Lincoln Plant News

June 2014
Vol. 28, No. 2
EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A.
A Brief History of Kawasaki in Lincoln
by Mike Boyle
for our 40th Anniversary
To commemorate our 40th anniversary, I want to share with
you a brief history of our Lincoln operations. I believe you’ll find
it interesting and inspirational.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, LTD was founded as a ship building
company in 1876 by Shozo Kawasaki. In 1960, Kawasaki began
manufacturing Kawasaki branded motorcycles in Akashi, Japan.
The US Market was the largest, most dynamic motorcycle market
in the 1960’s. Kawasaki executives believed that the company
had to compete in the US market to succeed. In 1964, Kawasaki
opened 4 trading companies in the US to distribute vehicles.
One of these trading companies sold bikes to a private distributor located in Gering, Nebraska that became known as Rocky
Mountain Kawasaki. In 1965, a sales and parts service center
was opened in an old Chicago meat packing warehouse. This
site eventually moved to California in 1966 and became Kawasaki
Motors Corporation, USA or KMC. Alan Masek, the son of Rocky
Mountain Kawasaki owner Fred Masek, joined KMC and became
its Vice President of Marketing.
For most Americans in the 60’s, the name “Kawasaki” was
thought to be a brand of Polish sausage rather than a motorcycle.
That all changed in 1972 when the legendary Z1 motorcycle
entered the market. This 903cc, four cylinder, dual overhead
cam superbike revolutionized the art of motorcycle engineering.
Sales soared at an annual rate of 50% and Kawasaki Dealerships
multiplied.
By 1971, the trade imbalance between Japan and the US had
grown. To increase US exports, President Nixon modified the
Bretton Woods agreement. This agreement had set the US dollar as the standard trade currency after World War II. Modifying
the agreement allowed currencies to move freely in the market.
The value of the dollar was high and this modification reduced
its value stimulating US exports. It conversely raised the value of
the Japanese yen, reducing Japanese imports.
80% of the motorcycles Kawasaki produced at this time were
sold in the United States. A stronger yen would have serious
financial consequences to Kawasaki. A North American manufacturing plant would reduce this effect. A US plant would also
allow Kawasaki to quickly react to North American consumer
demands and gain market share. In late 1971, Kawasaki executives decided to build a plant in the US.
A multi-state search quickly focused on Lincoln, Nebraska. One
of the reasons that Lincoln was selected was its central location.
Most motorcycles were sold on the east and west coasts. This
central location was great for distribution. This site was close to a
huge parts supplier base located in the upper Midwest. Nebraska
had the reputation of having a reasonably paid, well educated,
hard-working workforce. Lincoln was considered a safe friendly
community, neither too small nor too large. A brand new, empty
manufacturing plant was available on a large tract of land NW
of Lincoln. The Addressograph Multigraph plant had never been
occupied. New technology rendered their products obsolete.
The plant was purchased in 1972. Kawasaki’s plant in Lincoln
would be the first foreign vehicle manufacturer to locate in the
United States. Kawasaki invested $20M in the facility, and planned
to eventually produce 100,000 vehicles per year, and employ
1,000 people. Production began in December 1974 and the first
motorcycle, a KZ400, rolled off the assembly line in early 1975.
Some of the early success in Lincoln was the startup of a new
product called the Jetski. This product created a new market for
personal watercraft. In 1977, Lincoln started the production of
snowmobiles and dirt bikes. In 1980, a US Foreign Trade Zone
was established at the Lincoln plant. This allowed Kawasaki to
minimize its duty fees. Paying lower duty on completed vehicles
rather than the higher duty fees paid on individual parts.
