ISSUE 2, 2020
Pg. 4 IRMCA Hall of Fame Award Recipient
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A FLORIDA SOLUTION STORY Pg. 10
A MESSAGE FROM MARTY The COVID-19 pandemic has been on everyone’s minds for quite some time and has changed the way the world operates. And even though Ozinga was able to stay fully operational, it also required us to make some quick changes to the way we do business. In full transparency, it wasn’t easy. We asked our office coworkers to work from home if possible, and this required IT to quickly ensure each coworker had the necessary tools and resources to stay fully functional away from the office. We asked those who were still in the office to allow for flexible work schedules, to practice social distancing and to do everything necessary to stay safe. But most importantly, we asked those on the front lines—our drivers, bulk haulers, pilots, mechanics, CNG techs, etc.—to continue coming to work to keep Ozinga fully operational. We asked these individuals to take extra care while cleaning trucks and equipment, to practice social distancing, to wear face coverings, to start e-ticketing processes…and they did, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the dedication. All of these changes were made through the lens of our purpose to make a positive impact on individuals, their families and the community for generations. While the changes above were designed to make a positive impact on our coworkers, we also did what we could to make a positive impact on our customers and communities. We implemented e-ticketing and e-billing solutions for our customers, and we started ozingacares.com to provide PPE for our communities and brought out the Merry Mixer to bring some joy to our neighbors. As the country slowly starts to open up again, Ozinga has put together a task force to help us get back to normal. And while this “normal” may be different than the normal of our past, I fully believe it will only make us stronger. Thank you, again, to each and every one of you for your role in helping us continue to get through this challenging time and for continuing to live into our purpose of making a positive impact. 2
Erin Raatjes Purpose Story At Ozinga, it’s the people who work here that make us a family. Each person has their own unique set of talents and abilities at work, but it’s also what they do outside of work that provides an ability to make a positive impact on our coworkers, customers and communities. “I love being creative,” said Erin. “It really helps me ‘get away’ from my day job of technical work where I can be creative and work with my hands.” To read more visit ozinga.com/value/coworkers-erin-raatjes
Jeff Hanus Purpose Story Jeff Hanus, an Ozinga ready mix driver from our Lemont yard, is no stranger to giving up his time to help others. For more than six years, Jeff has volunteered for the Disabled Patriot Fund, an organization that helps provide assistance to local U.S. veterans and their families who were adversely affected by their military service. For Jeff — a veteran himself — the choice to help was simple. He considers himself one of the lucky ones to be in a position to give back. “There are men and women protecting our freedom who are coming back home with physical and mental disabilities, who aren’t receiving enough government assistance,” said Jeff. To read more visit ozinga.com/value/coworkers-jeff-hanus
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John Alderden RV’ing, playing flight simulator, and watching 60’s TV shows… sounds a lot like a dream for a retiree; at least that’s the case for John Alderden, retired Ozinga driver from Alsip. We recently caught up with John and asked him how life was treating him since he retired on October 1, 2017.
What have you been up to since retirement? I bought an RV and when my wife isn’t working during the summer, we use it very extensively. I have a nice, slow pace of life. I spend my time RV’ing and going on the computer and playing flight simulator and watching 60’s TV shows: Andy Griffith and Gomer Pyle seem to be my style.
What is the best part of retirement? I think kicking back and doing what you want to do is the fun part about retirement.
Is there anything you miss about coming to work? Ozinga was the best job I ever had in my life. It was such a welcome change. I enjoyed meeting customers and training new guys. I miss the daily communication with my fellow drivers and customers. I have developed really good friendships not just with the drivers but with the customers also.
What is the biggest change you saw in the company in your 33 years? I am amazed at the growth of the company. I was here 33 years, but I was able to see it grow from six yards to nearly 100 yards.
If you could sum up your time at Ozinga with one word, what word would you use to describe it? Blessed.
