Ozinga Newsletter - December 2022

SAMANTHA FINDLAY INDUCTED INTO MICHIGAN HALL OF HONOR

In November, Ozinga’s very own Samantha Findlay took the field at halftime in front of 110,000 football fans in Michigan Stadium. The halftime ceremonies honored Samantha for her induction into the University of Michigan Hall of Honor, Class of 2002.

The Michigan Hall of Honor was established in 1978 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions as athletes, coaches, and administrators to the tradition of Michigan Athletics and, in doing so, have enhanced the image and reputation of the University. Those inducted into the Michigan Hall of Honor have earned All-America recognition in a team or individual sport or, as individuals have established an NCAA, American or World record; won an NCAA title; or made significant contributions to the Michigan Athletic Department as a coach or administrator.

Samantha capped her freshman season with the most famous home run in Michigan softball history, hitting a three-run shot in the 10th inning to clinch Michigan’s 4-1 win over UCLA and give the Wolverines their first national championship. Samantha batted .409 in the Women’s College World Series and was named Most Outstanding Player. She hit .361 that year with a team-high 77 runs batted in and 43 walks, and she smacked 21 homers to tie the school single-season record. A first-team All-American as a second basemen in 2008, Samantha set career marks at the time for home runs, (62), RBI (219) and slubbing percentage (.667). She was named to the all-region team three times, the Big Ten All-Tournament team twice, and was the 2005 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and a 2008 unanimous All-Big Ten first team selection.

“My wife and I were honored to attend the ceremonies,” said Lloyd Meyer, President of our Chicago region. “Our coworkers are all about character, competence, merit and the pursuit of excellence in a team sport to service our Chicagoland customers. The outstanding traits that made Samantha succeed at U of M 15 years ago have made her an indispensable part of our Chicago team.”

RETIREE ROUNDUP: OZINGA ALUMNI BUSY IN RETIREMENT

HENRY OUTING

The Alumni Coworker Resource Group took a tour to our Henry operation back in October.

ALUMNI BREAKFASTS

Ozinga alumni Phil Templeman, Everett M Lewis, Harry DeBruin, Rich Kelly, and Mike Zegers recently met for breakfast in Schererville, IN.

Another group of Alumni also met in Schererville, IN with Paul Ozinga as a guest. Join the Alumni every Tuesday at 9 a.m. at Panera in Schererville. In attendance, Doug Van Vuren, Willie Andrews, Rich Kelly, Harry De Bruin, Phil Templeman, Ed Kawa, Mike Zegers, Everett Lewis.

BIKE TRIP IN MISSOURI

Lon Natelborg and his wife took a bicycle trip along the Katy Trail in Missouri.

impact those around me every day, at home, in traffic and at work. I have the responsibility to bring my best and treat them with dignity and respect. And I can always do better – for them.

OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY

IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE

By Rex Jameson

As I reflect on the holiday season and the year that is rapidly reaching its end, I realize not only that we’ve had opportunities that few others have had, but also that we have responsibilities that go along with them.

The opportunities have presented themselves in the form of countless candidates for jobs here at Ozinga. In today’s market, we’ve had to work hard to attract these candidates. Some clearly did not have the qualifications needed in the role for which they were applying. Others were “over-qualified.” Most were somewhere in between. Regardless of where they stood along that continuum, we had the opportunity to touch each of them in a meaningful way. We had the responsibility to treat each one of them as a person worthy of our respect.

At this time of year, I’m asking myself, “How did we do? Did we live up to Ozinga’s purpose to have a positive impact on them?” In many cases, the answer was clearly, “Yes!!” I remember watching the face of one candidate go from nervousness and concern to confidence and smiles as one of my coworkers helped him through the application and onboarding process. Some were excited to begin, and it was easy to see the positive impact.

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT: COWORKER SURVEY EXPERIENCE RESULTS ARE IN!

Thank you for your participation in the 2022 Coworker Experience Survey. The survey ran October 31 through November 21, with roughly 1,065 participants. You’ll notice, our highranking scores reveal that coworkers have a clear understanding of what excellence in their role looks like and are equipped with the resources needed to be successful. Lower-ranking scores indicate that coworkers want to know more about their individual contributions and the value they bring to the organization.

For those who were not hired, we still did our best to see the best in them, give them clear answers and treat them with respect. Ozinga is investing in technology that will help us do a better job of communicating quickly and clearly with candidates.

Unfortunately, in my mind’s eye, I can also see the candidates for whom we fell short of giving them a good experience with Ozinga. Maybe the job wasn’t what they were expecting, or we failed to get back to them in a timely manner. While we did our best, we can still improve.

Most importantly, we’ve had a 0.07 increase in overall engagement. While this may not seem significant, it is noteworthy. Gallup reports an average increase in engagement to be between 0.02 and 0.04. Though there is more work to be done, we are heading in the right direction. Be on the lookout for more updates regarding engagement efforts and our Coworker Experience Survey.

But that’s how it is with us humans, eh? We work hard, we do good things, yet we fall short of perfection. Our responsibility is to continue to improve and see each other as imagebearers of God. And it’s not just for the team – it’s for me, too. I have the opportunity to

2023 - THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO FROM YOUR LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT TEAM

• Learning Management System (LMS) – In 2023 we will launch an official learning platform that will allow us to offer learning in many forms to all Ozinga coworkers (including drivers and everyone out in the field). From online, quick microburst learning (5–10-minute trainings), to live in-person or remote, and pre-recorded offerings. Stay tuned for updates as it is being created and piloted. We can’t wait to help you dive into professional development and embrace our value of learning!

• Coach’s Corner – Resources for coworkers for professional coaching will be highlighted in each newsletter.

• Management Training – A curriculum is currently being developed to help managers be most effective in their roles. Just a few topics are Effective Interviewing, Recognition & Rewards, The Hiring Process, and Managing Difficult Conversations. Many more will be announced in the new year as the training is piloted across Ozinga.

SOUTH FLORIDA COLLECTS DONATIONS FOR THOSE AFFECTED

BY HURRICANE IAN

After Hurricane Ian hit Florida in September, Doral Plant Manager Carlos Andrade was quick to organize a group of children and adults to help those affected by the disaster. This group provided clean-up services, food and even haircuts.

South Florida coworkers joined together to collect donations for the group to take with them, which included more than 400 pounds of clothing items, blankets and shoes of all sizes.

Bill Tribble, Area Maintenance Manager, and his wife donated 10 large, full shopping bags with hygiene items.

Eddie Williams, Area Manager, helped facilitate the water pallet, which included more than 90 cases of water.

QUESTIONS? CONCERNS?

IDEAS? FEEDBACK?

We want to hear from you! If you have a question you’d like to ask, idea you’d love to share, a concern you’ve had or general feedback you’d like to give, you can now do so by using the QR code. All information can be shared anonymously, or you may leave contact info if you’d like a response.

“My church and I are extremely thankful to the whole Ozinga organization for their generous contributions for this mission,” said Carlos. “The kids were able to put 140 boxes of items with food and hygiene supplies together for those affected by the hurricane.”

HANDYMAN HAL FEATURES OZINGA’S FLORIDA OPERATION

Handyman Hal is a YouTube personality who makes educational videos for children focused on construction. He recently headed down to our South Florida operation to feature Ozinga on his show, which has more than 100,000 subscribers. He was so impressed with our trucks that he even made a special version of his show specifically for our Ozinga Kids Club members. If you have young children or grandchildren—or just want to check it out for yourself—you can watch the public video at youtube.com/watch?v=PDU63XMH7Es