After production started, the Japanese managers and engineers charged with setting up the plant returned to Japan. Strategic plant management was turned over to KMC in California and
day to day operational management to Lincoln. Problems quickly
arose; the mass production system was not flexible enough to
match the sales demand. Work in process inventory dramatically
increased, causing financial and quality problems. In 1978, Lincoln plant management was directed to follow the Akashi plant
in Japan. They were to introduce lean manufacturing processes
to solve these problems. But plant management believed that
productivity and quality were as good as or better than most US
plants. The installation of lean manufacturing failed. Heightening
the problem was the 1980 recession which caused motorcycle
sales to plummet. Kawasaki’s balance sheet rapidly deteriorated
with a large inventory of completed products and huge financial
losses. The Lincoln plant had not turned a profit since its opening.
In August 1981, Kichiro Ando, senior production manager and
Takehiko Saeki, production manager were transferred from the
Akashi plant in Japan to Lincoln as President and Vice President.
Shortly after their arrival, the Lincoln plant was separated from
KMC to form its own corporation, under its own management,
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corporation, USA, which we
call KMM. This plant had been losing money since its opening.
Ando and Saeki were charged with deciding to shut down the
plant or keep it open. These two men were the experts of lean
manufacturing at the Akashi plant in Japan. They were the last
resort for restructuring and saving the Lincoln plant.
— Continued on Pg. 2 —
Lincoln Plant News
40th Anniversary
— Continued from Pg. 1 —
Their first mission was to make the plant profitable in a short
period with a rapid implementation of lean manufacturing to the
production lines. The result of this activity was the improvement
of production processes and the uncovering of a large number
of excess employees. There were simply too many people in the
organization. Lincoln management had to reduce the total staffing number from 520 to 350. After this, it became clear to Ando
and Saeki that the plant had the potential to operate profitably
once lean manufacturing was fully implemented.
In June 1982, Ando returned to Japan and Saeki was promoted
to President. To boost income and keep employees productive,
Saeki brought in additional work for the plant. They made seat
frames for Chrysler cars, agricultural equipment parts, snowmobile spare parts, and recycled packaging materials. Due to
these efforts, KMM made a profit its first year of incorporation.
It avoided the worst case scenario of shutting down the plant.
From being on the verge of losing the company and their jobs, a
corporate culture where every employee is willing to cooperate
and make any improvement was developed. Most importantly, a
strong trust between employees and management was formed.
In 1983, Harley-Davidson was facing bankruptcy and lobbied
for anti-dumping laws against Japanese motorcycle manufacturers. The US Treasury placed a 5 year anti-dumping tariff on the
importation of large motorcycles. This anti-dumping movement
gave the Lincoln plant a competitive advantage over the other
Japanese motorcycle manufacturers. The plant had shown the
ability to turn a profit. So the parent company, Kawasaki Heavy
Industries transferred the production of larger displacement
motorcycles from Japan to Lincoln. The production lines were
ramped up to full production capacity. During the next five years,
KMM established a strong financial return and the cash flow to
expand and diversify its operations.
In the next decade and a half, KMM expanded multiple times.
New processes and product lines were added to the Lincoln plant.
Industrial robot assembly, All Terrain Vehicles, Utility Vehicles,
wheel manufacturing, and the fabrication of construction machinery parts were added to production. Investments were made in
robots and automation to weld, bond, and paint materials. Molding operations were added for Jetski and 4 wheeled products.
Electro-coated paint and hydrographic ink transcription operations
were added to increase the spectrum of painted products. An
R&D center was opened to design, develop, and test 4 wheeled
vehicles. By this time, the Lincoln plant had matured and grown
to 3 times its original size.
By this time, Kawasaki had been supplying engines to the commercial mower market for years. The US market was expanding
and in keeping with Kawasaki’s philosophy of building products
where they are sold, decided to open an engine manufacturing
plant in 1987. KMM staff assisted KHI in locating and setting
up the Maryville plant. Several key staff members permanently
transferred from Lincoln to Maryville to run operations. Production
began in 1989 and the plant has grown multiple times. Maryville
2
celebrates their 25th anniversary this year.
