ceo letter in this issue - sunland logistics … · based on the extremely positive feedback from...

It’s not just the weather that’s starting to heat up! We have a lot of exciting developments going on at Sunland. Our team has been focused on embracing one of Sunland’s core values, Reaching New Heights, and it is certainly starting to pay off. Reaching New Heights means striving to seek new methods to innovate, provide fuel for organic growth, and win new customers.

Innovation: As you may have heard, Sunland has recently formed a strategic partnership with our friends at LeanCor Supply Chain Group. A collaboration between our two companies will help drive innovation into our customers’ supply chains as we combine lean practices and operational excellence.

Providing Fuel for Organic Growth: We’d like to thank all of our guests who invested their time to participate in Sunland’s fi rst Voice of the Customer Event in March. This was an event designed to strengthen relationships and to learn how we can better serve our customers. Based on the extremely positive feedback from attendees and the new business opportunities we’ve already begun discussing, I’d say VOC was some prettypowerful fuel, and we look forward to doing it again next year.

Win New Customers: Sunland continues to be fortunate in earning the trust and business of numerous companies we are proud to call customers. In April we celebrated the Grand Opening of a new 300,000 SF chemical distribution center that we have the privilege of operating for MeadWestvaco Specialty Chemicals in Goose Creek, SC. Also, we’ve just launched an e-commerce operation for Draper James, Reese Witherspoon’s new southern lifestyle company. From the fi rst conversation about a new opportunity to the fi rst outbound shipment, it’s a collaborative effort requiring many hands on deck.

On a fi nal note, I’d like to thank all of our team members at Sunland for their hard work and dedication as we continue to grow and improve how we do business. The word striv-ing is used intentionally in the description of this value because Reaching New Heights is not easy. Companies can feel growing pains just like teenagers. While fortunately we’re spared the acne, we’re still faced with the challenge of adapting to lots of major changes, both internally and externally. I’m confi dent that we will Reach New Heights and achieve our goals outlined in Sunland’s Destination 2018 plan because we have a strong, enthusiastic team. If we continue to trust one another, communicate openly, and lead by example…that’s how we win!

Enjoying the Journey,

Arch Thomason CEO, Sunland Logistics Solutions

IN THISISSUE

CEO LETTER QUALITY MOMENT LEAN LESSON OPERATIONS HIGHLIGHT

SAFETY MOMENT REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

RECOGNIZE &REWARD

CELEBRATION

ISSUE 8 • SUNLAND LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS SPRING 2015

CEO LETTER

SUNLANDLOGISTICSSOLUTIONS.COM





Ribbon Cutting Ceremony | April 24, 2015



QUALITY MOMENT

COMMUNICATION IS LEADERSHIPI recently attended the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) Conference in Orlando, Florida. There were many key takeaways and new ideas from the event; however, there is one thought that keeps ringing loudly in my mind. One session speaker who was speaking as it relates to dealing with employees said, “Communication is leadership.” This resonated with me for many reasons, but one primary reason is that when it comes to creating value for customers, communication is the fi rst step. In many environments value occurs when custom-er expectations are understood. Specifi cally, the communication skill to listen to the voice of the customer and get entire organizations aligned around what the cus-

tomer wants and needs is what breeds success. In our environment, the customer leads by communicat-ing expectations. We (suppliers/providers) lead by listening, understanding, anticipating, asking, discern-ing, and refl ecting, then acting on what we hear. Think about the skill, “to ask.” As a leader, if you don’t understand what is expected, and you don’t ask - failure and disappointment often follow. Think about the skill to speak and communicate a message. If you know something should be discussed or communi-cated and you fail to speak or communicate when it is necessary, opportunities are lost and mediocrity results. The key is to refl ect on our personal infl uence related to our interactions and improve the QUALITY of the outcomes personally and profes-sionally by using every communication skill in our arsenal.

5S was developed in Japan and was identifi ed as one of the techniques that enable Just In Time (JIT) manu-facturing. There are fi ve 5S phases: They can be trans-lated from the Japanese as “sort”, “straighten,” “shine,” “standardize,” and “sustain.” Sunland operations aren’t on the lean journey alone; our whole company is com-

mitted to this initiative. This is why Carla Wilson, our new executive assistant in the corporate offi ce, will be helping us to learn how to take 5S principles and apply them to offi ces.

