FOCUSMAGAZINE

EditorialCommitment to Quality

Page 3

Embedded Solutions, Embedded QualityDiversified Technology, Inc.

Page 8

Business Support CenterPage 14

Volume 13, Issue 1 | June, 2008An Ergon Perspective On Quality

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FOCUSMAGAZINEis published twice yearly by

Ergon’s Systems & Performance Improvement Department

Please send any correspondence to:

Kathryn Steen, M.Ed.Ergon Systems & Performance Improvement DepartmentP. O. Box 1639Jackson, MS 39215-1639Fax: (601) 933-3152E-mail: synergy.focus@ergon.comwww.ergon.com

Ergon’s Systems & Performance Improvement Department would like to thank everyone who contributed to this issue of Focus.

We welcome and encourage all readers’ comments, questions and feedback regarding this publication.

Please use our website surveyat www.ergon.com/surveys to let us know what you think.

Contents

64

Leslie B. Lampton, CEO

QUALITY POLICY

Product Quality is our basic busi-

ness strategy. It is our policy to

provide products and services of

the highest quality level, which

will result in satisfied customers.

Only 100% conformance to cus-

tomer requirements will be accept-

able. We will accomplish our goal

through actively involving and

training our employees, obtain-

ing commitment from our suppli-

ers, conforming to appropriate

standards and establishing and

monitoring objectives. Application

of these activities will lead to the

continual improvement of every-

thing we do.

®

EditorialCommitment to Quality

PerspectiveFrom the Daily Bread

Focus on QualityErgon’s Document Control Policy

Embedded Solutions, Embedded QualityDiversified Technology

Water SafetyMMT Water Rescue

Corporate SpotlightBusiness Support Center at Ergon

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Editorial

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the summer edition of FOCUS – our

publication about Quality at Ergon. Our company

continues to grow as we expand our products, services and

support. We welcome Paving Maintenance Supply, Inc.,

to the Ergon family. With this purchase, the recent purchase

of Jamieson Distributors, Inc., and Crafco’s own supply

centers, Crafco will have nine store locations for their

products strategically located throughout the United States.

We also welcome Superior Environmental Products, Inc.,

an epoxy coatings manufacturer based out of Addison,

TX, and their Novocoat product line to Ergon Technical

Coatings. This year, Ergon will continue its involvement in

motor sports by sponsoring Marc Mitchell in the NASCAR

Craftsman Truck Series. Marc will drive the #15 Ergon

Toyota Tundra for Billy Ballew Motorsports. The New Year

has gotten off to a good start, and it’s business as usual at

Ergon.

Every company is where it is today because of a multitude

of changes. At Ergon, change has occurred incrementally

over time as our enterprise has grown through acquisition,

new manufacturing processes, new markets, new

technologies to serve our customers and other shifts in

direction or focus. Our history as a company is a series

of events where we’ve experienced and managed change.

There are many companies in our industry that are no

longer in business today because they tried to be all things

to all people. That’s not us. Our market focus has always

been on serving a specialized, niche market. We continually

search for ways to improve our products and services, and

in the end, to simplify the way we do business. I don’t think

it would surprise anyone to say that our company operates

in a fast-paced and often unpredictable environment. There

are market forces driving change, and our customers expect

more flexibility and lowered costs. How do we successfully

operate in this type of environment? I believe that the

answer lies with the direction provided by our visionary

leadership team and our employee commitment to the

Ergon quality management system.

At Ergon, customer focus, leadership, involvement of

people, process approach and continual improvement are

some of the principles of our management system. When

these are applied in a proactive way across our organization,

our quality management system helps add value to our

company and the way it is managed. The Ergon quality

management system helps to standardize our work,

enhance our communications throughout the organization

and makes it easier to manage facts and data. It also helps

us to respond quickly and adapt when change occurs. Our

quality management system is a foundation upon which our

company can prosper and perform consistently.

Recently, Ergon’s System & Performance Improvement

Department, (SPID), has started working with several

Ergon companies to implement a quality management

system at their site. These companies are Ergon-Baton

Rouge, Inc., Bunge-Ergon Vicksburg, Inc., and the

Ergon, Inc., Business Support Center. We are continuing

to work with Lion Oil Company, Lion Oil Trading

& Transportation, Inc., and Ergon Asphalt Products,

Inc., as they build their quality management systems.

Congratulations to the employees in the Ergon, Inc.,

Petroleum Specialties Marketing Division for attaining their

compliance certificate in December 2007!

by Tom Isonhood

TOCOMMITMENT

QUALITY

Continued on page 5

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PERSPECTIVE

From the Daily Breadby Lee Lampton

Bison are made in such a way that their natural

inclination is to look down; the design of their necks

makes it difficult for them to look up. In contrast, giraffes

are designed in a way that makes looking up easy; the

way their necks were made makes it difficult for them

to look down. Two creatures created by the same God

but with distinctively different body parts and purposes.

