BusyBeeNews - August 2020

AUGUST 2020

the dog days of summer issue

haha! just kidding, we didn’t want to add a cover image that might remind us of the events of 2020

CLOGGING

DG THE AISLES IN

Good day HMC people! Recently, I had the pleasure of “clogging the aisles” in DG with Charles Kilson, a six year man with DistributionGroup. His favorite movie is The Last Dragon. I’ve also been informed that his wife is expecting another baby soon. You may or may not also know that Charles is the man that is on top of all of our Armacell orders.

At it for two years already, Charles says he finds the daily routine of handling Armacell to be relaxing, yet challenging at times. As with any other part of DG, factors such as massive incoming orders can pile on and location mix-ups can put a minor, yet fixable, kink in pulling progress.

Charles, as of late, has been very busy in Armacell on a day-to-day basis. In addition to his duties, Charles Kilson also handles Goodman orders two times a month; each order weighing anywhere from 15,000-20,000 pounds per order!

After a long day at DG, Charles likes to go home and lay down. I’m told on some occasions, consumption of sustenance (eating food) precedes this common activity.

stuff found on jonathan’s hard drive

with Michael ‘Mickey Carmine’ Macchiaroli

Tales from the

Outdoors

by Pat Armstrong

If you think back years and years ago, you might have memories like I do of being the “master of your universe.” As a kid growing up in the heart of Dallas (Oak Cliff) in the late 70’s and early 80’s, the world was our oyster. There weren’t any places that were off limits to a band of curious, smart, agile, BORED kids, except the “mean lady’s house down the block, who would yell at us kids for even being on “her sidewalk”… the original Karen!

I’ve already introduced you to my brother, Ben, he’s three years younger than I am and was on the fateful boat sinking adventure (see last month’s newsletter). Coincidentally, not the only boat sinking adventure he and I have been on, but that’s another story. This story introduces another sibling, Sara.

Sara is the oldest of the “little girls,” meaning that since there were six of us kids, there were the older three and the younger three. All three of the younger kids were girls and Sara was the oldest of them. If you’re counting, I’m #2, Ben is #3, and Sara is #4…all fairly close in age, and old enough for her to play with us boys. (Side note: Sara is now a VP at a very prestigious insurance firm in Dallas with four kids and a good husband.)

On to the story though, now that we’ve established who the characters are. So, like I said, anything outside was ours to conquer, and by that I mean destroy (or repurpose) and since my family has always been in the trades, we always had building materials of some form or fashion. We had woods, hammer, nails, screws, saws, etc… and we were always coming up with ways to “improve the current design of something.” This particular day though, with all the tools and supplies at our disposal, my brother and I put our engineering minds together to create a ramp in our rough concrete alley, so we could jump it with our bicycles. This colossal feat of engineering consisted of a 5 foot long 2x4 and a metal trash can laid on its side… That’s it. In hindsight, it was instability and stupidity at its finest, but what the heck, what’s the worst that could happen? A scraped knee, no biggie.

The ramp was shaky, to say the least, but with enough speed, skill, and confidence, Ben and I made the jump several times (although we had to prop the board up again after every jump…minor detail).

But here comes Sara, demanding to play with us. We obviously found excuses to deny her the joy of sailing thru the air, high above the ground, and making an epic jump like the one we had just made. But, she wouldn’t take “NO” for an answer, and went to tell Mom on us two.

That worked. Mom yelled at us from the back door to let her do whatever it was that we were doing… “OK Mom” we replied. Ben whispered to me, “She ain’t gunna make it…” I knew that, but there was a chance. She was decent rider, not like the masters that Ben and I were, but decent. So Ben and I gave her careful instructions on speed, weight distribution, wheel alignment, and balance. Then she was off to the top of the alley to set-up for the jump.

This was the biggest moment in her eight or nine years of life. She was about to attempt a death defying jump that would carry her two feet off of the ground, for 1.2 seconds, in front of her two brothers that said she couldn’t do it. She was about to show us “how girls ride bikes!” She backed up about a hundred yards and started pedaling, and pedaling, and pedaling. The wind thru her hair made her feel like she was going a 1,000 miles an hour… she was not! Not only had she failed to gain the needed speed to make such a treacherous jump, she actually slowed down at the point of contact with the half-ass, homemade ramp.