The fi rst step in 5S’ing your offi ce space is to go through each and every item in your offi ce and decide if you really need it. This is not a perfunctory effort at looking at only your desktop or the tops of your fi ling cabinets. Sorting is about touching each and every item and making the hard choices. Do you really need 3 boxes of rubber bands? Twenty kinds of pens? A year’s supply of paper or legal pads? (Remember the great organizational mantra: “When in doubt, throw it out!”) Keep only what is essential in your offi ce space… like your stapler.

the skill to speak and communicate a message. If you know something should be discussed or communi-

Elijah RayEVP Customer Solutions

LEAN LESSON: 5S-ing The Offi ce Space




OPERATIONS HIGHLIGHT

SAFETY MOMENT

SUNLAND LEADS WITH SAFETY

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A NOTE FROM DAVID MADDEN, VP of OPERATIONS

The Unexpected Benefi ts of Doing the Unexpected

I read an article recently that caused me to think. The article was found in Entrepreneur Magazine and was titled, “The Unexpected Benefi ts of Doing the Unexpected.” The article states that, “when it comes to customer service, tell me what makes you walk away feeling great about a brand: when they fi nally give in and cut you a break after you spend hours and days complaining to tone-deaf service reps, or when they treat you with respect and do the right thing with-

out hesitation right off the bat? You want to do the unexpected in ways that might benefi t customers and the company.”

How does this behavior apply to Sunlanders? We are always going to be trained on delivering a con-sistent service to our customers, and this consistent, great service is our measuring stick. We train on procedures and identifying ways to improve our processes. We will always encourage and support a constant change toward improvement. These things are at our core. However, I want us also to remember the benefi ts of doing the unexpected. Below are some ways that we can incor-porate the unexpected into our workdays and help further create customer loyalty:

1. When it comes to customer service, do the right thing without hesitation.2. Go out of your way to help a peer that is struggling with a task.3. When you sense that a customer is not happy, ensure that this problem is solved and follow up to ensure that they are satisfi ed.

“IT’S NOT THE HEAT, IT’S THE HUMIDITY” It’s true that when you sweat, perspiration evaporates and actually helps cool the body. But if you’re working in an environment that’s both hot and humid, that humidity can actually reduce the degree to which the body can lose heat by evaporation. The harder it is to cool off, the easier it is to suffer a heat related illness. Wear-ing light, loose-fi tting clothes, such as cotton and light colors, can help. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated. And if you’re doing strenuous work, take breaks often to cool down.



REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Several years ago, MWV Specialty Chemicals, a division of Richmond, Va. based MWV Corp., saw a need to con-solidate existing warehouses and expand warehousing capacity to handle growth and meet customer demand. MWV vetted more than 10 third-party logistics companies and decided to partner with Sunland Logistics Solutions, a third-party logistics provider with warehousing and distribution facilities in Greenville and Charleston. Sunland will operate the distribution facility in Goose Creek for MWV. About 20 people will be hired initially, and that number may grow over time as volumes increase, offi cials said. “This is a great addition to our logistics and supply chain,” said Martin Heyne, MWV Specialty Chemicals’ Vice President of Operations, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the warehouse in April.

The 300,000-square-foot warehouse spans the length of three football fi elds. It will process 1 million pounds of chemical product daily and has been upfi tted to handle fl ammables, combustibles and corrosives, which McDowell said is impor-

tant from a safety perspective. If a fi re alarm goes off, large fi reproof doors imme-diately close off fl ammable rooms from the rest of the warehouse. The warehouse facility includes 16 dock doors, 20,000 square feet of fl ammable storage and 11,000 square feet of corrosive storage. The chemicals coming into the facility are divided based on what type of storage they need. Site Manager Jeff Carter said every product is scanned so employees know exactly what is in stock and where it is located. The facility has 1,400 bin locations holding 17,000 pallets for products.

Abridged version of Charleston Regional Business Journal articlePublished April 27, 2015 by Liz Segrist

When asked to describe the partnership with Sunland, Jerry McDowell, Assistant Plant Manager for MWV Specialty Chemical, shares, “It is truly a relationship of two companies that share a common, yet special commitment of getting the job done safely while getting the product out to our many valued customers. I know they get it - we trust Sunland!”

MWV Specialty Chemicals & Sunland have partnered

in opening a new chemical distribution facility

“Loved the audience input and questions posed to those on the panel”

“It was a nice and informative event. Shows that Sunland is committed to listening to the customer.”

• Culture is important• True partnerships with customers are the most effective type of relationship• Business reviews are critical to ongoing success.• Transparency builds trust and helps identify problems.• Flexibility and nimbleness are important.• Anticipating the customers’ needs is key.• Continuous improvements and sharing cost savings are essential.

