Issue 82 January 22, 2015
January 2015
Welcome back from 2014 and welcome into 2015. We hope everybody that had some time off over the holidays enjoyed it, and for those that were here working; we appreciate all that you got accomplished.
First let me tell you that the business climate appears to be very solid and we fully expect to see at least similar sales and probably a slight increase from 2014.
We do have some challenges ahead of us in 2015 which will not only challenge us but
reward us and help carry Tyler Pipe into the future. To stay successful in today’s
business world, we have to have continuous improvement. We fully expect to install a
new coating facility for our fittings. This is a huge project but will enable us to give our customers a fitting that
looks just as good as the day it was painted. We fully expect to see a decrease in our injuries. 2014 was a tough
year for us. We will be conducting a safety survey with ALL Tyler Pipe team members the last week of January.
The survey is prepared and analyzed by the National Safety Council and will give us a clear direction of where we
are and what we need to improve on to create a safety culture which will clearly make us a better company. We
are also refocusing our efforts to our customers. We expect to give our customers the best
quality products: What they want, where they want, and when they want. This may sound
pretty simple, but it will take a 100% accommodating effort from all team members.
Please stay focused, give 100% everyday, do the best job you possibly can and we will
meet our challenges and again have a successful year in 2015.
Yep, We did it again! We beat last year’s total of 1,514 pounds of non perishable food items collected to be donated to the East
Texas Food Bank. Initially we reported the weight as 2,042 pounds but East Texas Food Bank gave us the official weight
which is 1,988. I’m still overjoyed by the effort put forth by everyone, which was tremendous. The goal was to beat last year’s
collection and we achieved our goal. The group effort that was put forth was extraordinary; from the outside sales guys
donating Walmart gift cards to buy food for the drive to the local hourly and salary team members bringing in cases and cases
of canned goods daily to fill the crates. It was truly a group effort.
I’ve been fortunate enough in my life that I never had to endure
hunger, however; I’m not oblivious to the fact that hunger exist in
East Texas. I can sleep well at night knowing that Tyler Pipe took
upon itself to do something about hunger during the holidays and did
it in a big way. As an added bonus to the Tyler Pipe annual food
drive, not only did one non-profit organization benefit, but two. Greg
Simmons has taken it upon himself to furnish a check to PATH
wherein he pays a dollar for every pound collected at Tyler Pipe. I
am sure this is one check that Mr. Simmons does not mind signing.
This check will be presented to PATH, (People Attempting to Help),
so they can fill their food pantry with the necessary items to assist families in East Texas whom are in need. Way to go Tyler Pipe !
By Faye Pettigrew
Issue 82 January 22,2015
You wake up at 3:00 AM on a cold mid-winter day – not because you can’t sleep but because your shift starts at 4:30 or 5:00 that morning. You are lucky. Some shifts start earlier than that. As you quietly move about the house, as not to disturb the rest of your family while they still sleep, you make note to put on extra thermal apparel. The forecast says that the temperature will not get out of the teens today and that an Arctic wind in excess of 20 mph will be prevalent all day long.
The coffee timer has gone off, as it does everyday, Monday through Thursday, allowing you a morning reprieve from the impend-ing cold that you will soon encounter. Breakfast is eaten alone and was possibly prepared the night before. This quiet time is probably going to be the last you experience until are able to lay your weary body down to sleep that night. It’s warm in your house and you are not looking forward to confronting the bone chilling cold that awaits you. It is difficult to determine which is worse – the sub-freezing cold of winter or the oppressive, sweltering heat of summer. But today you don’t really think about either. This is what you do. This is how you provide for your family. So, you do it, with no complaints and few, if any, regrets. You may even think of the minor bit of good fortune that you have with your job. After all, you are going to be, at least, under the cover of the foundry roof and only having to contend with the north wind, that inevitably find its way past any blockades or tarps installed to keep it out. You can now thank your lucky stars that you don’t work in shipping! Those poor men and women have to contend with this cold and wind out in the open. My, this coffee tastes good at this time of the day.