It’s like in the movies when things go in to slow motion and the inevitable outcome is so clearly seen, but no one can do anything to stop it. She hit the ramp at a crawl, went half way up the 2x4, it shot sideways, and she proceeded to go over the handle bars. Luckily, her face broke her fall. Unlucky for us, she required a trip to the doctor and stitches, and we got a whippin’ for allowing her to do something so dangerous and stupid, that we should have known better. We didn’t get in trouble for doing it ourselves, just that we let her do it. I guess Mom was so mad and scared, that someone was getting a whippin’, and she couldn’t very well whip a kid that just got hurt, so Ben and I were it.

To this day, whenever Sara tells a story about an event in her life that didn’t go as she planned, Ben and I look at her and say the same thing, “If you’d have just sped up, you’da made it!”

Life is full of bumps, bruises, and sometimes stitches and casts. Sometimes you just gotta hit the ramp, at full speed, with all the nerve you can muster, and hang on. Oh…and learn to fall, so you don’t land on your face!

Cheers! - Pat

Life…

Before, During & After the

Great Pandemic of 2020 Wendy Daray - GroupManager

Well, it has been just about eight months since I was asked to write my first article for our newsletter. If you recall, it was about “change”, but who would have thought there would be so much of it and in such a short period of time.

We went into 2020 with big dreams and aspirations of what the new year had in store for us. January kicked off the year with a great bang, and a fresh new attitude on everyone’s mind that this was going to be the year they would rule the world. Mid-January arrives, and we start hearing things about some virus they named after a beer... so of course here come all the memes…

February rolled around, the Kansas City Chiefs became the World Champions defeating the San Francisco 49ers with a huge comeback in the 4th quarter. ASHRAE hosts their annual AHR Expo in Orlando, Florida and people start to wonder why the crowds are a lot lighter than they have been in the past. Late February we receive news of the 1st case of a suspected local transmission of the virus in the US. Still unsure and skeptical of what the virus’ effects were, life as we knew it went on.

March blows in, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere…Bam!!! What once was the normal way of life is now over. We are hit with the coronavirus pandemic that turned the world upside down and sent everyone into a panic mode. Before you knew it, you could not find toilet paper, hand sanitizer, Lysol (which by the way, I still cannot find), bottled water was almost impossible to locate, and if you could find any of these items, you had to cut off an arm or a leg, and spend an entire paycheck just to be able to get them. Businesses were forced to close, airlines cancelled flights across the US, restaurants had to close, unless they could offer curbside pickup, which means people now had to actually cook a meal for themselves, schools had to shut down, moms and dads instantly became home school teachers and quickly found out, they really aren’t “smarter than a 5th grader”. Families were not allowed to visit their elderly parents or grandparents, all the animals in shelters were suddenly scooped up, social media pages were blowing up, there was nothing else on the news except how many cases were now confirmed. We were all forced back into pre-k, where we had to learn how to wash our hands, cover our mouths when we cough, and take a bath in hand sanitizer every time we touched something. State officials put “Stay Safe Work at Home” orders in place, which created a whole new demand for supplies. Suddenly there was a shortage of

computers, an influx of people registering for video conferencing services, office supplies were scarce, To-Go alcohol became legal in Texas, the definition of essential workers became a huge topic, and unemployment numbers sky rocketed. The oil industry suffered great losses, but gas for consumers became cheap and traffic on the roadways…well, there was none.

