DIG Insurance & Business Magazine Fall 2018 | Page 5

GROWING FORWARD
they don’t know what each other are doing,
that creates a problem,” Johnson says of why
team meeting and communicating in a range
of ways helps support productivity, quality and,
ultimately, growth. “Here, person one on the
crew knows what person five will do today,
and then they can support each other.”
HIRING SMART
Word of mouth is the best recruiting tool
Eastern Shore Forest Products has, Johnson
says. “We have a high level of integrity, we
take care of our people, and that has been very
helpful with attracting talent. We get folks
who come to us and ask, ‘Do you have any
openings?’ I had one guy tell me the other day,
‘I’ve been trying to get into your company for
three years.’ Some positions are that way—and
you know you’re doing something right when
you have folks who are trying to get in.”
What generates this fan-like interest in
Eastern Shore Forest Products among people
person that oversees safety initiatives.”
That includes following up on equipment
certifications to be sure operators are
properly trained and licensed, as well
as staying up on safety regulations and
assuring proper safety supplies are on site
at all times. “I don’t want anyone here to go
home with an injury,” Johnson says. “Many
companies don’t have a dedicated safety
resource person, but we felt there was no way
to run our business without that position in
place.”
When Eastern Shore Forest Products does
need to recruit for new positions, it taps into
various online platforms to get the word out.
Johnson wants to be creative with how the
company recruits its people when it needs
to fill positions—finding the right person is
key, and we will train that new hire to do the
job. “We have posted jobs on our Facebook
page, and we’ve used sites like CareerBuilder,”
loading a truck or driving a forklift, or a mid-
level manager, every person on our team
has to be enthusiastic about the job. When
they’re enjoying their work, we can deliver
the best products to our customers.”
And, the customer is a constant conversation
at Eastern Shore Forest Products. “We
always talk about how we are making their
experience better and how our decisions
and actions will impact customers,” Johnson
relates. “We want our folks here to know
there is a lot of opportunity for them if they
really care about customers, because those
customers are hungry for quality products.
It makes this job a lot of fun when you know
every day, you are improving something for
somebody.”
WHAT’S NEXT
Looking ahead, Johnson is pleased that his
daughter Lindsey Johnson has been working
EASTERN SHORE FOREST PRODUCTS AND ATLANTIC
TRAFFIC SAFETY TALK TALENT, EXPANSION AND
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
who have yet to step through its doors? In
a word, culture. But there’s many pieces to
that, including how employees are involved
in problem-solving and participate as a team.
“We adopted 5 S across our company which
has allowed us to become better organized in
operations and has made everyone feel more
prepared for their job duties,” Johnson says
of the LEAN method that involves creating
consistent systems and procedures. It’s a
mindset of “everything has its place.”
The company also wants employees to bring
their ideas for improvement to the table.
“We’re always looking for new, better ways to
do things, and the end-goal here is to produce
the best products for our customers,” Johnson
says.
Additionally, the company places a high value
on keeping its personnel safe and has recently
hired a safety resource director who is focused
on making sure employees stay safe on the job.
“We’ve always prioritized safety here, but those
efforts were headed up by various managers,”
Johnson says. “Now we have a dedicated
Johnson says. “We cast a wide net, from
using rec ruiters to social media sites.”
TREATING PEOPLE RIGHT
One initiative Johnson is enthusiastic about
that aligns with his passion for employee
satisfaction is creating employee centers
at his manufacturing facilities. “We want
to make sure our people have a really
welcoming environment when they walk in,”
Johnson says. “You don’t just walk up to a
timeclock and jump into a machine,” he says.
Employee centers at its locations includes
a comfortable, air-conditioned room with
water and healthy snacks. There are clean
bathrooms and an area to take a break with
a large video monitor for communicating.
“Now, when we build a new facility, the first
thing we complete is the employee center
where they get their information for the day.”
Not all Eastern Shore Forest facilities are
currently equipped with an employee center,
but they are on the drawing board. “You
have to focus on your people,” Johnson
emphasizes. “Whether it’s the person who is
in the business and will join the team
after she graduates from the University of
Virginia next year. “She has the drive I have
for doing things right and making things
better—for thinking outside the box,” he
says.
There’s so much opportunity for business
growth here and across the country, Johnson
adds. >
“CUSTOMERS WANT
GOOD PRODUCTS
AND THEY WANT TO
BE TREATED RIGHT,
BUT YOU CAN’T
FOCUS ON THEM
UNLESS YOU FOCUS
ON YOUR OWN
PEOPLE FIRST.“
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