Bison eat grass from the field below. Giraffes eat leaves

from branches above. God provides food for both, and

neither has to become like the other to eat.

As we observe the animals and people around us,

we’re reminded that God made each of us unique for

a purpose. One person’s natural tendency is to look up

and see the “big picture,” while another looks down

and focuses on details. Both are important. One is not

better than the other. God gave us individual talents and

spiritual gifts so that we can work together as a body.

I think I’m a Bison and a Giraffe “wannabe”!

The employees of six Ergon

Terminaling, Inc., facilities have

won a prestigious inaugural safety

award recently from the Independent

Liquid Terminals Association

(ILTA), based in Washington, D.C.

Because of their consistent record of

safety excellence across all locations

during a three year performance

period (2004-2007), the ILTA

“Safety Excellence Award” was

awarded to Ergon Terminaling, Inc.

This award is part of ILTA’s annual

Terminal Safety Award Program

and recognizes ILTA terminal

member companies demonstrating

a commitment to low levels of

employee injury and illness, as well

as employee safety and health.

This award was presented at ILTA’s

27th Annual Conference on June 12,

2007. The criteria on which these

awards are based include:

Demonstrated management 1.

commitment to safety in policy,

philosophy, program, and

practice

Safety incidence improvements 2.

implemented and

communicated throughout the

organization

Performance programs for 3.

safety and health, with related

auditing and training delivered

Occupational Safety and 4.

Health (OSHA) performance

evaluation measures

Active involvement in related 5.

safety and health programs,

such as the National

Petrochemical & Refiners

Association (NPRA) Safety

Awards Program.

This award reflects the hard

work and dedication of all Ergon

Terminaling, Inc., employees.

Winning this award is a great

achievement and reflects the effort

that everyone in the organization

has put into improving health and

safety performance and to reducing

employee injury and illness.

Ergon Terminaling, Inc. (ETI),

facilities handle, store, and distribute

bulk liquid fuels, petrochemicals,

asphalt, and crude oil. ETI facilities

vary in size up to 1,550,000 barrels

Ergon Terminaling wins Storage & Distribution

SAFETY EXCELLENCE AWARD

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I want to give special thanks to our employees participating

on the internal quality audit team. Last year, with their

help, we completed 42 quality audits and are scheduled for

another 54 audits during 2008. The members of this team are

employee-volunteers who leave their job sites and donate their

time to provide this critical service. We extend our sincere

appreciation for their service and thank their management for

allowing them the opportunity to serve!

Our department manages this publication for the employees

of Ergon. We hope you enjoy this update about our company.

If you are interested in contributing an article, please let us

know. We welcome your ideas to help make

this publication better. Have a good summer!

Manager State Location Years with Ergon Number of Employees

Bob Walley Alabama Birmingport 23 8

Georgia Bedwell Georgia Bainbridge 24 8

Jimmy Frederick Mississippi Yellow Creek 25 3

Chuck Johnson Tennessee Chattanooga 30 7

Billy Mayette (ret) Tennessee Memphis 32 23

Joe Reese Tennessee Nashville 22 10

ILTA Safety Excellence Award 2007

Commitment to QualityContinued from page 3

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ETI facilities and managers during the 3-year award period were:

Jimmy Langdon, Barton Lampton and Whitney Sims serve ETI from the

corporate offices in Jackson, Mississippi.

of storage and are strategically located to serve Ergon customers

as well as various in-house needs.

ILTA represents 76 companies and partnerships that operate bulk

liquid storage terminals in 41 states and 42 countries. These

facilities are located in ports and along rivers, canals

and pipelines, serving a vital economic purpose

of transferring liquid products from one

transportation mode to another. Products

handled by ILTA companies include crude

oil, petroleum products and a wide variety of chemicals, as well as

ethanol, biodiesel fuels, vegetable oils, fertilizers and other liquids.

- Ergon Terminaling welcomes a new manager to our Memphis, Tennessee

facility. Mr. Chris Eldridge returns after having worked with Ergon’s Corporate

Maintenance Department as a maintenance engineer, 2001-2002. Welcome

back, Chris.

- Welcome also to a new Ergon Terminal in Tennessee, Ergon- Knoxville, Inc.,

managed by Don Troutman. This terminal has been in operation for 54 years

with an experienced team of 7 employees joining the Ergon family

of operations.

- Tenured Managers of related terminals in the ETI organization continue to

do a fine job for Ergon. Ron Ordoyne of Ergon- St. James, Inc., providing

crude oil t our refinery operations, and Ronnie Wilkerson managing Ergon-

Baton Rouge, Inc., as a contract terminal for Exxon.

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by Kathryn Steen

FOCUSQUALITY

on

Ergon’s Document Control Program

Will Rogers said, “Even if you’re on

the right track, you’ll get run over if

you just sit there.” Ergon’s document

control program, and the employees

who manage it, not only ensure that

we are on the right track, but are

always looking for ways to improve

our document control process. Ergon’s

document control program allows

for easy access to current policies,

procedures, and programs and assures

that we are all operating from the same

guidelines.

