In an effort to expand our market presence, Osborne Wood Products, Inc. looks to increase our physical presence in Canada through trade expos and our first international showroom. “Canada has always been a market for us, though we have been long awaiting an opportunity such as this, to display physical products to a truly international audience,” stated Christian Smedberg, Director of Marketing here at Osborne.
Company CEO Leon Osborne attended the Woodworking Machinery and Supply Expo in Toronto on September 24th and 26th. While he attended primarily in an effort to promote our new international showroom, he was also there to lend support and service at the Woodworking Components Manufacturer’s Association (WCMA) booth. As members of the WCMA in good standing, we have enjoyed their support in many ways, and Mr. Osborne was excited for the opportunity to be of service at their booth. A sampling of Osborne products was on display at the WCMA booth, along with our most current catalog and our new CAD Catalog 4.2.
In addition to meeting new people and making connections with potential customers in the Canadian Market, Mr. Osborne learned much about that market. For instance, he was surprised to l earn that, unlike our own market, the Canadian market is strengthening - with a housing industry that is growing in the double digits. He also learned a great deal about specific ways in which our company can contribute to designers and cabinet makers alike.
Mr. Osborne indicated that he was very satisfied with the trip, overall; stating, “It certainly was a pleasure making friends in Canada, and learning how we can be a source of strength in this demanding market.”
In addition to a presence at the WMS Expo, we will also have a more permanent display in the Toronto Design Center, Designers Walk. Our showroom within Designers Walk should be completed by mid-November.
Designers Walk (www.designerswalk.com) is located in Toronto and provides design professionals an opportunity to view, specify, and purchase exquisite products from suppliers throughout North America. Open to the public, this design center displays appliances, lighting, flooring, paint, tile, and much more - all under one roof.
We will exhibit a full line of cabinet legs, corbels, decorative carvings, as well as other various cabinet components - including our new carved Ionic Column. At Osborne Wood Products, we have been providing quality cabinet and furniture components to the trade for over three decades, and while much of their appeal has been to manufacturers, we are now providing tools and venues for designers, such as this new showroom in Designers Walk.
At Osborne Wood Products, we are excited about the opportunity we have to inspire those around us to make changes for the better. Featuring the information that we have on Lean Manufacturing and on eco-friendly ways of doing business, we are certain that many of you have seen how being “lean” and being “green” can go hand in hand. Today’s post is no exception. We recently decided to do an energy audit, in the interest of Lean Manufacturing, but have realized its implications for helping us to be a greener business, too!
This week we had Bob Hitch come and do an energy audit for us. Hitch is the Project Manager for Energy and Environmental Services at Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute. He came out to the plant and took a good look at the way we operate, analyzing data, and making observations. While some of that data is still being transformed into usable reports, we have already been able to draw several action points from the audit. Although one of the end goals of an energy audit is a smaller energy bill, the actual measuring rod - so to speak- is kilowatt usage per hour (kwh), so what we are looking for is an overall reduction in kwh from month to month.
We were able to discern the three biggest energy-users in our plant, which is integral to determining how to decrease energy consumption without hindering productivity. In our plant, the Big Three were our dust collection system, the production equipment, and the air conditioning system (during cooling months).
Here are some of the action points derived from that data:
1) The dust collection system has a maximum capacity of 45,000 cubic feet per minute of air removal, but not all of the intakes on the system are constantly in use. We are looking at the possibility of gating the intakes and cycling down the motor using a variable speed drive in order to consume less energy.
2) We are already using High Efficiency T5 (energy reducing) lighting in the offices, and we are currently looking at implementing the use of this same lighting in the shop.
3) We are looking at what the optimal temperature is for each area of the plant (office, warehouse, production floor) to keep the workload on the AC/Heating system as low as possible, while still ensuring a) optimal temperature for working and storing of wood products, and b) comfort of employees.
The data collected from this audit is turned into charts and graphs, giving us easily read sources to compare the usage against in the coming months.
These changes do more than just save money and streamline our processes. They enable us to use less energy, reducing our carbon-footprint even more. This is a great example of how Lean and Green go hand in hand. Waste not, want not, as the old adage goes. Energy Audits and subsequent practical analysis helps you to “waste not” your monetary resources and the resources this planet has to offer!
