December is Worldwide Food Safety Month

In the midst of the holidays, with buffets, mail-order food gifts and shared meals abounding, it’s the opportune time to focus on food safety. A Complex, Challenging Issue with Serious Consequences Global sourcing and supply chains have made it extremely tough to consistently ensure food safety, from ingredient composition to production to distribution and handling.…

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It’s All About Gratitude

For November, the month of Thanksgiving, it’s all about gratitude, with a special Veteran’s Day shout out to all who’ve served. Inspirations from Hoffer Plastics: How a Small Company Leads in Gratitude “Service” is a core company value at Hoffer. It manifests in outstanding customer service, but also in fostering a “servant’s heart” leadership model throughout…

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National Manufacturing Month

In this October issue, we celebrate National Manufacturing Month! The backbone industry of the U.S. remains strong, growing and ripe with new, exciting career opportunities. Small Manufacturing Businesses Lead the Way The vast majority of manufacturing firms in the United States are very small. I n 2015, 98% of the 251,774 manufacturing firms were considered to be small…

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National Self Improvement Month

September is Back to School time, and the perfect opportunity to celebrate National Self Improvement Month. An Investment that Pays It’s been long held that an investment in people development yields lifelong benefits, both for the individual and for the company as a whole.  According to the Institute for Talent Development: Companies that offer comprehensive training and…

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National Water Quality Month

For many, August is best known for hot weather, heading back to school, and the end of summer. As we cool down and cool off, let’s note that it’s also National Water Quality month. Read on to learn more about the concerns, challenges and initiatives to preserve and protect this amazing resource that cools and…

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Independence Defined: In Celebration of Small Business

The month of July is all about celebrating American independence. As we enjoy food, fireworks and concerts typically brought to us by corporations, let’s also celebrate the small, independent businesses that many experts consider to be the true backbone of the U.S. economy. Small Businesses, Big Impact There are nearly 30 million small businesses in the U.S., compared…

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The High Cost of an Unsafe, Unhealthy Organization

As summer heads into full swing in June, there’s plenty of focus on personal safety as it relates to water activities, outdoor sports, camping, heat and the sun – and rightly so. In recognition that June is National Safety Month in the U.S, this issue focuses on the importance of safety in the workplace and highlight…

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Values Driven High Performance

Every Memorial Day, we take time in the U.S. to pause, honor and thank those who served in the military. In remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we’re also reminded to keep the values they protected alive and thriving in our personal and professional lives. We dedicate this month’s issue to all who served and toward…

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The World Will Run Out of Water

The 48th annual Earth Day commemorated on April 22nd reminds us that an ongoing supply of clean, safe water is not guaranteed. In fact, this precious commodity is very much at risk. In this issue, learn about global water challenges and what innovators are doing to address them. Statistics from the United Nations: By 2025, 1.8 Billion people worldwide will…

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Taming the “Lions” —A Simple Approach to Managing Risk

Make Risk Management part of annual and long term planning Select a cross functional team to: Identify Risks Try “What if” scenario analyses or “War games” sessions Great fun and great for team building Analyze and quantify risks Simple spreadsheet: list, number, describe and quantify the impact of the risk Develop action plans for the most…

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