The Ergon quality management

system is based upon the ISO 9001

quality management standard. This

standard requires that the Ergon

quality management system maintain

certain types of documentation.

The types of documentation include

a quality manual, a quality policy,

quality objectives, certain specified

procedures and other documents to

plan, control and operate Ergon’s

processes. Two procedures required

for our quality management system

are “Control of Documents” and

“Control of Records.” These two

procedures are keystones of ISO

9001. This standard requires controls

for document approvals, document

reviews, document distribution, record

storage, record retrieval, retention

times, and disposition, just to name a

few. Implementing these requirements

allows us to demonstrate and prove the

practice of controlling the reliability of

our documentation.

It is critical that accurate information

is available for employees regarding

business rules, regulations, policies,

operating procedures, programs

and safety. Successful document

management keeps these expectations

clear and aids in ensuring consistent

performance of all activities affecting

quality. To borrow an analogy from

music and sports, a successfully

managed document control system

puts everyone on the “same sheet of

music” or “following the same game

playbook”. Most employees appreciate

the fact that Ergon’s document control

system gives us an active “voice” in our

methods. We each have a responsibility

to regularly review and update our

work documents to ensure they remain

current and accurate.

In the same way that employees

reference accurate work instructions,

quality auditors, too, can easily

see evidence of a well-maintained

documents control plan. A site can

easily prove compliance with this

important step by showing, through

their documentation, that:

• The quality system exists and is

supported by a quality manual that

refers readers to policies, programs,

procedures, and instructions of their

business

• A quality plan is in operation (i.e., it is

written down, available, and followed)

• The overall system is effective and in

use

• The quality management system is

continually improving.

Checks & balances:

There are thousands of “controlled

documents” at Ergon, each with a

unique identifier, a 10-digit alpha-

numeric code that depicts the nature

of the document, the organization

responsible for approving and

publishing it, the manual(s) in which

it appears, along with its creation and

most recent revision dates, i.e., the “life

cycle” of the document. Our system

requires that we remove all outdated

versions from circulation and prove

that only current material is contained

in our “controlled manuals”. We also

ensure that each revision is clearly

marked (most often in italics with

underlined font) so that changes are

unmistakable to readers. Management

must notify employees of these updates

as they are issued so that all are

informed of changes.

Ergon’s documents have a consistent

format, design and key content

information. This consistency is

ensured by the use of special templates,

materials, and procedures provided to

employees responsible for document

control. With so many multi-site

organizations and interdependent

operations, this “predictability” of

knowing exactly where to look for

information helps to ensure speedy and

timely retrieval of needed information.

Clarification, relevant details, and

additional instruction are easy to

discern since acronyms and terms

are defined in these documents, and

“related forms and procedures” are

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also listed. The documents in this system are an invaluable

tool for employee training and a key resource for processes

not fully committed to memory or that change due to new

technology, equipment, and company policy.

Document Controllers:

Document Control is a massive and detailed function–

a critical area for our success in maximizing consistent

operations and minimizing errors, if not completely

removing them. Currently, twelve key employees in several

business segments manage the document control function and

perform an important and demanding role as the Document

Controller for their organization. In many cases, the Document

Controllers perform these responsibilities as a collateral duty–

over and above the jobs for which they were hired.

While it’s true that “Management commits to our quality

standard, and each employee is responsible for it,” the myriad

of employees who take on much more specific “Ergon

quality roles” such as Local Site Management Representative,

Quality Auditor, or Corrective and Preventive Action

Coordinator are true champions for our success. Few have

a heavier load or make a greater impact on our quality

management system than Ergon’s Document Controllers.

Training:

Document Controllers have traditionally been trained in

individual orientation sessions, monitoring, and call-in

coaching. Last year, formal classroom training was provided

to the Document Controllers in order to enhance their skills

for document control related tasks, problem-solving, and

planning. The class feedback was very positive, and plans

are in place to continue a formal training process in the

future–especially as electronic document control systems are

implemented.

Meet your hard-working, detail-oriented Document

Controllers and the organizations they serve. Next time you

see any of these dedicated employees, please take a moment

to shake their hand and say, “Thank You!”

Magnolia Marine Transport Co.

(MMT – 20 sites):

Lib Hearon, Vicksburg MS

MMT - Vicksburg MS MMT – Wood River IL

M/V - Amy Frances M/V - Ana Louise

M/V - Dennis Ross M/V - Dorothy Lee

M/V - Gene Neal M/V - Gilda Shurden

M/V - Hal D. Miller M/V - Jennie Dehmer

M/V - Katherine Berry M/V - Kelly Lee

M/V - Leslie B. M/V - Magnolia

M/V - Mari Lampton M/V - Mark Shurden

M/V - Miss Kathy M/V - Mr. Lampton

M/V - Valda M/V - W. W. Crum

Ergon Trucking, Inc.