As you have been browsing the website, some of you may have noticed that our list of wood types has changed. The wood types are now broken down into groups. The “Traditional” and “Premium” selections are relatively easy to discern: Traditional includes both commonly used woods and paint grade woods, where the Premium includes the rare wood types and also higher quality stain grade woods. The third category that is available for select products, though, might not be as instantly recognizable: FSC Certified.
For some of our customers, FSC Certified lumber is something long requested, but we realize that many of you may not be as familiar with exactly what FSC Certification is. What does it tell you about the product?
FSC, first of all, stands for the Forestry Stewardship Council. It is a non-profit group whose purpose is to promote and encourage responsible management of the world’s forests. Primarily, the purpose of the organization centered around certifying producers of lumber, and these types of certification are often referred to as F.M. (Forestry Management). However, the FSC also has a chain of custody (COC) certification, to ensure the high standards that the FSC puts forth are followed all the way down the line to its sale to an end user. Basically, at every step along the way a company or handler of products must show that they are meeting these standards, or they are not allowed to use the FSC name or logo. This prevents the use and promotion of products as “FSC Certified,” unless at every point on the chain, these requirements are met. If even one handler of goods along the chain is not FSC certified, then the end-product is not, either.
The FSC does not actually issue certification itself. Instead, the FSC has accredited certain third party groups to do inspections and issue certification. This allows the FSC to keep its independent status. There are four groups in the US which may issue certification, and the list of requirements is quite specific:
* Documentation of all the suppliers of lumber being certified are
themselves FSC certified.
* On-site inspection in which it is clear that anything FSC
certified is kept distinct from all products that are not, where
the two would not be accidentally mixed up.
* Additional documentation is required that shows any person
handling FSC certified products has been thoroughly trained in FSC
processes and procedures.
* All of the procedures for handling FSC
certified products must be thoroughly documented in the form of a
manual.
* Annual audits are performed to ensure that these
procedures are being consistently followed.
These criteria, though stringent, prevent what is commonly referred to as “greenwashing,” or exaggerated claims of “green” or “eco-friendly” products which are not backed by any evidence. As a sense of responsibility for how we treat the planet has grown, marketing groups have of course caught on and tried to “angle” things to appeal to that audience. FSC Certification prevents this “angling,” by ensuring that nothing can be called “FSC Certified” unless it meets every one of their requirements, and has met those requirements at every step in the journey from raw material to finished product.
So, when you order products from Osborne Wood Products in an FSC Certified wood type, you can know that you are ordering wood that - from the moment it stood in the forest to the moment it is shipped from our facility - has been harvested, milled, and assembled in ways that promote reforestation and responsible forest stewardship, and are generally eco-friendly.
Osborne Wood Products, Inc. is pleased and proud to be able to offer options to our customers; enabling them to choose products with ecological responsibility in mind.
At Osborne Wood Products, we are always looking for ways to get involved with the local community. Whether it is through mentoring in the local school system or helping Boy Scouts with their projects, we make it a priority to be a visible force in the community. Recently, Osborne Wood Products has become aware of a new way to engage the local community, in realizing the importance of the Georgia Work Ready Test.
In 2006, the State of Georgia launched the Georgia Work Ready Program. The State of Georgia began offering the Work Ready Test as a way to certify job seekers, and let potential employers know that GA residents are certified to work. The test is a state-funded skills assessment. It tests four basic areas: reading, applied mathematics, locating information, and skills assessment. It is designed to help unemployment rates drop all across the state, by engaging the local community to rally around those who are either unemployed or looking for a new challenge in the job market; enabling them to accomplish their goals. The test, while lengthy, is not difficult. The test is free, the results are immediate, and – once an individual is certified – the certification lasts for 5 years.
Communities who aggressively implement the Georgia Work Ready test commit to dropping unemployment rates, increasing high school graduation rates, and meeting GA Work Ready Community goals; all for the purpose of increasing economic growth and prosperity.