Kawasaki began manufacturing rail cars at its Hyogo, Japan
plant in 1906. In 1980, Kawasaki delivered its first rail car to
Philadelphia. This was the first Japanese made rail car in the
United States. In 1985, to satisfy customer contract requirements
for local labor input, Kawasaki opened a sales, service, and final
assembly plant in Yonkers, New York. Cars were fabricated in
Japan and shipped to New York for final assembly. Logistics
costs were very high. In the early 90’s, the idea of adding rail
car fabrication and assembly to the Lincoln plant started gaining
traction. Lincoln had plenty of land available for expansion. With
this plant, Kawasaki could increase the US labor content to meet
any changes in the Buy America Act.
There were other benefits to building rail cars in Lincoln. KMM
had a proven track record of performance and flexibility. The
Lincoln plant had a ready source of well trained labor and 25
years of production experience. KMM could share management
resources and labor between Consumer Products and Rail Car
operations, providing a high level of efficiency. Rail Car projects
are not continuous; there are large fluctuations of manpower.
KMM could absorb these fluctuations and avoid the layoff and
rehire cycles prevalent in Rail Car manufacturing, including the
Kawasaki Yonkers plant. Lincoln’s central location would be ideal
to provide product to both coasts.
In 1999, the economic conditions were ripe to add Kawasaki
rail car manufacturing in Lincoln. Passenger and commuter rail
projects where increasing in the US. To add a rail car plant,
major infrastructure improvements were necessary. A highway
interchange was built at Highway 34 and Northwest 27th street.
Fletcher Avenue was connected and paved between the Highlands neighborhood and Northwest 27th. New plant construction
began in 2000 and rail car production started in 2001.
By 2007, rail car project back orders had increased. It was
apparent that new rail car projects would continue at the same
rate for many years. Kawasaki decided to double Lincoln’s rail
car production capacity and add testing facilities. This 3 year,
$30M expansion increased the Lincoln plant from its original
435,000 ft2 (40,000 M2) to 2.3M ft2 (214,000 M2). Our new
facilities allow KMM to simultaneously work on multiple rail car
projects. We can build light passenger rail cars from the ground
up and test on site. In Rail Car, the future is bright. Kawasaki is
positioned very well as the US expands its mass transit capacity.
After some initial problems, KMM has continuously prospered
and grown during its 40 years in Lincoln. To be successful, KMM
had to develop its own culture and adapt to new production
philosophies. Its employees developed a mindset of flexibility
and continuous improvement. Fortunately for the employees at
the Lincoln plant, Kawasaki Heavy Industries executives didn’t
take a short term view and close the plant at the first sign of
trouble. Today, Kawasaki’s Lincoln plant is a good example of
how the blending of diverse cultures can create a strong, vibrant
company. A place where employees are extremely proud of the
products they make.
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A.
Lincoln Plant News
Welcome
Mr. Naoshi Kato joined KMM on March 1, 2014 where he
is the Senior Manager for Strategic Planning. Prior to returning
to KMM, Mr. Kato was working at KHI as the Manger of the
Project Planning Department for the last four years. Mr. Kato
will be splitting his time between Lincoln and Irvine, California.
His hobbies include golfing and motorcycles. Mr. Kato’s wife and
daughter currently reside in Japan.
In Memory of
Mr. Ty Yamamasu joined KMM on April 1, 2014 were his is the
Deputy General Manager, R&D. Previously, Mr. Yamamasu worked
at KHI in the Motorcycle & Engine Company as the Senior Staff
Officer of the Project Planning Department. Mr. Yamamasu’s wife
also resides in Lincoln. His hobbies include motorcycle riding with
his wife, skiing, traveling, photography, reading and just recently
learning to play an electric bass guitar.
35 Year Anniversaries
Todd Giguere
1965 - 2014
KMM Hosts 2014
District Managers
Meetings
Faye McFarling - 04/16/2014
Mr. Okano and Faye McFarling
Jim Monnier - 03/14/2014
Scott Bauer and Jim Monnier
Twila Minnick - 05/16/2014
Annie Meskimen and Twila Minnick
Ray Turek - 04/16/2014
Mike Boyle and Ray Turek
Mustang 50th Anniversary Celebration
Mark your calendars for the 50th Mustang Celebration, August 8th-10th! Put on by
the National Mustang Club of America, the local Mustang Club will be hosting this event
in honor of the Mustang’s 50th Anniversary. With over 300 cars on display—including
the 2015 Mustang, this is an event you won’t want to miss! Registration is due by July
26, 2014. Admission is free. Please see Marty Watson for details.
