One in a Million

Plenty of people have millions on their mind when they head to Las Vegas. The same is true when you head to neighboring Henderson, NV, where one million became a magic number for the folks at an Ocean Spray plant last February.

No, this isn't the tale of a workplace lottery windfall or a lucky day at the slots—at Ocean Spray Henderson one million represents an accomplishment that has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with hard work and dedication. The people here are smiling because they reached a remarkable milestone: one million operating hours without a lost-time accident.

In the world of beverage plants, this milestone is virtually unheard of. It represents the equivalent of 25,000 40-hour work weeks and is the result of 2.5 years of concerted effort by the 170-plus employees that are based at Henderson.

"This is an accomplishment that very few in our industry ever achieve," says Mike Stamatakos, vice president of operations for Ocean Spray. "I could not be more proud and more thrilled. A plant's safety record is a reflection of how well it is run. This milestone is an indication that Henderson does most—if not everything—well."

In fact, the folks at Ocean Spray headquarters were so thrilled with Henderson's milestone achievement that in early April CEO Randy Papadellis and Stamatakos hand-delivered on a promise to bring a good ole New England (Ocean Spray is headquartered in Lakeville-Middleboro, MA) clam bake to the desert in order to celebrate the achievement.

The clambake was held over two evenings to accommodate workers from all four shifts at the plant. And, to top it off, Hon. Jon C. Porter of Nevada's House of Representatives was on hand to offer a "Tribute to the workers at the Ocean Spray Nevada Plant," which he later entered into the congressional record.

Reaching the milestone has meant more than a clam bake and a congressional tribute to the folks at Ocean Spray Henderson. Paul Altimier, plant manager for the facility, says that One Million Hours has had a huge impact on the plant—in both financially measurable and less tangible but perhaps even more important—ways.

"The greatest thing that we see in terms of bottom-line numbers is a reduction in workman's comp premiums," says Altimier. "And that has started to generate the payback that we knew we would see in terms of costs per case and in the context of a world-class safety environment. Just as important to us, though, is what you might call the 'softer impacts.' The biggest is employee morale. People feel good about where they work. They are working in a safe place."

The milestone, according to Altimier also has had an impact on Henderson's co-packing business. The plant currently packages