You don’t do it every day, but sometimes, you think about your fellow team members who are going through the same or similar routine at their homes. They, too, will have to deal with the harsh conditions that, not only Mother Nature can dish out, but the physical requirements of the jobs to be performed. But, enough daydreaming. Time to go to work. Hope that car of mine will start on a morning this cold…
HOW DO YOU DEFINE SPECIAL? If you have read this far, you have that answer.
By Pat Baldwin
Every year Tyler Pipe goes above and
beyond to make an extraordinary effort
to support, participate and improve the
communities that we live in. Whether it
is participating in the numerous Fun Runs, events likes like the Day of Caring and the Backpack Program to Food Drives and
the Literacy Council; Tyler Pipe is always looking for a way to
give back.
Giving comes from the heart and it is wonderful that our facility
is filled with caring individuals like Ann Cobb. As you
remember the United Way was an active participant in our
Health Fair in December. They held a drawing for a 32” flat
screen TV just for Tyler Pipe Team Members whom were
actively giving to the United Way. Ann stepped up and accepted
the challenge and it paid off big for her. She was the lucky
winner of the flat
screen TV.
The United Way has
hundreds of pro-
grams that touch 1
in 3 residents that
live in Smith
County. If you
would like to learn
more about the
United Way of
Smith County and the programs they support go to
www.unitedwaytyler.org
The Event Planning Committee is
constantly looking for new members
and would love to have YOU, if you
are willing to give your time. There is
nothing much to it just semi-annual
meetings to gather ideas, thoughts
and suggestions for events
throughout the year. The time
commitments are minimal and the
meetings are conducted around your
schedule. If you don’t think you can
serve on the committee we would
still love to hear your suggestions, ideas or thoughts on
events to provide for our Team Members.
For instance, we have not yet decided what should be the
GRAND PRIZE for those who participate in the most com-
munity events for 2015. Last year it was the opportunity
to watch a Texas Rangers Major League baseball game at
Globe Life stadium in an executive suite equipped with all
the amenities. We are now soliciting ideas for the next
great GRAND PRIZE. Any ideas? What about Dallas
Cowboys tickets for four, Dallas Mavericks tickets for four,
Family tickets to Six Flags or Splash Water Kingdom or
maybe go back to the Rangers game in the executive
suite again, all of which are good ideas and maybe you
have some too.
So if you’re interested in becoming a part of the Event
Planning Committee or have ideas you would like for us to
consider, stop by Human Resources and let’s talk.
Issue 82 January 22, 2015
Was part of your new years resolution to get in shape, to start eating healthier, to loose weight? Maybe you just want to get
more involved in your community. Well if any of the suggestions listed above pertains to you in anyway, then this is info is
for you. Tyler Pipe once again will be providing all of it’s Team Members the opportunity to become healthier this year or get
more involve in local community activities. You can do this by either actually running or volunteering in the “Fresh 15k Run”
or the “Tyler Run 4 Autism”. There is nothing more satisfying in life than to do something to help someone else. Tyler Pipe will pay all registrations fees for you plus a guest to participate in either event. If running is not for you, they are also asking
for volunteers. Volunteers duties are easy and simple; and they have something for anyone and everyone who is willing to
give their time. Duties such assisting with registration, providing tee-shirts and trinkets to the participants and handing out
water to the runners are just a few of the simple things you can do.
For more information on how to sign up, stop by Human Resources for details.
Where: Pollard Methodist Church Gounds,
Congratulations goes out to all those who made their 5 years of milestone increments in 2014. A special congrats to
those who reached 25 years of seniority for they have been inducted into the Silver Anniversary Club .
5 Years 30 Years
CAMERON, JOSHUA CARMAN, PENNY GOMEZ, FELIX OLLIFF, VICKI
10 Years MEDINA, EFREN RAMIREZ, LILIA
JACKSON, GWEN SHEPHARD, JENNIE NELSON, DAN SLAYTON, LOYD
KING, LESLIE E. SWANER, CHRIS 35 Years
MONTGOMERY, ROY TULLIS, ROBERT FEHLINGER, NANCY RAMIREZ, RODRIGO
15 Years DACUS, DAVID LOLLAR, LONNIE
BAEZA, TONY SHIRLEY, MICHAEL LARA, JOSE. JOHNSON, MORRIS.