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. During the week of June 23rd, KMC
will be holding their District Managers
Meetings at KMM. There will be a press
tour on site the week of June 16th.
Kawasaki
Holiday Party
The Kawasaki Holiday Party was held
Saturday, March 22, at the Pinnacle Bank
Arena. The theme this year was “March
Madness.” This year employees got to
experience another fantastic, interactive
party with fun games, music and great
food. Some of the events of the night
included:
Party Games such as Fooseball Tables,
Pool Tables, Air Hockey, and Cornhole.
Food Stations were March Madness
themed, with a variety of food from different host cities, including: Buffalo, NY;
Milwaukee, WI; Raleigh, NC; Memphis,
TN; North Texas; Dayton, OH.
Thank you to all who came out to
celebrate!
3
Lincoln Plant News
2013 Improvement Project Awards
2nd Place - Job standardization and cycle
times, Randy Tamerius, Robert Hinton
1st Place - Mobile backup pump cart for color/clear line,
Matt Kurushima, Austin Menzel, Brian Holbert and Mike Boyle.
2nd Place - Packaging for sun top kits
to KMC distribution warehouses, Sandy
Kendrick, Trent Distad
3rd Place - Change custom bubble bags to generic rolls of bubble wrap, Matt Kurushima, Joy Holman, Mary Kuntz, Trent Distad, Eric Lemmerman and Mike Boyle
(Not Pictured - Evan Ellenwood and Cheryl Nelson)
3rd Place - Spatter guards for AF400
axles, Matt Kurushima, Tammy Clary
and Mike Boyle
4th Place - Cost reduction of texture powder paint, Matt Kurushima, Eric Lemmerman, Jason Detweiler and Mike Boyle
4th Place - Improve productivity for brake
bleeding process, Matt Kurushima, Steve
Steckelberg, Ben Johnson and Mike
Boyle
4th Place - Reduce cost of fasteners used
on production units, (pictured at left)
Matt Kurushima, Jason Thoendal and
Mike Boyle
4th Place - Scrap reduction - spider bearing,
no picture available - Jeff Linsenmeyer
4
3rd Place - Removal of axle housing
bearing, Matt Kurushima, Billy Cox and
Mike Boyle
5th Place - RT800 heat shield hang area
improvement, no picture available - Sherry
McCullough and Melani Zitek
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A.
Lincoln Plant News
5th Place - Wireway plate adjustments
and inventory control, Matt Kurushima,
Christle Kluck, Joseph Afuh and Mike
Boyle
5th Place - Automatic printouts / preinvoices, Matt Kurushima, Jessica Pendleton, Patti Horstman and Mike Boyle
5th Place - 08851 and 08838 Safety interlock improvement, Matt Kurushima, Dung
Bui and Mike Boyle (Not Pictured - Joel
Minge)
5th Place - Retractable holders for a-arms
on bearing presses, Matt Kurushima, Jim
Monnier and Mike Boyle
5th Place - Review the amount of parts to
be rebagged for e-Kanban, Terry Essink,
Pam Sommer and Mike Boyle
5th Place - Cordless drills for cleaning
excess paint from holes, Matt Kurushima,
Donna Reifschneider, Ronda Fountain
(Not Pictured - Mary Brown)
5th Place - Change 11056-1246 & 132710452 to MIH, Matt Kurushima, Colby
Meays, Luke Havermann and Mike Boyle
5th Place - Change tab location on P/N
11056-2455, Matt Kurushima, Colby
Meays and Mike Boyle (Not Pictured Rob Peters)
5th Place - Painted parts cart for Mule
line, Matt Kurushima, Jason McDaniel,
James Irby and Mike Boyle
5th Place - 5S toe-in rack, Matt Kurushima, Todd Fischer and Mike Boyle