Companies all across the state are realizing the vast benefits of the Georgia Work Ready Test. These benefits include, but are certainly not limited to, community involvement; great resume enhancer for job seekers; employers can easily see that, regardless of education level, job seekers who are GA Work Ready certified are more prepared. In addition, the GA Work Ready advertises that:
“Companies implementing Work Ready make an investment of their employees’ time to develop strong job profiles. This initial investment can reap great rewards for years to come including:
· Improved hiring procedures
· Reduced turnover
· Reduced training costs
· Increased productivity and profitability
· High employee morale”
After realizing the benefits of the Georgia Work Ready Test, we now require the Georgia Work Ready Test as part of the Osborne Wood Products, Inc. job application process. Any potential employees of Osborne Wood must now bring their Georgia Work Ready Test scores along with their completed application.
As the newest Osborne employee, I can speak from experience about the test. Prior to applying to Osborne Wood Products, I had never heard of Georgia Work Ready. After taking the test, and then doing further research, I am a huge fan of the Georgia Work Ready Test! Georgia Work Ready is an easy and proactive way to say, “I have taken the initiative!” That is something that speaks volumes to employers. I firmly believe that anything an individual can do to better his or herself for the job market should be done. The Georgia Work Ready Test enables individuals to do just that. So, are you Work Ready?
This blog post is a Guest Post by Bethany, a recent Osborne employee. Having recently taken the Georgia Work Ready test prior to her employment here, Bethany has some great perspective on the procedure and its benefits, so we thought it ideal to invite her to share this information with you.
“We believe in developing, implementing, and maintaining innovative efforts to sustain and improve our quality of life, our community, and our planet; recognizing that these areas are interconnected.”
~ Osborne Wood Products, Inc. Sustainability Statement.
“Osborne Wood Products, Inc. seeks to sustain the quality of life of our employees. In addition to full medical benefits, employees enjoy an array of preventative health care. From seminars on whole-body wellness to a full work-out facility, employees of Osborne Wood Products, Inc. are encouraged to take care of their bodies before sickness occurs. Our gym facility includes a full basketball court, racquetball court, weight room, and an aerobics room. Such benefits inspire the employees, allowing them to contribute to an uplifting workplace atmosphere.”
~ “Sustaining Our Quality of Life,” Osborne Wood Products Catalog 112, p. 21
At Osborne Wood, we have made it no secret that the health and well being of our employees is something that we consider to be integral to true sustainability. Recently, we have implemented a new wellness program, helping employees of OWP meet fitness goals tailored specifically to individual needs (as opposed to something more abstract and general).
A new trend has caught the attention of the news-media: treadmill desks! We recently saw a broadcast on these and decided they were worth consideration. After all, having recently started a new wellness program here, this could be a great way to help the office members (the only employees who sit all day long) to meet their fitness goals.
Studies have shown that regular walking for moderate distances (2-5 miles a day) can improve the immune system (which is key in an office. Colds are so easily spread.), memory (up to 15% in 6 months time), and mood; as well as significantly decrease bad (LDL) cholesterol while increasing the good (HDL) cholesterol. In conjunction with that, it can seriously decrease the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia, and also reduce the risk for a host of cancers, in addition to lowering your blood pressure. You would never think that something as simple as walking could be so beneficial! But, in the typical working American’s day, there is not necessarily a lot of time to walk 4 miles.
Enter the treadmill desk. Walking at a slow pace of 1 mile an hour a person can walk up to 8-10 miles in a single work day. And walking for long distances at such a slow speed actually improves the health of your back, as opposed to the damage that office chairs can do.
So, all of this information in hand, we decided to make one treadmill desk and have someone try it out for a while and share their feedback (they can be ordered for anywhere from $400 - $4000, but they can be easily constructed from a basic treadmill for less than that so if you have the know-how, it’s a good idea to make your own). We ordered the equipment, put it together, and selected the lucky guinea pig - your friendly Osblogger.
I have been using the treadmill desk for almost 2 weeks now, and I love it. My phone, keyboard, and monitor are quite accessible on the shelf we built in to the treadmill, and my monitor sits on a shelf on my desk so I can view it easily. Walking at this slow pace, it is very easy to stop the treadmill if I need to get something out of my reach, or run various errands around the office and plant. After a few miles, if my feet are getting a little tired, I can stop the treadmill and put a chair on the base, and see and access things just as easily from there. After 20 minutes or so, however, I am usually back up and walking again.
