FastenatingTimes: Issue 8 • February 2023

FastenatingTimes

ISSUE 8 • February 2023

INDUSTRY OF THE YEAR AWARD

Morito Scovill Americas has been named 2022 Industry of the Year by the Habersham County Chamber of Commerce!

This award was presented during a Chamber Gala held at the North Georgia Technical College of Industrial Technology Building on Thursday, February 2nd. MSA was recognized for our dedication to the local community and in honor of the longevity of our business.

We are proud of this recognition and the plaque will soon be on display in the entryway for everyone to enjoy.

THE FUTURE IS HERE!

Billie Tarango has developed a passion for traveling. She recently found a way to travel that has not only piqued her interest but inspired her to travel more. On a trip to California with friends this past October, Billie had her first experience with a self-driving car. After flying to California, she and her friends decided it would be a fun idea to rent a Tesla and let it drive them around Los Angeles. It is an experience that she won’t soon forget. Even though someone had to be sitting in the driver’s seat, the fact that the car did all the work is what intrigued Billie. The car would identify stop signs and traffic lights to automatically slow the car to a stop. It also used cameras to detect the other cars around it and moved accordingly.

After her California adventure, Billie and her friends decided to rent another Tesla and travel to New York City for New Year’s Eve. This time they rented the car round trip, allowing them to get the full experience of how the car works. While in New York City, Billie enjoyed the food, touring the city and taking a tour of Central Park, where she got to see where movies such as Home Alone, were filmed. She even got to see the ball drop at Times Square on New Year’s Eve.

After both her trips to California and New York, she learned that riding in a car that is capable of driving itself, comes with both highs and lows. She recalled the car experiencing some trouble going around curves, which prompted them to decide to mainly let the car drive itself on the freeway. They even went a full 2 hours without anyone having to intervene with the cars auto pilot.

“The convenience of the car is what is nice. You do have to be more aware though,” says Billie.

LEADERSHIP HABERSHAM

As a proud member of our small rural community, Morito Scovill Americas recently welcomed 42 members of the Leadership Habersham Class of 2023 to tour our facility. Thank you to all our MSA associates for pitching in to be sure the tour areas were clean, safe and educational for our visitors.

EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION

We are excited to celebrate all of our amazing associates!

The 2022-2023 Employee Appreciation Celebration is scheduled for May 10th on the front lawn of MSA.

Billie Tarango, Customer Service Representative

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Cody Bennett began working at MSA in 2018 after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from Kennesaw State University. Cody joined MSA as a Mechanical Engineer and now works as the Quality Manager. His favorite part about working here is the people and the fact that he is always doing something new.

“I enjoy never doing the same thing. It is always something new. It makes it interesting,” says Cody. He discovered at a young age that he wanted to go into engineering because he enjoyed taking things apart and putting them back together. Growing up on a farm and working on all their tractors and trucks, he discovered that he enjoyed working with his hands.

Cody’s favorite thing to do is spending time with his wife, Samantha, and their 16-month-old daughter, Amelia Ruth. When he is not with them, he enjoys hunting, fishing and working on cars. Something not too many people know about Cody is that he grew up a Boy Scout and is now the Assistant Scout Master for a troop in the Cherokee district. He enjoys going camping and hiking with the Boy Scouts. He also enjoys being a deacon at his church.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to newlyweds,

Sayra and Nicolas were married on December 29th at the Stephens County Probate Court Office and we wish them many years of love and happiness together!

Cody Bennett, Quality Manager

Aubrey Floyd Electrician

Billie Tarango Customer Service Representative

Sipheng Tiamtisack Machine Operator

Sengkham Tiamtisack Machine Operator

Sayra Lara and Nicolas Alvarez!

CHRISTMAS CONTESTS

Thank you to everyone that participated in the MSA Christmas contests! Congratulations to the winners of our cookie contests Kristie Thorton, Brandy Hoffacker and Tracey Bolme. And congratulations to Billie Tarango, winner of our homemade sweater contest!

BRAND REFRESH

In 2022, Morito Japan released an updated logo, giving Morito Scovill Americas the opportunity to revisit our logo as well. On January 1, 2023, MSA proudly launched our newly refreshed logo in support of our brand story:

We are Morito Scovill Americas. Our history is rich in culture and our depth of knowledge makes us the industry leader around the world. Our future is promising as we continue to build partnerships through operational excellence and customer experience.

With a network spanning across the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe, our relationship with Morito gives us more reach, more products and more options for our customers.

People are the heart of our company and MSA is active and steadfast in our commitment to provide continuous improvement and operational efficiency to our customers and partners.

SCOVILL FASTENERS TIME CAPSULE

Check out these vintage 24 karat gold plated sew-on buttons featuring the Cadillac logo!

These buttons can be seen in the display case in the lobby, along with other unique examples of Scovill’s history.

Kristie Thornton Cookie Contest - Appearance 1st Place

Brandy Hoffacker Cookie Contest - Taste 1st Place

Tracey Bolme Cookie Contest - Taste 2nd Place

Billie Tarango Homemade Sweater Contest 1st Place

Age Group 0–4 Winner Scarlett Phongsavanh

Age Group 5-9 Winner Hattie Jo Watts-Savage

Age Group 10-14 Winner Stella Bowman

Age Group 15-18 Winner Eli Thornton

EMPLOYEE SURVEY RESULTS

The Employee Survey took place in November. The majority of associates reported a positive feeling about workplace culture and feel respected and listened to by their team. Here are a few key takeaways:

• 38% of associates said that improved communication would make the largest difference toward a better workplace

• Vacation pull forward was very important to 22% vs. 16% of associates who said it was not important

• Work hour flexibility was very important to 34% vs. 4% of associates who said it was not important

• 48% of associates voted incentives as the number one perk they would enjoy with increased pay coming in second at 22%

1ST QUARTER KPI’s

AREA HAPPENINGS

Habersham County

February 25, Clarkesville Gun Show @ Habersham County Fairgrounds, Clarkesville

March 1-31, Annual Georgia Wine Highway Event @ Various Wineries

Across North Georgia

Lumpkin County

February 11, Chase Away Winter 5k, 8:45am @ Lumpkin County

High School, Dahlonega

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS

The MSA facility will be closed for the following holidays to allow employees to spend time with their families:

Easter: April 7 & 10

March 18, Day in the Life of a Miner, 10am-4pm @ Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site, Dahlonega

April 8, Meat N Eat Car Show, 9am-3:30pm @ Auto Metal Direct, Gainesville

White County

February 18-19, Winterfest Arts Tour, 10am-5pm @ Helen Arts & Heritage Center, Helen

March 3, Taste of the Town, 6:30-11pm @ The Meadows at Mossy Creek, Cleveland

April 8, Natural Egg Dyeing, 10am-2pm @ Hardman Farm Historic Site, Sautee Nacoochee

WORD SEARCH

Across

4. Used to generate heat

6. A vehicle for winter travel

7. Invisible matter on the road which can cause accidents

8. A common problem after long cold exposure

9. A beloved winter Olympic sport

12. A measure of temperature

14. Warms the neck area

15. The white stuff that falls from the sky

16. Winter weather attire

17. Eskimo dwelling

Down

1. A first sign on spring

2. The skin’s reaction to cold

3. A cold continent

4. A winter holiday

5. A popular winter sport

10. The animal that predicts winter’s future

11. A celebration involving the exchange of gifts

13. Where the elves make toys

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