(ETK, 13 sites):

John Barnes, Jackson MS

Jackson, AL Baton Rouge, LA

Sulphur, LA Petal, MS

Vicksburg, MS Deerfield, OH

Magnolia, OH Marietta, OH

Mercer, PA Ormsby, PA

Memphis, TN Channelview, TX

Newell, WV

Continued on page 13

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The average consumer has probably

never heard of Diversified Technology,

but chances are good that one of

the company’s designs impacts that

consumer’s day-to-day life.

Diversified Technology, Inc. (DTI),

custom designs and manufactures

embedded computing hardware and

software for the telecommunications,

government/military, and commercial

markets.

An embedded system is a special-

purpose computer system designed

to precisely perform dedicated

functions, often in real time, over a

long life. Embedded computers are

found in automated factory controls,

telephone switches, traffic lights,

military equipment, and other systems

that must be kept running for safety

reasons or that will lose large amounts

of money if shut down. Embedded

systems are also critical to many

common devices, including ATMs,

voice mail systems, and slot machines.

“The thing I find the most challenging

and the most rewarding about working

at DTI is reflected in our name –

‘diversified,’” says Patrick Welzien, Vice

President of Engineering. “We work

on different products and face different

challenges from day to day. It’s always

something different and new.”

When One Size Does Not Fit All

“Our computing products are targeted

to applications where a standard

desktop or server simply doesn’t

provide the customization or longevity

that a customer needs,” Welzien

explains. “Embedded computing

systems allow more design-specific

features to be added to the system

and offer more control over the end

product.”

Embedded applications designed

and manufactured by DTI are found

in the operating system that keeps

SIRIUS Satellite Radio on the air,

in the factory automation system

that moves cans of Campbell’s soup

along the conveyer belt, and in

telecommunications systems that

allow cell phones to “find” the people

they are calling.

On the military side, DTI developed

a custom motherboard used in a

ruggedized–that is, more temperature

and vibration resistant–laptop for the

armed forces. Some 13,000 of these

laptops are in use by U.S. forces in Iraq

and Afghanistan. DTI was chosen

as the hardware supplier for a new

system designed to collect data from

unmanned aircraft and is assisting a

major military contractor in

deploying the new Agile Multi-

Role Weapon System, a platform that

provides soldiers with the armament

flexibility needed to combat a variety

of threats.

“Across all three of our markets, our

strength is our cohesive approach

to working with our customers,”

says Joe McDevitt, Vice President

of Technical Development. “We

become an extension of the customer’s

engineering team, working hand-in-

hand with them to ensure they get the

best performance, highest reliability,

and most efficient use of our product

for their specific platform. Our ability

to design and manufacture the product

in the shortest time possible sets DTI

apart from other embedded computing

companies,” McDevitt continues. “We

can often speed up the development

of the product and get their platform

completed with a shorter time-to-

market than if they had chosen to

outsource it elsewhere or develop it

internally.”

Embedded Solutions,

Embedded Qualityby Pat BusbyDiversified Technology, Inc.

MissionTo be a market leader in advanced

computing platforms in the embedded market.

GoalProvide consistent ROI to shareholders

and create an environment where employees flourish personally and

financially.

Diversified Technology, Inc.’sGood to Great Principle

FocusTo provide (manufacture and/or resell) leading edge/first-to-the-right-market SBC boards, software and systems with focus on customer opportunities to the commercial, government/military and communication markets.

Growth ModelAllocate resources (labor, investments, and

time) on profitable rapid payback opportunities.

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9FM

World Class Facilities

DTI ‘s primary design,

manufacturing, and administrative

operations are located on a scenic,

wooded campus in Ridgeland,

Mississippi. The 125-person company

also operates an engineering and

research and development facility

in Irving, TX, and a subsidiary, Tier

Electronics, in Menomonee Falls, WI.

The Ridgeland campus includes 50,000

square feet of space for designers,

engineers, and support staff, as well

as a state-of-the-art, 80,000-square

foot manufacturing facility. Half of

the manufacturing space is dedicated

to the production of printed circuit

boards. Here, employees perform the

meticulous work of assembling these

small, single board computers, which

control traffic lights, railroad signals,

and other complex systems. With as

many as 3,000 tiny, individual parts

on each board, each critical to the

function of the system into which the

board will be installed, there is no

room for error. Once assembled, each

board is tested and retested, checked

and doubled-checked before it’s

shipped to the customer.

The other half of the production

facility is dedicated to the manufacture

and assembly of complete, packaged

computer systems. An in-house

prototype shop makes it possible for

DTI to construct working models of

new systems before committing to

large production quantities.

Conditions inside the plant itself are

carefully monitored. A sophisticated

climate control system keeps the

facility cool and dry, eliminating

humidity that could leave moisture

trapped inside the boards. An anti-

static floor treatment and heel and

wrist straps worn by all those working

on the floor prevent static electricity

that could damage the delicate

components.

Before moving to the Ridgeland

property in 1997, DTI was housed

in a cluster of plain metal buildings.