5th Place - Improve the handling of aluminum rivet mandrels, Matt Kurushima,
Carla Hansmeyer, Rosa Leija-Martinez
and Mike Boyle
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. 5th Place - Starter tool for AF400F lug
nuts, Matt Kurushima, Jason McDaniel
and Mike Boyle
5
Lincoln Plant News
5th Place - New ecoat parts delivery carts,
Matt Kurushima, Pete Iacino and Mike
Boyle (Not Pictured - Martina Gubser, 5th Place - Lubrication bank for a-arm bearing press, Matt Kurushima, Mike O’Brien,
Randy Meyer and Michelle Crom)
Jim Monnier, Nick Chmelka and Mike Boyle
Kawasaki Wellness Games
The Kawasaki Wellness Games (formerly known as Kawasaki Olympics) wrapped
up on Saturday, April 26th at Hollywood Bowl. The event brought 127 employees
together (41 more than last year) on 9 teams playing games and competing for
points, medals, and fun. After tournaments in flag football, table tennis, archery,
mini golf, bean bag toss (and many more), DeRailers finished 1st overall! Congratulations to DeRailers and all other participants for your contributions of time
and effort to make this year’s Kawasaki Wellness Games exciting and fun for
everyone. We hope to see many more next year!
Retirements
6
Steve Beinor
2007 - 2014
Deb Murphy
1975 - 2014
Steve Leach
1975 - 2014
Davis Myers
1997 - 2014
Lincoln Marathon
Marathon runners pictured above are Chase Einsphahr, Wes Pohlmann,
Jason Thoendel, Paul Danson, Ashley Ortiz, and Marsha Busse
Over 30 Kawasaki employees took on the Lincoln Marathon
on May 4th, 2014. The capital city had over 12,500 participants,
marking the largest amount of runners involved to date. Please be
sure to congratulate the following employees for their awesome
achievement: (H = Half / F = Full) Diane Bittinger, CP, H; Don
Bolte, CP, H; Marsha Busse, CP, H; Paul Danson, CP, H; Trent
Distad, CP, H; Chase Einspahr, RC, H; AJ Garcia, RC, H; Brian
Havlovic, CP, H; Johnny Hayakawa, RC, F; Matt Huber, CP, H;
Yasuo Kida, RC, F; Brian Kouba, CP, H; Spencer McAtee, RC,
H; Charity Mercer, CP, H; Brad Meysenburg, RC, H; Yutaka
Nakazawa, RC, F; Jason Nettleton, RC, H; Ashley Ortiz, CP, H;
Bryon Pickett, CP, H; Wesley Pohlmann, CP, H; Shelley Portis,
CP, H; Lori Pracheil, RC, F; Bill Smisek, CP, H; Dan Staehr, RC,
H; Steven Steckelberg, CP, H; Jason Thoendel, CP, F; Heather
Timmerman, CP, H; Rick Webb, RC, H; Amanda Wilcox, CP, H;
Eric Williams, CP, H; Yoshiyuki Yamada, RC, F.
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A.
Lincoln Plant News
NEW HIRES
Jason Schoonover
Team Member - B
Dylan Rief
Team Member - B
Michael Spale, Jr.
Team Member - B
Deedra Watson
Team Member - B
Jawn Johnston
Clerk, Production
Tyler Scully
Team Member - B
Leslie Blyden
Team Member - B
Naoshi Kato
Sr. Manager,
Strategic Planning
Christopher Lawhead
Welder
Callistus Chukwuma
Welder
Ricky Brown
Team Member - B
Dylan Kost
Team Member - B
Angel Briggs
Team Member - B
Mark Shehata
Eng., Production (Rail)
Jacob Winter
Team Member - B
Daniel Schippert
Team Member - B
Thomas Marchand
Welder
Dana Monroe
Team Member - B
Cody Schneider
Team Member - B
Takeshi Yamamasu
Deputy General
Manager, R&D
Daniel McAtee
Maintenance D
Nathan Van Loon
Engineer, Production
Eric Bierbrauer
Engineer, Production
Marie Shaw
Administrator, H.R.