Fast forward through April, May, and June with the house arrest that everyone across the US was placed on, and now there is a whole new shortage of items: bicycles, workout equipment, rubber gloves, face masks, and rubbing alcohol. State officials mandate that face masks must be worn in all public facilities, handshakes and friendly hugs are a thing of the past, it is suggested that you stay a minimum of 6 feet away from another person unless you live in the same household as them. Parks and beaches are forced to close, moms and dads are over being teachers and have now become “day drinkers”, everyone in a single household is starting to get on each other’s nerves, kids are bored, but there is no place for them to go, so Tik Tok videos start flooding social media, Tiger King becomes a Top 10 show to watch, sporting events are cancelled, riots & protests over an unnecessary and unjustified killing destroy many major cities, police departments and personnel come under fire, racism raises its ugly head and statues were either destroyed, damaged, or removed across every city in the nation. With all the craziness in the world, managers (like myself) try to find ways to keep their employees engaged and their spirits up, so virtual “happy hours”, become a thing. Face-to-face interactions are no longer permitted by most of the customers we call on, so for those of us that are extroverted personalities, the mental anguish is becoming even more troublesome than the actual virus itself.

And now here we are today, in a state of the union that is almost unrecognizable. The catch phrase “the new normal” seems to be something that almost everyone is saying, but what does it mean exactly? Face masks have become a fashion statement, rubber gloves are no longer recommended, social distancing activities have become challenging, having your temperature tested when you walk into certain businesses is a requirement, plexiglass shields are being installed almost everywhere you go and tensions continue to rise. So, is this the “new normal”?

It seems to me that most people are struggling to adjust the way they interact with other people, and those with extroverted personalities are becoming somewhat introverted. In the beginning, when the disease first was announced, I did not know anyone that had it, however, months later I must say that I have heard of many family members, friends, and aquaintances that have suffered through, and some even lost their lives to this disease. My fear, is that the mental aspect this virus leaves behind, will be far more reaching than the true symptoms of the virus itself.

None of us know what the future has in store for us, nor what the “new normal” is going to be, so let me tell you what my hopes are. I hope that people realize how much we have taken for granted in life prior to this disease rearing it’s ugly head, and they finally understand, the “little things” truly do matter the most. A “kind word”, a “passing smile”, a simple “hello” from a stranger and they develop a greater appreciation for each other. I also hope, that families become stronger, and go back to a somewhat simpler way of life. That they enjoy creating new memories together, instead of having electronic devices be the main source for their entertainment. My wish is that we as a nation can unite, and start to build each other up, instead of continuing to tear one another down. We all realize we have but only one life to live and we should try and make the most of it.

So in closing, I leave you with this: while on this ride called “life”, you have to take the good with the bad, smile when you’re sad, love what you’ve got, and remember what you had. Always forgive, but never forget. Learn from your mistakes, but never regret. People change. Things go wrong. Just remember, the ride goes on. - Carpe Diem, Wendy Daray

HOW DID YOU GET HERE??? by: Elaine Self Have you ever wondered how our associates found their way to HMC?

heather brooks inventory control

donald lewis jr. dg

I came to HMC after working for one of our customers for three years. I still can’t believe that was 20 yrs ago! Joe Conde and Romeo (not Hernandez - he was a baby then) encouraged me to fill out an application.

Originally, I was going to Inside Sales, but was switched to DG on my first day.

Eddie has put up with me ever since.

I started working here on 07/24/2000, joining Cassie and Brian that same year. That was Dan’s best year of hiring!

Officially, I have held two positions here: Inventory Control Clerk (2000-2008) and Inventory Control Manager (2009-present), and unofficially the position of Dan B.’s constant pain in the …

What actually brought me to HMC is that I wanted to provide for my wife and my family in a more efficient way. Who actually brought me here, is another great man of God, Adrian Ollie. There was a posting stating that HMC was hiring, so Adrian informed me. I applied and was blessed with a position back cvin June of 2017. I started out in DG as an order puller with regular freight. From there, I moved to customer service in WillCall. To sum up my journey, I am truly humbled and blessed for the amazing progression in my life and to hone my skills in a company where growth is inspired and encouraged.

by: Elaine Self by: Pat Armstrong

We have a new feature this month called “Guess Who?” It’s basically like “20 Questions,” and you, the reader, has to guess who the subject is. Here’s how it the process worked. I listed all of the associates on an Excel spreadsheet and then had Excel assign each one a random five digit number. I excluded myself, obviously. Then I asked a volunteer to select a totally random five digit number and the person whose number matched closest was chosen as the subject. I reached out to “said person” and under “the cloak of secrecy” asked him or her 20 questions. Can you guess who it is? Their identity will be revealed in next month’s “Guess Who” article. So here we go!