The Ridgeland campus was designed

not only to provide an aesthetically

pleasing environment for existing

operations, but also to attract new

employees and customers.

“We’re recruiting prospective

employees and customers from around

the United States–the top talent in

the industry,” says Welzien. “They’re

sometimes surprised to find out that

a world class computer design and

manufacturing firm is headquartered

in Mississippi. When they tour the

facility, they’re impressed not only by

our people and our processes, but by

the campus itself.”

“Game-Changing” Technology from

“Game-Changing” People

Another selling point for DTI is the

strength and reputation of its parent

company. Founded in 1971, DTI has

been a part of the Ergon family of

companies since 1978.

“Customers are more confident

knowing that one of the largest

privately held companies in the United

States is providing financial stability

and a long-term commitment to the

embedded computer market,” Gary

Smith, Vice President of Operations,

says. “Our longevity through industry

cycles like the dot com bust enhances

that confidence. And as a result of

Ergon’s involvement and support, DTI

is able to expand into new markets

and to develop intellectual property

outside its traditional markets.”

DTI’s vision for the long term is to

create a “game-changing” technology

–something that everyone wants but

that no one is yet making–in one or

more large markets. But while it’s

easy to get caught up in the bells and

whistles of new technology, the key to

DTI’s 36-year track record of success is

the people behind the products.

“It comes down to one thing–great

people,” says Pat Busby, President

of DTI. “We pride ourselves on the

longevity of the company and its

employees. DTI has an experienced

staff that’s seen numerous projects.

Our people enjoy digging deep and

working with customers to solve a

specific problem for them. Finding the

right solution is always a satisfying

experience for DTI.”

Diversified Technology has been has been certified as an ISO 9001 research, development, design,

and manufacturing facility since 1996. [ ]

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10FM

In this article on Clause 7, Product

Realization, we’ll describe purchasing

requirements. All companies have

some type of purchasing process,

no matter how small or large the

operation. A company must meet

all of the purchasing requirements,

whether or not they perform all of

the purchasing functions or share

the purchasing process with another

organization. Examples of this are

the Ergon companies that share

the purchasing process with the

Corporate Procurement Department.

The ISO 9001:2000 Quality

Management Standard requirements

for purchasing are comprised of

good, common sense business

practices that foster and encourage

a mutually beneficial relationship

between a company and its suppliers.

Purchasing

Purchasing Process A

company must ensure

that the purchased product meets

the purchase requirements that are

predetermined by the company. The

ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management

Standard does not specify the “type

and extent of control” a company

must take for purchased products

and suppliers but controls must be

in effect. Controls are based on the

impact that the purchased product has

on the finished product. Purchased

product having a high impact on the

finished product may include things

like raw materials, inhibitors, catalyst,

additives, process equipment, and

transportation. For service oriented

companies, purchased products may

include things such as equipment

required to provide a service,

equipment needed to monitor and/

or measure the service performance,

software and/or hardware necessary

to perform a service, and regulatory/

statutory information. For these types

of purchased products and their

suppliers, more stringent controls are

required. Purchased products of lesser

importance and lower impact require

less control. Examples of these may

include things such as office supplies,

maintenance supplies and other

materials.

Suppliers must be evaluated according

to their ability to supply products

or services that meet established

purchasing requirements. As stated

earlier, these purchasing requirements

are determined by each company.

This evaluation must take place when

initially selecting suppliers and again

periodically after a supplier has been

used. This evaluation must consist

of those things that are important to

a company. Evaluation criteria may

include things like delivery times,

accuracy of orders or accuracy of

paperwork. Whatever this evaluation

consists of must be defined and

documented. Any action taken as the

result of an evaluation must also be

documented.

Purchasing Information

Purchasing documents,

such as requisitions or purchase

orders, are required to communicate

to suppliers what the company wants

to purchase. This information must

clearly state the specifications or

requirements for the product to be

purchased. Purchasing information

could also be in the form of special

approvals, regulatory requirements

(i.e., EPA and DOT requirements),

transportation/unloading

requirements, quality management

system requirements

(i.e., compliance to ISO 9001:2000)

or special qualifications of personnel.

These specifications or requirements

must be verified for accuracy prior

to the purchasing document being

released to suppliers.

Verification of Purchased

Products The company

must ensure that purchased product

requirements are met. This can

be achieved through means such

as conventional receipt inspection

methods, supplier certifications, 100%

inspection practices, verifications

at the supplier’s facility or other

appropriate methods and/or any

combination of these methods. If

the verification takes place at the

supplier’s facility, the purchasing

documents must describe the

verification process and how the

purchased product will be released.

This sub-clause is only concerned

with purchased products that are

incorporated into the finished

product.

In closing, meeting the purchasing

requirements are an essential part

of ensuring that we get what we pay

for and that we give our customers

what they expect. This expectation

is agreed from the beginning. The

supplier and customer relationships

are vital components of Ergon’s

Quality Management System and

core values.