Calling all Ozinga retirees - We want to hear from YOU! Submit your stories via email to almaponce@ozinga.com or call 708.326.3154. 4
Eldie Shultz Honored with IRMCA Hall of Fame Award Joe Sanders, Executive Vice President of Indiana, presented Eldie Shultz with the Indiana Ready Mix Concrete Association Hall of Fame award at his home. Eldie started his career in ready mix in February 1973 with Lowell Transit Mix. He came to Ozinga in March 1990 and retired from our company in December 2018. Eldie was unable to attend the IRMCA Short Course awards due to complications from his recent fight with Leukemia. He is currently doing well and getting stronger every day, and he was honored to receive this award.
CHECK OUT THE OZINGA BLOG! Visit blog.ozinga.com to learn more about Ozinga and our solutions. 5
COVID-19 Face Covering Tips For your health - and the health of your coworkers, customers and community - Ozinga wants all coworkers to wear face coverings. Please wear one when you are on jobsites and in our facilities when social distancing cannot be maintained. If you are within six feet of another person, you should wear some type of face covering over your nose and mouth. You do not need to wear a face mask if you are in a vehicle or facility by yourself. Do not wear a face covering that restricts your vision. Do not wear a face covering if it causes breathing difficulty. Try a different style of face covering if the one you have is making it hard to breathe. See your supervisor if you need a different type of face covering, or if you need to replace one that is deteriorating. -Jeff Emrick
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Tips & Tricks: Returning Empty Toner When you receive a toner via our HP Print Program, a return label is included in the box. Just put the old toner in the same box you received, put the label on and give it to the UPS driver when he or she comes by.
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Cyber Safety - Email Safety Be careful what you send over email. An attacker can easily intercept these messages through nefarious means. Sending your username, password, or other personal info over email is a big no-no!
The Doral Office post-computer install
A Peek at the Geeks: Meet Jeff Duran | Business Process Analyst Since June 2017 What did you want to be when growing up? Motorcycle racer What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13? Don’t wait so long to get a little more serious about life. What do you find the most challenging at Ozinga? Not gaining weight with all the food around here.
What others are saying about Jeff: What are three words to describe this team member? Talkative, opinionated, passionate What is your favorite part about working with this team member? Jeff has the best ideas on how to make the company run as efficiently as possible. By first meeting Jeff it is very evident that he is passionate about what he does. Tell us a short story about Jeff. Jeff is like the pied piper of the IT department; he likes to come up with team building ideas and seeing them through to completion, whether they be baking or quiz competitions or just ways to share time in a fun way with each other.
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The Ozinga Coworker Experience Survey: One Perspective on Purpose In our last issue, we shared a little deeper view of the Gallup Coworker Experience Survey we conducted last fall. With Ozinga’s purpose to make a positive impact on people, you may have wondered why or how we scored the way that we did. The results all depend on what kind of experience YOU are having. Some of us see Ozinga’s purpose being lived out in a variety of ways every day. Others wonder how the “purpose” applies to our role and what we do. Most may be somewhere between those extremes. In the survey, you gave your input about your experience, and the resulting data gives one perspective of how well we are living out Ozinga’s purpose, at least for each other as coworkers. And whether our score was better or worse than you expected, we can always do better. Given our results, here are five things each of us can do to be more intentional about making a positive impact on our coworkers:
Be clear about our expectations of one another. It’s stressful not to know what is expected. To be clear, knowing what is expected is different than knowing what needs to be done. It’s more than just a job description or list of things to do. This is about coworkers understanding their contribution, value and fit within their team(s) and knowing that they are aligned with their managers. Am I doing my part to be clear about what is expected of me? Do I need to ask what excellent performance looks like in my role? Can I help others to be clear as well? If I am a manager, am I sure that I’m being clear about priorities and what I expect from my team?
Make sure we communicate what materials, equipment or information we need to do our work. Nothing is more frustrating than wanting to do a good job but not having what you need to do it. In our industry, and regionally, it may not always be possible to have the latest equipment you want, but certainly you should have what you need. Do I have what I need to be productive and accurate? Do I talk with my manager about it frequently? If I am a manager, have I asked my team about what they need, and am I doing my best to provide it? 8
It may not always be possible to have the latest equipment you want, but certainly you should have what you need.