JOHNSON, CHRIS SMITH, DWIGHT PRUITT, DANNA STONE, TOMMY .
KIMBLE, LESTER TEER, DONNELL ROBERTS, RONNIE KIRTLEY, JERRY
MCGHEE, STEPHEN TRACY, PATRICK HUNT, GREG DEWBERRY, LESTER
25 Years RAMOS, RAMON MAYFIELD, WILLIE
BOWLES, WAYNE LEGUIZAMO, SANTIAGO 40 Years
CORDOVA, EDDIE ORTEGA, JUAN WILLIAMS JR, BURNETT COPE, KENNETH
CURRY, GARY PETREA, BILLY REYNOLDS II, CHARLES ROZELL, HAROLD
DAVIS, LARRY SIMMONS, GREG BYRUM, RONALD TUCK, MITCHELL
GODWIN, JOHN WOOD, DARREN LOGAN, CHESTER TUCKER, DONALD
MARTIN, LARRY WALKER, LORETTA
WILEY, ROBERT ALEXANDER, RANDY
55 Years
MADISON, JAMES
Issue 82 January 22,2015
Lorie Prescott ~ 1
Harold Golden ~ 2
J.P. Kaufman ~ 2
Greg Hunt ~ 4
Alton McGee ~ 4
Tommy Taylor ~ 4
Jeff Hitt ~ 5
David Minnick ~ 5
Jason Sieben ~ 5
Rick Tatman ~ 5
Larry Thompson ~ 5
Craig Akin ~ 8
Diane Newman ~ 8
Jennifer Heys ~ 9
Richard Mask ~ 9
Johnnie Sutton ~9
Crystal Blalock ~ 13
Eddie Cordova ~ 13
Austin Shultz ~ 13
Vicki Olliff ~ 14
Ray Allen ~ 16
David Ellis ~ 16
Otis Turner ~ 17
Bill Bliss ~ 20
Felix Gomez ~ 20
Jerry Freeman ~ 21
Melvin Phelps ~ 22
Felipe Soto ~ 22
Donnell Teer ~ 22
Pat Korkmas ~ 24
Sacramento Esparza ~ 25
David Dacus ~ 26
Bobby O’Neal ~ 26
Charlene Starling ~ 27
Kenneth Cope ~ 28
Did You Know— Pre-Diabetes
Pre-diabetes can be a wake-up call for your health
It’s the time of year when many people resolve to make better choices about their health. A simple thing that you could do is to have your blood sugar levels tested to see if you have “pre-diabetes.”
Pre-diabetes can leads to type 2 diabetes, but you still have a chance to avoid developing it, says Dr. Christina Bratcher of UT Health Northeast. An estimated 75 million Americans have the disease, making it very common.
It has no symptoms and is linked to having a sedentary lifestyle, being obese, and having a genetic predisposition for it, she adds. The best way to determine if you have pre-diabetes is to have your blood sugar tested.
“If you’re gaining weight and you’re less active than you used to be, you’re setting the stage for pre-diabetes,” Dr. Bratcher says. “However, not everyone with pre-diabetes will develop full-blown diabetes.
One in four of those diagnosed with pre-diabetes will get diabetes within five years, she says. That’s why it’s important to see your healthcare provider on a regular basis if you have pre-diabetes.
Diabetes damages your heart and blood vessels. About 70 percent of people who have it die from a heart attack or stroke, Dr. Bratcher says. Diabetes also causes small blood vessel disease that can damage your eyes and kidneys.
You can avoid developing diabetes by changing your lifestyle – eating healthy foods, getting exercise, and losing weight, Dr. Bratcher says. Clinical trials have shown that these work better than drugs.
“The good news is that losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can make a big difference when it comes to pre-diabetes,” she says.