In the next issue of FOCUS, we

will continue with a discussion of

Clause 7.5, Production and Service

Provision.

by Charlie Bennett

ISO 9000QUALITY STANDARD

Clause Seven: Product Realization part 3 of 6

7.47.4.1

7.4.2

7.4.3

11FM

MMT Water Rescueby Kathryn Steen & Elizabeth Ellis

Water SafetyJuly 25, 2007, proved to be a busy day on the waters of the

Missouri River. The second annual “Missouri 340” was

underway, an endurance race which involved over 70 people

between the ages of 17 and 82 canoeing and kayaking

their way from Kansas City to St. Charles. This event is

advertised as “the world’s longest non-stop river race.” That

same day, the motor vessel JENNIE DEHMER was headed

northbound on the Missouri with two loaded asphalt

barges. Pilot Jesse Lybarger took watch around 11 p.m.

About 2 a.m. July 26, Lybarger noticed some lights two

miles upstream which he identified as kayaks moving

downstream. Lybarger continued carefully toward the

left descending bank in order to remain in the navigation

channel and to avoid the kayaks. As he proceeded, he

noticed one kayak began steering the same direction as the

JENNIE DEHMER. In another attempt to avoid the kayak,

Lybarger steered to starboard, but the kayak continued on

its path toward the tow. When the kayak paddled out of

Lybarger’s sight, he became concerned that it was going

to hit the tow boat. Believing a collision to be imminent,

Lybarger put the engine full astern and sounded both the

danger signal and general alarm to alert the crew of people

in the water.

Lybarger’s quick thinking resulted in John Tallant’s

immediate response to the danger signal. He, along with

Robert Mosier and Carl Richardson prepared a rescue boat.

However, Richardson quickly spotted two people in the

water only 15 feet away. He immediately threw a life ring

to them which the woman, Ann Grove, held steady for her

husband, Wayne Kocher. They were both pulled to safety,

assuring their rescuers they were uninjured and unharmed,

and declining medical checks. They were given towels, dry

garments, coffee and breakfast while the Missouri Water

Patrol was contacted. They reported to the crew that they

had been on the water about 40 hours and had stopped

only once since the start of the race for a couple of hours

sleep. They said they believed they were paddling for the

nearest shore when they saw the boat’s navigation lights and

flood light, but must have become disoriented and instead

paddled across the channel in front of the tow by mistake.

They said when they knew they could not avoid colliding

with the boat, they jumped free of their kayak.

The couple reported their belief that they were navigating

consistently with the safety rules of the event, which

instructed racers to get behind nearest wing dykes to yield

right-of-way and wait for commercial traffic on the river

to pass before proceeding with the contest. The couple

also had a marine radio in their kayak, tuned to the race

channel’s frequency, which the event organizers instructed

would broadcast race and safety information for the

participants. The crew of the JENNIE DEHMER reported

being surprised at how calm the couple remained in light of

the dramatic ordeal. Neither Grove nor Kocher suffered any

injuries. They departed the JENNIE DEHMER at

6:30 a.m. accompanying the Missouri Water Patrol, with

thanks and farewells, and stating that all they wanted were a

hotel room, hot showers, and a bed.

Congratulations to a watchful and experienced crew for

their detection, judgment, and speed in responding to an

emergency.

Did you know? Regarding safety, everyday the U.S. Coast Guard:

• Saves 14 lives

• Assists 98 people in distress

• Conducts 74 search and rescue cases

• Completes 31 Port State Control safety and environmental exams on foreign vessels

• Performs 18 safety examinations on commercial fishing vessels

• Conducts 24 marine casualty investigations

• Issues 102 Certificates of Inspection to U.S. commercial vessels

Source: http://www.uscg.mil/

Continued on page 12 11FM

12FM

Quality PersonnelSystems & Performance Improvement—Staffing Changesby Tom Isonhood

Thank You and Best Wishes…

Lisa King – Document Controller

Lisa has left Ergon to pursue her interest in art and poetry

and is continuing her education at Hinds Community

College. We thank Lisa for her contribution to our

department and wish her and her family continued success.

Welcome to Ergon!

Conor Storey, Management System Consultant

Conor accepted a Management System Consultant

position in our department in October 2007 and

brings with him a wealth of business consulting

skills from his previous employers. Conor, a

native North Carolinian and graduate of the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,

has previously worked as a Data Analyst for

Health Information Design, Inc. and an AS 400 Developer

for Verizon/MCI/WorldCom. Conor will work with Ergon

companies as they implement quality management systems.

Angela Bierdeman,

Document Control Specialist

Angela accepted the Document

Control Specialist position in our

department in November 2007.

Before Ergon, Angela, a graduate

from Mississippi College and the

University of Southern Mississippi,

was an educator at University Christian School and the

Educational Center School. She was also the Training

Director and Quality Assurance Coordinator for the

Mississippi State Hospital. We are very excited to have

Angela on our team to manage the corporate document

control function.

