee recognized had earned at least six college credits in the last year related to Advanced Manufacturing, Employee Involvement and Documentation, and/or the Improvement Process of their company. Additionally, the efforts of these employees have also resulted in their being awarded Certificates of Technical Achievement in Advanced Manufacturing from the State of Indiana. Some of the employees are going on towards earning a degree. This year, approximately 40 employees have participated in evening classes in general education. These classes are a part of the requirement to earn an A.A.S. Degree from Vincennes University. Another 12 students are pursuing a four-year degree in Organizational Management from Bethel College by attending evening classes one night each week. And still other students are taking advantage of the GED program offered by their company. And

Breed. NAILE is the largest sheep show in America with exhibitors from all over the United States and Canada with an estimated economic impact of $15.2 million (University of Louisville 1997 Economic Impact Study).

Community

all of these programs are delivered on-site by their respective providers. So, what does the company get out of this? “We see the need for our employees to be involved in a program that allows them to continue to develop,” said Dan Shea, President of Gulf Stream - Towables. “We ask our people to be involved in continuous improvement. We ask them to provide a standardized, reliable output that makes our customers happy. It seems obvious to us that our employees need to have the confidence that we will provide them with standardized inputs to make that happen. That means not only do we need to seek out the best quality of components to go into our product, we need for the training our people receive to be standardized as well. It is just one more part of the bigger picture of being a Lean Manufacturing organization in pursuit of World Class status.” And pursue it they are. All three companies continue to increase in market share in 2003. And this came during a year that had many challenges within the economy. “This year the economy has presented all businesses with challenges,” said Jim Shea, CEO of Fairmont Homes. Jim Shea commented on their approach to 2003 and the future. '‘We rely on our people to make the difference for us. It is only through the collective intelligence of

NAILE is held annually in Louisville, Kent, with approximately 225,000 visitors attending the exposition each year. On the web: www.livestockexpo.org

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PHOTO PROVIDED On Dec. 11, Gulf Stream, Sea Hawk and Fairmont Homes recognized more than 1,600 employees for their efforts and hard work. Vincennes University, a Community College of Indiana partner and Indiana's first college, presented certificates to these employees.

our organizations that we are able to maintain and advance our position in the marketplace. Our people truly are our greatest asset. In all we do, we try to demonstrate our commitment to being a World Class organization. Our training programs, just like everything else we do, take signifi-

Omnibus appropriations bill to indude Amish labor provision

MEASURE WILL PROTECT APPRETTCHESHIPS IN WOODWORKING WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Rep. Mark Souder praised HouseSenate conferees today for including a provision protecting Amish “learning by doing” in the conference report to H.R. 2673, the Fiscal Year 2004 Omnibus Appropriations bill. Section 108-originally introduced independently as H.R. 1943 and cosponsored by Souder-would allow Amish teenagers to train in certain positions in wood-working shops. The conference report to the Omnibus Appropriations bill is scheduled for a vote in the House on Dec. 8.

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Advance News • Thursday. January 1, 2004 •

cant effort and commitment to time and resources. But the days of pushing products out the door without regard for customer perceived value are over. At least, they are for us. We want to be known for providing the best value for our customers, whether that be a manufactured home, a mod-

Traditionally, Amish youth have worked in agriculture, where they are exempted from child labor laws. The declining opportunity to farm (in part, because of increased land values) has pushed them into other crafts, primarily wood-working. As a result, Amish youth work as supplemental employees in woodworking plants. The U.S. Department of Labor, however, has fined Amish families whose children work in their wood-working businesses. On Oct. 8, Souder testified in support of H.R. 1943 before the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. “I am pleased that the Omnibus Appropriations bill will help protect the rights of this religious minority,” Souder said. “Government bureaucracy was threatening a crucial aspect of how Amish raise their children. I worked for passage of this measure because it will allow

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ular home, a motorized or towable recreational vehicle. That is our commitment to our customers, and the point we want to make." Based on the response from the marketplace, it looks like they are getting their point across.

the Amish to preserve their culturally- and religiously-based Team by doing 1 apprenticeships. With increased regulations moving west from Pennsylvania, it was going to be hard for the old order Amish to survive in Indiana without additional protections.” Section 108 of the conference report to H.R. 2673 amends the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act to allow Amish youth to continue working under certain conditions in businesses where machinery is used to process wood products. The bill requires the individual to be supervised by an adult and prohibits the individual from operating or assisting in the operation of any powerdriven woodworking machines. The measure also requires that the individual be protected from flying debris or wood panicles and from excessive levels of noise and sawdust.

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