Focus on our own strengths and those of others. Each of our coworkers brings a unique set of abilities, experiences, strengths and weaknesses to Ozinga. People who focus on using their strengths are six times as likely to be engaged in their work, and our potential for learning and growth is highest in our areas of strength (Gallup). Unfortunately, it’s often easier to point out areas of weakness than strengths. Am I looking for opportunities to use my strengths to serve others? Am I willing to keep learning and improving? Am I quick to point out weaknesses or do I quickly recognize strengths in others?
Recognize each other for excellent work and for the unique contribution of each individual. Recognition comes in many forms, and we rely on praise and recognition to better understand our value and expectations. Research shows that those who do not use the power of positive feedback are missing the opportunity to empower their coworkers to increase productivity, loyalty and fulfillment. Recognition must be authentic, meaningful and motivating. Whether it’s a smile and a nod, verbal encouragement, or something more formal – praise goes a long way! Am I recognizing good work by my coworkers? Am I more encouraging than critical? Do I encourage my coworkers to continue to develop their strengths? A great team recognizes each person and builds a culture of treating one another the way they would want to be treated – authentically.
See each other as individual people. In the busyness of our day-to-day work, we
If we truly want to have a positive impact, we must remember to be in relationship with one another.
can tend to become transactional in our dealings with other people. When we do this, we lose sight of the people involved and don’t see their value and their needs. If we truly want to have a positive impact, we must remember to be in relationship with one another – knowing each other’s ups and downs and uniqueness. Am I doing my best to make sure that each and every person at Ozinga knows that they are cared for? Am I
asking questions and actively listening to answers? Do I value my coworkers for who they are and what they bring to our community? Do I help celebrate accomplishments or milestones with them, and am I there for them when life throws a curveball? Sometimes feeling cared about is as simple as a “hello” or “have a great night” – so don’t discount the little things you can do to make a difference in someone’s experience. If we are intentional about these five things at work, we can have a positive impact on those around us (individuals), their families and the community for generations.
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RODMARK CONSTRUCTION: A FLORIDA SOLUTION STORY
Founded more than 90 years ago, Ebsary Foundation is a fourth-generation, familyowned company specializing in foundation and heavy land and marine construction services, including augered cast-in-place foundation piling, support of excavation, and cofferdam design/construction to name a few. Ebsary’s key principles of character, excellence, hard work and integrity have kept them busy with high-profile projects throughout Florida and the Caribbean. For a recent project on Florida’s secluded Fisher Island, Ebsary was constructing a seawall for the new ferry terminal. The island is only accessible by private boat, ferry or helicopter - making construction challenging. Ebsary needed a company that had the capabilities to deliver concrete via barge and was willing to roll with a flexible schedule. Ozinga was happy to answer the call. Using our extensive knowledge of Florida waterways and years of barging know-how, we were able to get 2,000 yards of ready mix concrete to the pour site. Ebsary also had a limited amount of time to pour the concrete for the seawall. Ozinga was able to get the mix delivered and poured quickly within the customer’s timetable. “Though the nature of this job on an island so famously exclusive was a hurdle in terms of getting concrete trucks on site, Ozinga performed at the highest level of professionalism when it came to making sure grout was installed in the ground in a timely fashion, through coordination at all levels,” said Christopher Miyares, Project Manager for Ebsary Foundation Company. 10
THANKS FOR
SPREADING THE
Because of you, we were able to collect 936 pounds of peanut butter during our February-March Peanut Butter Drive. That’s enough for 14,976 sandwiches! Our Community Builders program hosted the drive at each region in hopes of making a positive impact in our communities — and because peanut butter is always in high demand at food banks, this was a clear choice. We’d like to thank everyone who helped make this drive a success.
Community Volunteer Opportunities Looking for new ways to volunteer in your community and make a positive impact? Help is on the way. Later this year, Ozinga will launch an online tool to assist coworkers in connecting with each other to organize, share and search for volunteer opportunities. Watch for further details about “Ozinga Community” in the coming months.
t to n a w We r from hea
YOU!
Have something to share? Email internalcomms@ozinga.com or call 708.326.3154 with your story, news, idea, etc. and look for it in the next issue of the newsletter.
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