1. Who was president of the US when you were born? Ronald Reagan 2. How tall are you? 5’ 10” 3. Are you married? Not anymore 4. Do you have kids? Yes 5. How long have you been married? Was married for 4 years 6. Favorite band when you were in the 9th grade? Guns & Roses 7. What was your favorite toy as a kid? BB Gun 8. What college did you attend? Texas A&M 9. What was the first car you ever owned? Blue Silverado 10. Have you ever been sky diving? No 11. How many teams or departments have you worked in/on at HMC? 4 12. Do you engage with customers or contractors at the beginning of the job or more towards the end of the job? Both 13. Do you have any special talents? Banjo playing? Stick Whittling? I once benched 420lbs 14. What is your favorite Pro Sports Team? Cowboys 15. How many people are in your HMC group, team, or department? 4 16. What size shoe do you wear? 11 17. Do you know how to sew? No 18. Can you cook? Yes 19. Name one method of cooking you’d use the rest of your life, what would it be? Grandma 20. Have you ever had a nickname? If so what was it? None that are appropriate

WHAT THE HIVE CAN TEACH BUSINESSES ABOUT

LEADERSHIP, EFFICIENCY,

& GROWTH Lesson #7 - Order and Innovate Through Fuzzy Constants THE WISDOM OF BEES by: Michael O’Malley, Ph.D. Meaningful progress and creativity requires fixed points of reference and allowance for “optimal error.”

Organizational constants come in the form of standards, conventions, procedures, and efficiency.

They provide a fixed forum for the exchange of ideas and essential points of reference. Without a firm foundation, employees don’t know where to step next. Their mental maps of the work environment are studded with an unknown number of land mines.

Constants keep the bees from literally losing their way. An organization’s ethical foundations keep companies together when things are most likely to fall apart and the tugs of temptation and desperation are greatest. What allows successful leaders to hold fast when stresses exert pressure to let go?

How do leaders know what critical moves to make when circumstances are most dire? The existence of standards and practices. Adherence to organizational constants comes naturally in the hive but requires habit formation in our institutions. As President Kennedy once remarked, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”

Fuzzy constants provide a company with the means to order the workplace, and to fence in permissible behaviors, without forcing out spontaneity, creativity, and individual judgment. Moreover, fuzzy constants are not “messy.” “Messy” is an index of poor planning and a lack of constants. Although companies exist within wildly competitive and unpredictable markets, the best ones are not messy at all. Their physical environments are neat, their operating protocols, forms, and scripts are consistent, and their value systems are entrenched. They know who they are, what they are doing, and where they are headed.

Constants do not drive out originality; they make it possible.

kois’ korner

Dear Dan, Dear Dan, How did you become a slot machine whisperer?

From: I Suck at Gambling LUCK! Dan the Gambling Man Dear Dan What is the proper handling techniques of snakes in the warehouse?

Gently pick-up a shovel and firmly, with conviction, chop its head off!

Dan the Snake Handling Man Dear Dan, When physically impossible, how can DG produce Olympic sprinters such as Tyrone?

You use a loud noise, for example, blow-up an electrical transformer next to him.

Dear Dan, How long is a piece of string? As long as you want it to be.

How many are a bunch of nickels? Ask Jonathan!

How far is it down the road apiece? About 0.621371 miles…

If you cross a cow and a buffalo do you get a Cattalo or a Bow? You get a Beefalo!

Dear Dan, How would you cope with your favorite team missing big in the draft? For example, say your favorite team passed over Patrick Mahomes, and took Mitchell Trubisky instead – how would you deal with that? -Guy Who Misses Football The draft is a crap shoot. Chicago got the crap! Mahomes was only better in 42 categories out of 65 over Trubisky from 2017 thru 2019.

Dear Dan, I get really hungry every other Friday…where are those hot dogs at?

At Sam’s Club!

Dear Dan, Do you have a mustache because Mike Ditka has a mustache?

He has one because I have one. I am the true Ditka!

Dear Dan, While in a book store, does asking where the self-help books are defeat the purpose?