It did take me some time to get used to typing while walking, but after about a half an hour of “practice,” I was well on my way to typing at the same speed which I do sitting down. I can definitely attest to the fact that, rather than serving as a distraction, walking actually helps improve my focus.
Alright, so that is all well and good, but one downside most consider when thinking about exercising in the workplace is sweat. No one wants to sweat at work. Well, walking at such a steady and gradual pace (remember, one mile an hour. When I’m walking to get somewhere I can walk a mile in 12 minutes! This is a much easier pace, and you’re still burning about 100 more calories per hour than you would be sitting at your desk), sweat is definitely not an issue.
Some practical “cons,” if you will: The board installed across the arms is small; so while my phone, keyboard, and mouse fit easily, I do have to sit down if I am going to do something like address catalogs or write notes to customers. With all the walking I am getting in now, though; it is not really a significant sidestep, and it is certainly not incredibly inconvenient. Another is that I am not as protected from office sounds as I would be if I were sitting at a lower height. My cubicle walls only go a few inches higher than the height of my head while I’m walking, so there is not as much of a sound barrier. Again, this issue is pretty minimal.
The news reports showed users who said they could easily walk all day in their work shoes, but I have not found this to be true. I keep a pair of sneakers on hand, so I can easily change into work shoes to go meet with customers, and just wear sneakers on the treadmill so I am not walking in any discomfort.
Thus far, I am really enjoying the experience! I feel like I have more energy during the day, as being sedentary for so long can make one sleepy and / or irritable. More energy and better overall health are certainly enough incentive to stick with this, not to mention the fact that it is so easy. It does take a little bit of time to get used to your new work surroundings, but after the adjustment it is really quite simple. Most of the time it does not even “feel” like I’m making the effort to do all these things while walking.
This is a press release sent to the local paper in regard to our new membership in the Drugs Don’t Work initiative.
Osborne Wood Products Implements Drugs Don’t Work Program
Toccoa, Georgia
06/19/09 — Osborne Wood Products has implemented a state-certified drug-free workplace program. The company has joined with more than 7,800 certified drug-free workplaces in Georgia in providing a safe, drug-free work environment for employees. On June 19th, Chuck Wade – the director of the state’s drug free workplace provider, Drugs Don’t Work in Georgia – conducted employee education for the employees of Osborne Wood Products. Employee education is one of the five requirements of state certification. The other requirements are: 1. Substance Abuse Policy, 2. Drug testing of employees, 3. Supervisor training, and; 4. List of treatment and counseling centers in the area. The Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce assists companies in achieving certification in Stephens County. State certified drug free workplaces in Georgia receive a state-mandated 7.5% discount on workers’ compensation insurance premiums.
When asked about implementing the program, Osborne Wood CEO Leon Osborne responded, “It is important to us to provide drug prevention information and education to our employees. This is information they can take home and share with their children to help keep them drug and alcohol free. We are proud to be a member of the Drugs Don’t Work in Georgia program.”
Above (L-R) Drugs Don’t Work State Director Chuck Wade, Osborne CEO Leon Osborne, and Executive Assistant to the CEO JR Muretisch with the new Osborne Wood Products Employee Handbook, edited to include information on the Drugs Don’t Work program and the related Substance Abuse Policy.
Osborne Wood Products is continuing on the endeavor to streamline the production process through Lean Manufacturing. To that end, Osborne has recently hired a Lean Accountant. Lean accounting is so new on the fiscal scene that only a handful of companies in the country have anything like it. It is such a cutting edge field that training for it can only be found in a few places. Among the few, however, is South Carolina school Clemson University.
The reasoning behind changing to a lean accounting system is this: whenever a company seeks to implement lean manufacturing methods, they learn very quickly that clashes will occur between these lean techniques and the conventional cost accounting methods. The methods of traditional accounting can almost actively counteract lean manufacturing procedures.
Traditional accounting processes are complicated and generate a great deal of work that adds no value to the products being manufactured. Additionally, the reports generated often encourage keeping large levels of inventory, when in fact a large amount of inventory indicates that those monetary resources are unavailable for any other use. In addition to being a poor indicator of the exact impact of lean changes made, traditional cost accounting reports are generally understood by few, if any, of the people using that data to make significant company decisions. These reports, typically done on a monthly basis, often provide information at a point when they are too late to be the most beneficial.