KEY TAKEAWAYS


PEOPLE: RECOGNIZE & REWARD



It is with great pleasure that we announce the winner of the ICARE award for 2014/15 second quarter to Doug Moore. Doug’s primary re-sponsibility has been to coordinate and oversee the quality inspection process of outbound Wanfeng Auto-

motive shipments to BMW. In this role, Doug works directly with the in-house associates performing the inspections, tracks and communicates the results of the inspections daily, and participates in on-site meetings with the end customer, BMW, to review the quality performance each month.Doug has stepped into a leadership role to help guide this team through multiple challenges. Doug’s efforts to improve all areas of the operation are indicative of his commitment to Sunland Logistics So-lutions and his willingness to go above and beyond the requirements of his individual role for the benefi t of the entire team. Please join us in congratulating Doug on winning this award, and thanking him for his outstanding service to Sunland and our customers!

It is with great pleasure that we announce the winner of the ICARE award for 2014/15 third quarter to Terunda Booker, Customer Service Represena-tive at Harrison Bridge Road facility. Terunda has gained the

trust and respect of our customer, Valeant, and has an incredible attitude when she comes into work each day. She has taken the lead on all of our training requirements and has also been responsible for the integrity of the inventory we have stored in the facility. She has not missed a day of work and has been available for ex-tended hours and weekend shifts when needed. Her team member skills are demonstrated every day as part of the cross training plan she has in place for all of the associates. She helped complete the facility layout during the start-up and has moved the inventory multiple times to accommodate client requests. Please join us in congratulating Terunda on winning this award and thanking her for her outstanding service to Sunland and our customer!

ICARE

Carla Wilson, Administrative Assistant – Corporate Office

2nd Quarter ICARE WinnerCongratulations, Doug Moore!

3rd Quarter ICARE WinnerCongratulations, Terunda Booker!

1. What do you enjoy the most about working for Sunland?The people. Everyone here is really nice. From the start I felt comfortable and a part of a team. It’s exciting to be working for a growing company that embraces change and values my suggestions on ways to improve.

2. What’s the most challenging part about your job and how do you overcome those challenges and still perform well?Juggling a wide variety of tasks for different people can be a challenge, but I manage it by prioritizing and frequent communication.

3. What do you like to do during your time away from work and what are your hobbies?I like being outside either playing disc golf, riding bikes, or hiking. My boyfriend and I just moved from Knoxville, so we’ve been enjoying discovering all the great restaurants and fun things to do in Greenville.

4. What is something most people don’t know about you? I am a rare type of identical twin called, “MoMo twins.” We were born attached holding hands.

ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT


APRILObbra Whitner 8Kenneth Holden 9Guissell Salas 20Melvin Wright 30

MAYJeff Carter 3Michael Crawford 7Matt Atkins 16Demarcus Kerns 17Joshua Turner 22Quinton Richey 24Alva Alfaro 26Angel Rodriquez 30

JUNETristan Meyer 9Frankie Wright 10Leon Choice 13Rob Calhoun 16Deborah Rossi 22Joshua Sherfi eld-Greene 26


Eugene Thomason 20Nancy Reeves 17Dave Manners 15Greg Coker 14John Matlock 12Rob Calhoun 9Bobby Williams 7Shymaine Williams 6Joenell Singleton 5Stephanie Gillespie 4

Liza Twery McAngus 2Chiles Steifl e 1Cathy Damesworth 1Johnathan Fourney 1Demarcus Kerns 1Stacey Atwell 1Jessica McAbee 1Caleb Shane Pruitt 1Zach Smith 1Dennis White 1

Philip Wright 1Dennis Keller 1Quinton Richey 1Foad Sindy 1Terunda Booker 1Rick Bruns 1Obbra Whitner 1Nathan Maloney 1Tyrone McGee 1Darcy Malnory 1

A heartfelt thank you for all the hard work and dedication in your

service to Sunland and our customers.Associate Years of Service Associate Years of Service Associate Years of Service

Mack Mitchell Site ManagerBrian McCarthy Industrial EngineerCarla Wilson Administrative AssistantRoss Gibbs (welcome back) Fork Lift OperatorRebecca Gust Edge Customer Service RepErnest Baird Material HandlerTimothy Robinson Material HandlerMatt Atkins Team LeaderFrankie Wright Customer Service RepGregory Knapp Material HandlerWalberto Martinex Material Handler

Jeffery Lockhart CDL Truck DriverLeon Choice (welcome back) Dock Coordinator Robert Marrill Fork Lift OperatorNicolette Crow Customer Service RepKenneth Norton Warehouse SupervisorAnthony Anderson Material HandlerRitche Ballares Material HandlerAnita Proveaux Material HandlerJonathan Luchka Material HandlerTanya Summers Material Handler

WELCOME TO SUNLAND!

ASSOCIATE ANNIVERSARIES

Celebrating 30 years serving our customer, Essroc

CELEBRATIONS

ceo letter in this issue - sunland logistics … · based on the extremely positive feedback from...

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