Signed, The Wanderer Who still goes to a book store? Help yourself by downloading the book and saving yourself a trip!

Dear Dan, No question for me, just wanted to say, glad you’re back.

I knew the cops had the wrong guy! You was with me down at Skinny’s when it happened.

Signed, Cellmates for life LOL…thanks, glad to be back!

CURRENT JOB OPENINGS: Plumbing Quotation Specialist InsideSales/CustomerService Accounts Payable Account Manager – Arkansas

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

AUGUST

miguel tovar d’sean mchayle christian mondragon shannon morykwas mike hall michael macchiaroli ron hamilton omar martinez lisa vallorani dylan mccain allen ruddick antonio mcdonald

8/2 8/7 8/8 8/9 8/12 8/15 8/20 8/20 8/20 8/21 8/23 8/24

SPOTLIGHT ON:

PURCHASING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPPORT

Accounting & HR (FIN/HR) Do you like getting paid? Do you like having health insurance? Do we like receiving money for the goods and services our organization performs for our customers? Sure we do, we don’t work here for the practice or the joy of getting out of the house! Well, maybe some of us do, but overall, these are essential benefits to retain a workforce. In our little “beehive” these functions are performed by some really fantastic people. Hopefully, your encounters with HR have been pleasant, such as when you were hired...how exciting! Followed up by your bi-weekly earning’s distribution when you get paid, also exciting! This month we’d like to take a moment to recognize and appreciate all of the hard work that the FIN/HR team does for all of us. When you see them in passing, say “thank you!”

Shannon Highsmith—Controller—Hire Date: 03/18/2019 (pictured here w/daughter Reilly) What was your dream car? I’m not a big car girl. I’ve driven some real junkers in my life (ex: yellow ’79 Olds Omega), so something that starts every time, has good A/C, and satellite radio makes me happy. I’m glad to not have a car that requires a whole set of instructions to drive!

Are you an indoors or an outdoors kind of gal? Both! I love hiking and doing anything with horses. Sometimes, though, I have a real yearning to just spend all day in bed watching TV (that almost never happens, though).

Name a movie that you can watch anytime it’s on. There’s a few of those; Love Actually., Airplane, Meet the Parents, The Shawshank Redemption,, Evan Almighty, Good Will Hunting, and The Martian.

What do you enjoy most about working here? The people, of course! I miss seeing everyone here at the office and hope that we can all work together again soon!

Jessica Bethke—Audit and Control Specialist—Hire Date: 09/15/2008 What was your dream job growing up? To be a teacher.

Carnival or Movies? Carnivals (for the cotton candy).

What is your favorite hard candy? Tie between peppermints and cinnamon discs.

What do you jam out to when you’re in your car? Depends, sometimes Country, sometimes Rock, and sometimes I just like to listen to True Crime/Murder podcasts

Tune in next month for our next Team Spotlight.

Will it be the team you’re on? What questions will I get asked?

Cindy Poole—Accounts Receivable—Hire Date: 03/23/1999 What is your favorite meal? Maryland crab cakes.

If you could go anyplace in the world for vacation, where would it be?

Anywhere with clear blue water and white sand.

What’s your favorite movie? The Bridges of Madison County.

What are you most proud of either personally or professionally? My granddaughter, Paisley Ryan Patterson (pictured here).

Kenitha Brown—HR Specialist—Hire Date: 03/08/2000 If you could be any animal, what would it be? I’d be a cat. (Cat’s do what they want.)

Beer or liquor? None. Don’t drink.

Favorite vending machine snack, like you’ll buy it every time you see it?

Blueberry muffin.

What are you most proud of professionally speaking? My 20 year working history at HMC.

Gary Chinn—Accounting/HR Manager—Hire Date: 02/09/1998 (pictured here w/wife Sue) What was your dream job growing up? Farmer or pro athlete.

Favorite pastime (something you enjoy doing every time you get the opportunity)? Fishing, golf, something like that. All sports and traveling to new locations.

Who do you most enjoy spending time with? My wife, Sue. What do you enjoy most about working here? That the company is family oriented

GOOD of the DAY!

GOOD of the DAY!