Lean accounting methods seek to provide only that information which is necessary to make good decisions, in a frequent and timely manner, typically on a weekly basis. These reports are cultivated in ways that indicate the effects of the lean processes, and help to better facilitate those changes in ways that will increase the value of the products, the growth of the company, and the flow of fiscal resources.
Lean accounting is not simply pushing numbers around or “selective” reporting. Rather, the principles and procedures of lean accounting comply with the complete extent of GAAP, or Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, insofar as requirements and regulations. Essentially, lean accounting applies the same lean manufacturing principles to the gathering and processing of financial data, to eliminate waste in that process, as well. In doing so, the reports generate information in a way that wastes less time and fewer resources, and provides information that helps indicate the performance of lean manufacturing processes, while also indicating ways that the capacity of the company has increased or diminished.
Joining the Osborne Wood Products team as the new Lean Accountant is Bill Thomason, who lives in Cornelia, Georgia, with his wife, Sheila, and their three children. Thomason has a BBA in Accounting, and is currently working toward an MBA, including studies in lean accounting. He has over 15 years in accounting and fiscal experience, including 3 years with the Eastanollee-based American Woodmart.
Osborne Lean Management Coordinator, Bob Ward, commented, “In our search for a lean accountant, we sought out an experienced financial professional who was open to change, an individual who could embrace lean accounting principles. We found that person in Bill Thomason.”
Company CEO Leon Osborne also commented on Thomason and the newly created position, saying, “Lean Management is a part of who we are, and goes hand in hand with the ideals we have been committed to since our beginning in 1979. While traditional accounting is often at odds with the lean management processes, lean accounting augments the implementation of lean management in every aspect of the business. We at Osborne are proud to have Bill Thomason supporting our lean initiative as our Lean Accountant.”
For some time now, Osborne Wood Products, Inc. has been exploring the world of Lean Management, and striving to make it a part of the way that they do business. Lean Management took Osborne by storm when Leon Osborne initiated consultation from Georgia Tech University, in order to make the facility more efficient. Processes were revamped and the shop was rearranged completely, while lead time and cost were greatly reduced. Recently, it was realized that a new team member was needed, in keeping with that goal; a coordinator and facilitator of the changes needing to be made, helping to educate about the lean process, along the way.
Bob Ward has come on board with Osborne as their Lean Management Coordinator (or, in lean terms, the “Lean Champion.”). Ward’s role will be to work with each department and determine the ways that each can run more efficiently. He lives in West Union, SC with his wife Elaine, and they have two grown children. Though he lives in South Carolina, Ward is no stranger to Toccoa, having worked out of Toccoa for 18 years with Coats North American.
Consistent use of lean management in the US is still fairly new. Although technically lean initiatives got their start with Henry Ford and the Model T, they were not commonly used and practiced until the last 25 years or so. In Japan, however, lean management and manufacturing techniques have been in use for the last 50 years. In fact, it was this very same technique that enabled the Japanese to rebuild so strongly in the Post World War II era.
Osborne hopes to use Lean Manufacturing techniques to give them a competitive edge, and to prepare the business to achieve excellence in any economic climate. To achieve this, they needed to create a role specifically for an individual who could both educate current employees concerning lean processes, and also coordinate and facilitate the changes that would need to be taking place. This is the role that Ward is now occupying.
Ward has had a great deal of training in lean processes, having worked extensively in Engineering Management positions, with training and specialization in Lean Management. Ward worked for Coats North America for 22 years, 18 of which he had spent in Toccoa, as previously mentioned. He also worked for Milliken, a global producer of chemical and textile products, carrying out similar roles. In addition to his experience, Ward has a B.S. in Administrative Management from Clemson University, as well as additional courses in lean training and ergonomics from North Carolina State University. Ward has also completed a year of training with Harris Lean Systems.
When asked to give a definition for Lean Management and Manufacturing, Ward said that people are often confused about what “Lean” really means, so he clarified, “Lean is about eliminating waste. Anything that adds cost without adding value is waste. That can mean unnecessary steps, extra motion in transportation, defects, or even too much inventory.” Ward added that too much inventory, while usually seen as an asset, is actually waste because all of the money invested in that inventory is tied there, it cannot be used anywhere else if need be. Ultimately, lean manufacturing is involved with speed, flexibility, and elimination of waste.