MMT Water RescueContinued from page 11

Each year, thousands of recreational paddlers in canoes

and kayaks share the water with power boaters and large

commercial vessels. Many rivers and inland waterways

have strong currents and hidden dangers beneath the

surface. Commercial shipping lanes, in addition, used

by tug and tow boats and heavy cargo/freight barges

involve strong undertows and powerful wakes. Barges,

flat-bottomed boats built mainly for river and canal

transport of heavy goods, are seldom self-propelled,

relying instead on tugboats pulling or towboats pushing

them to their destination. Barges can measure almost

300 feet by 54 feet wide and can carry up to 1,500 tons

of cargo. Especially south of St. Louis, MO, to the Gulf

of New Orleans, where no locks restrict the size of a

shipment, a single tow can push several barges tied side-

by-side in multiple rows, all at one time.

Recreational boaters, including paddlers,

should communicate your route(s), departure and

arrival, in addition to planning for safety, packing

proper gear, knowing your waterways responsibilities,

rescue maneuvers, universal river signals and rights

of way. Research presented at the Paddlesports

Education Leadership Forum of the International

Boating and Water Safety Summit (ACA’s Critical Judgment II: Understanding and Preventing Canoe and Kayak Fatalities) provided seven years of canoe and

kayak safety statistics. While more statistics are

needed, the identifiable trend concluded that most of

the increase in fatalities was in recreational kayaking–a

market segment not as likely to seek out paddling safety

instruction. Many accidents, the report concluded,

involved casual paddlers using a canoe while fishing.

The statistics in Critical Judgment II help the ACA

target its safety messages to casual paddlers in venues

specific to those groups. Before participating in any

group event on commercial moving waters, make sure

that the organizers and sponsors have registered with

the United States Coast Guard, who are the authority

for U.S. waters. The Coast Guard communicates such

events to commercial vessels navigating those waters

for added vigilance. Not many, but SOME, events

allow night paddling on high-mileage, endurance races,

with periodic check points established. Boat safety

lights should be illuminated at all times while on the

water at night.

For more information, please visit:

• American Canoe Association (ACA):

www.americancanoe.org

• United States Coast Guard: www.uscgboating.org

• U. S. Army Corps of Engineers - National Water

Safety Program: http://watersafety.usace.army.mil

13FM

Ergon Terminaling, Inc.

(ETI – 7 sites):

Amanda Butler, Memphis TN

Birmingport-Mulga, AL

Bainbridge, GA

Chattanooga, TN

Knoxville, TN

Memphis, TN

Nashville, TN

Yellow Creek, MS

Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc.

(EAE – 5 sites):

Lynda Witherington, Memphis TN

Vicksburg, MS – Emulsions

Memphis, TN – Emulsions

Mt. Pleasant, TX – Emulsions

Pleasanton, TX – Emulsions

Waco, TX – Emulsions

Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc.

Technical Coatings and Polymer Div.

(EAE – 3 sites):

Carrie Munns, Memphis TN

Memphis, TN – Technical Coatings Division

Memphis, TN– Polymer Division

Vicksburg, MS – Polymer Division

Ergon Asphalt Products, Inc.:

(EAP – 3 sites):

Lori Day, Chandler AZ

Chandler, AZ

Snowflake, AZ

Las Vegas, NV

Ergon Refining, Inc.

(ERI – 1 site):

Marilyn Brubaker, Vicksburg MS

Ergon – West Virginia, Inc.

(EWV – 1 site):

Angie Pollack, Newell WV

Lion Oil Company

(LOC – 1 site):

Robbie Raynes, El Dorado AR

Lion Oil Trading & Transportation

(LOTT – 1 site):

Clarissa Murphy, El Dorado AR

Ergon, Inc.

(EI – 10 operations):

Angela Bierdeman, Jackson MS

Ergon – Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge LA

Ergon – St. James, Inc. – St. James LA

Ergon, Inc. (Corporate) – Jackson, MS

EI – Business Support Center – Jackson, MS

EI – Customer Service Department – Jackson, MS

EI – Environmental, Health, Safety Department – Jackson, MS

EI – Human Resources Dept. – Jackson, MS

EI – Risk Management Dept. – Jackson, MS

EI – Systems & Performance Improvement Deptartment –

Jackson, MS

EI – Petroleum Specialties Marketing Div. – Jackson, MS

Not pictured:

Ergon Marine & Industrial Services (EMIS – 2 sites):

Cathy Wilson, Vicksburg MS

Memphis, TN

Vicksburg, MS

The next feature in this series, “Focus on Quality,” will be our

Internal Quality Management System Audit Program.

Ergon’s Document Control ProgramContinued from page 7

14FM

Corporate Spotlight

by Ron WashingtonErgon’s Business Support Center

The responsibility of Ergon’s Business Support

Center, (BSC), is to work in partnership with the

Information Technology (IT) Departments of the three

refineries, Diversified Technology, Inc., Magnolia

Marine Transport Company, and Crafco, Inc. to

provide the Ergon enterprise with the computer and

communications resources needed to conduct business

in this complicated world and Ergon’s complicated

business environment.

