Precast Inc. - November/December 2008 - (Page 40) a buzz floor on the plant “I talked with the guys in the plant, some of our senior staff, and asked them what is the turning point or main story here at Hy-Grade,” said the up-beat and friendly Rick MacDonald, plant manager of Hy-Grade Precast Concrete in St. Catharines, Ontario. Rick was asked to describe Hy-Grade in a nutshell. “I’ve been with the company a little over nine years, and I think I can tell you what makes this company great,” MacDonald explained. “This is The Little Company that Could. Now and in the past, this has been a company that loves to take on challenges and get together with staff to find the best solution to a problem. There’s a ‘can-do’ attitude here that is contagious.” MacDonald provides an RICK MACDONALD, PLANT MANAGER AND NINE-YEAR VETERAN AT HYGRADE, SAID WHAT MAKES THE COMPANY GREAT IS THE LOVE TO TAKE ON NEW CHALLENGES AND ITS CAN-DO ATTITUDE. buildings and median barriers. We wanted to take the buildings produced when my father was running the company and enhance them.” In the past, Hy-Grade would produce a 10foot-by-10-foot building or a 12-foot-by-12-foot building as the norm. Now it builds a 70-footby-30-foot building with insulation, electrical and plumbing. “We haven’t come up with a lot of genuinely new products; what we have done is taken the products we already produced and stretched them into new applications,” he said. “While my father poured stairs for residential houses, Hy-Grade now produces stairs for high-rise buildings.” (Visit www.hygradeprecast.com) Main focus: people development After relating the history of Six Brothers Ltd., his own career upheaval and product initiatives, Dominic stressed his first priority at Hy-Grade: people development. “People are the key to everything that happens here,” he said in a serious tone. “In the past, while workers at Hy-Grade were always treated fairly and with respect and a good rapport existed between the owners and crew, development of staff was not a core initiative. Today, with emerging technologies in the precast industry and more complex regulations for operations and safety, training people is a top priority at Hy-Grade.” Dominic’s primary focus is to create a more satisfying working environment at Hy-Grade. “I believe that if the people working on the floor who produce the product feel good about where they work and how well they’re trained, they will make a better-quality product in a more efficient manner,” he said. As retention of employees at Hy-Grade is not a problem, the company’s efforts to train staff and provide a satisfying work environment are proving successful. “We’ve got a very, very dedicated group of about 60 people here. When they get all fired up and involved in finding solutions, it’s a vibrant place to work – and I love it.” example: “A few years back, we had this big project – bigger than what we could handle within the existing plant facility. When a problem or challenge comes up, we go to the guys in the shop and say, ‘There’s a salesman who wants to know if we can produce this product.’ It’s something we’ve never done before, and that starts this buzz.” This buzz works its way through the shop, and for maybe two days everyone is thinking about how to make it work. “Then we all meet and start talking about it and find a solution. It’s all brand new. And it’s this creative, ‘can-do’ approach that generates enthusiasm in the shop.” Providing extensive staff training Hy-Grade focuses carefully on staff training, skill development and counseling for the workers on the plant floor and for office staff. For two years in a row, Hy-Grade dedicates a day to train the entire staff. The plant is shut down, and hourly and salaried staff attend a full day of precast-specific training at a local 40 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 | PRECAST INC. http://www.hygradeprecast.com
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