One area of waste can also be the failure to take advantage of employee knowledge. For this reason Ward is taking a few weeks with each department to learn the ropes of each department and getting feedback from the members of each team. For instance, Ward spent some time in the office with Osborne customer service representatives, learning the ins and outs of taking customer orders, and troubleshooting any customer service issues that might come up. From there he spent time in the warehouse with the shipping department; learning about Osborne’s process of keeping inventory, and shipping orders. He also spent some time with the director of marketing, and is presently finishing up by spending time on the shop floor with the production crew. While he observes and even participates in the processes that keep things going at Osborne, he will be gaining experience that will inform his analysis of the value of each process. This information will prove invaluable as he progresses in his role with Osborne.
Six Sigma – so named for the statistical measurement of quality level – is a system that goes hand-in-hand with Lean. Six Sigma is a process that strives to improve the quality of a process’ results by finding and eliminating the causes of errors and variations in the manufacturing process. An error or “defect” is defined very broadly as anything which might lead to the dissatisfaction of the customer. The process is highly structured, with sequential steps and financial targets. An expert in the Six Sigma process is referred to as a Black Belt, and Mr. Ward hopes to achieve this status by June 26.
Leon Osborne, CEO, has said, “Lean Management embraces the values that we have been committed to since our inception in 1979. The strength of Lean is in combining the involvement of associates in every business activity with the process of measuring waste, having a goal of continuous improvement. We are excited to have Bob Ward join our team as our Lean Champion”
A customer of ours was recently featured in Home Living, A magazine that makes a monthly appearance as an insert in the News Tribune, a Missouri newspaper. Wayne Wardenhausen of Countryside Woodworks had recently done an extensive kitchen remodel, which Home Living featured on their front page. Below is the press release Osborne issued concerning this event.
Wayne Wardenhausen is a contractor who understands how to provide value to his customers at a reasonable price. Wardenhausen, owner of Countryside Woodworks, specializes in unique kitchen cabinet concepts, specifically tailored to individual customer tastes. One of his most recent designs was the cover article featured in the March 2009 issue of Home Living magazine, which is an insert to the News Tribune, a Missouri Newspaper. The photographs taken for the article include several items from the Osborne Wood Products line.
Wardenhausen believes that it is important to get excited about every job that one does. In a time when many designs are generated on a computer, Wardenhausen’s concepts come from his imagination; the culmination of studying articles, pictures, and products combined with a high degree of personal creativity. In his words, “The best ideas come from the imagination, not out of a computer.”
Wardenhausen utilizes components such as corner corbels, kitchen island legs, corner molding, and crown molding to bring his concepts from ideas into reality. Osborne Wood Products is proud to be a supplier of many of these components. when asked why he does business with Osborne, Wardenhausen stated that he can bank on on-time delivery, knowing his costs up front, and depending on people who know how to do their job.
Wardenhausen’s current kitchen project involves a set of cabinets with a design incorporating Osborne’s new Basket Weave corbels and kitchen island legs for a range hood and a corresponding flat-screen TV installation. Sure that it will be a real “attention getter,” he reports that upon seeing it for the first time the customer exclaimed, “That is massive!” It is reactions such as this which inspire Wardenhausen in his unique designs. Similarly, it is feedback from customers like Wardenhausen that inspires Osborne Wood Products to constantly update our product lines, in order to help our customers continue to generate their artistic designs.
Wayne, keep those ideas coming! We cannot wait to see pictures of your latest job incorporating the Basket Weave Components. We will have new products in our next catalog for you to choose from, and we can only imagine what design concepts might be created utilizing these new components.
Due to the growing popularity of our 24-7 website, we are upgrading our server to handle the increased demand. Basically, we are undergoing scheduled maintenance to continue to improve the quality of our site and the amount of traffic it can handle.
This maintenance work will cause our website to be down for a few hours tonight. Between 12 AM and 4 AM Eastern Standard Time, our website will be offline. We apologize for any inconvenience, though we are sure that any work to improve our site and its user-friendliness is much appreciated, as well.