These resources include:

• Application software and servers

• Personal computer hardware and software

• Local area networks (LAN support)

• Wide area network (WAN)

• Printers, copiers, scanners, fax machines, and

• Telephone equipment (wired and wireless),

telephone line service, data line service, and

wireless service.

As you can imagine, it is a very challenging task for IT

personnel to keep up with the constant and fast-paced

changes of today’s technology. Ergon is blessed with

many very bright and dedicated IT employees willing to

spend the extra effort and work the extra hours required

to “keep up” and provide Ergon with new technology

that can make us a better company.

The BSC consists of two Divisions:

Technical Services Division

The BSC Technical Services Division provides technical

support for all of Ergon’s various systems’ hardware,

systems software, and operational facilities. Our

team provides coordinated support (working with

the Information Technology staffers at Ergon’s major

locations like our refineries) for Enterprise Wide

Applications such as Exchange (E-Mail) and Systems,

Applications and Products in Data Processing (SAP) as

well as smaller applications and the network structure

required to run these applications.

We also provide a “one call, that’s all” approach to

solving our users’ needs for help through our Call

Center. Our Technical Support Team is lead by:

• Ben White, Director of Technical Services

• Michael Cullen, Manager of SAP Infrastructure

• Derryl Steib, Manager of Technical Support

• Brian Lee, Corporate LAN Manager

• Shawn Sellers, Senior Support Technician and

• Dick Mitchell, Manager of Computer Operations

The broad range of support and Call Center assistance

provided includes the areas of SAP, server hardware,

server software, LAN & WAN networks, internet

services, Enterprise Data Center, PC hardware &

software, telephone systems, mobile phones, copiers,

printers, video conferencing, and OnBase document

control.

We’ve almost completed a total upgrade of the SAP

environment to newer, faster computers and are actively

working on enhancements that will speed up the

access and processing time for all networked systems

both local and remote. And, we are always “doing our

14FM

15FM

homework” to find ways to provide our services faster

and better, while reducing costs in the process.

Business Applications Division

The BSC Business Applications Division at the Ergon

corporate offices in Jackson, Mississippi, along with

remote IT staffs, provide programming support for all

business-related software applications. These include

all Accounting Department applications; data transfers

to and from banks, customers, vendors, and others; all

software running the Terminal Automation Systems;

all customized programs on our SAP system; and

all third-party software such as Crude Oil handling,

Product Pricing and Refinery Production Planning.

The team also supports SAP Integration Management,

SAP Business Information (BI), Legacy (Mainframe)

Applications, Web-Based Applications, PC & Network

Server Applications and our Laser Printing Systems.

The Business Applications group includes:

• Mike Menapace, Director of Business Applications

• Patricia Aron, SAP Business Intelligence

Administrator

• Robert Bailey, Senior Programmer/Analyst –

Special Projects

• Kirby Deer, Senior Programmer/Analyst – Systems

Programmer

• Joe Evans, Human Resources Information System

Manager

• Randy Jones, Senior Programmer/Analyst

• Melanie Petren, Senior Personal Computer and

Web Programmer/Analyst

• J.M. Sims, Senior Program Analyst, SAP

Integration Manager, and

• Mark Sistrunk, Programmer/Analyst

With Ergon now operating in Europe, we are facing

and meeting the challenges of international sales using

foreign laws, currencies, and languages. We continue to

undergo many changes to keep up with the times. This

includes adapting the latest methods and technologies to

keep Ergon on the “cutting edge” and to give us every

possible advantage while keeping the customer first.

The combined resources of these two divisions are

dedicated to providing:

• Each Ergon employee the reliable and easy-to-use

computer and communication resources they need

to do their job efficiently and effectively

• Each Ergon customer and vendor the timely and

accurate business information and transactions

needed to sustain long term partnerships.

Please remember to contact the Ergon Business

Support Center via e-mail: Call.Center@ergon.com,

or telephone: 601-933-3500, if you need technical

assistance with your computer or communications

related hardware or software.

15FM

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDJackson, MS

Permit No. 774

Systems & Performance Improvement DepartmentP. O. Box 1639Jackson, MS 39215-1639

Ethanol. Made in Mississippi.

Bunge Ergon Vicksburg, LLC1833 Haining RoadVicksburg, MS 39183bunge-ergon-vicksburg.com

As the need for energy in the U.S. increases, America must look to other sources for stable, continued growth. One solution is the renewable fuel, ethanol. Ethanol’s main ingredient? Corn. Grown right here in America.

The new facility in Vicksburg, Mississippi is a state-of-the-art, 60 million gallon per year plant. That may not seem like a lot of ethanol, but the effect is American refiners will not have to import over 2 million barrels of crude oil.

Less dependence on crude oil imports and expanded markets for our nations’ farmers. A real win for the home team.