BIRTHS
Employee’s Name
Shad Beman
Tonya Bussard
Todd Pelan
Ryan Long
Andrew Eastman
Child’s Name
Blake
Ruby
Vayla
Ava
Stella
MARRIAGES
Employee Name
Date of Birth
03/08/2014
03/25/2014
03/30/2014
04/07/2014
04/08/2014
* Designates Kawasaki employee
Justin Long* and Rachel Echternach
Heidi Treptow* and Ryan Reffert
Marriage Date
02/14/2014
02/14/2014
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. Wellness Deadline
Approaching Soon
The 2013-2014 Wellness Program deadline is fast approaching. Employees must have 200 points before the Sept. 30th,
2014 deadline in order to qualify for the 2015 Health Premium
Reward. To gain the first 100 points, employees are required to
complete a Biometric Screening (50 points) and Member Health
Assessment (50 Points). The remaining points can be gained by
online courses, challenges, webinars, targeted programs, and
community events, along with many more options.
If you have any questions about qualifying or any topic related
to Wellness, contact Will Henry.
7
Lincoln Plant News
Promotions - CP
Mike Boyle, Scott Gordon - Chief
Engineer, Matt Kurushima, Karen Neal
Mike Boyle, Paul Kramer - Manager,
Information Systems, Matt Kurushima,
Karen Neal
Karen Neal, Matt Kurushima,
Scott Bauer - Assistant Manager,
Production, Brad Nelson
Matt Kurushima, Jim Townsend Assistant Manager, Safety Training
& Wellness, Amanda Wilcox - Supervisor, Human Resources, Karen Neal
Brad Nelson, Rich Jedlicka - Senior
Project Engineer, Dale Meskimen,
Karen Neal
Brad Nelson, Jason Eisenbarth General Foreman, Wayne Petrzilka,
Karen Neal
Randy Lewandowski, Ken McGill - Engineer, Level 4, Geoff Ewing, Karen Neal
Takashi Hisamura - Engineer,
R&D Level 4, Loran Fortik - Engineer,
R&D Level 4, Tyler Furman,
Takeshi Yamamasu
Matt Kurushima, Randy Lewandowski,
Jason Detweiler - Engineer, Level 4,
Matt Thomas, Karen Neal
Randy Lewandowski, Brian Kouba Engineer, Level 3, Blane Uphoff,
Karen Neal
Matt Kurushima, Jason Thoendel Engineer, Level 3, Matt Huber,
Randy Lewandowski
8
Paul Kramer, Matt Kurushima,
Mark Fischer - Programmer Analyst,
Jay Kamradt
< Luke Havermann - Purchasing
Agent, Level 3, Aaron Schmidt Purchasing Agent, Level 2, Ed Cather,
Shushuke Minami, Karen Neal
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A.
Lincoln Plant News
Promotions - Rail Car
Mr. Nakazawa, Bryan Saucerman,
Don Ball - General Foreman, Rick Cox
Mr. Nakazawa, Bryan Saucerman,
Jennifer Bialas - Customer Service
Specialist, Level 2, Faye McFarling
Mr. Nakazawa, Mr. Kida, Kelli Coffey General Foreman, Bryan Saucerman
Mr. Nakazawa, Bryan Saucerman, Trevis Gale - Purchasing
Agent, Level 2, Thomas Holz - Purchasing Agent, Level 2,
Thomas Worobec - Purchasing Agent, Level 3, Bill Kruse
Mr. Nakazawa, Bryan Saucerman, Mr. Shimamoto,
William Green - Engineer, Level 2, Travis Morris, Dave Brink
Mr. Sato, Bill Kruse, David Mohr - Purchasing
Administrator, Level 2, Bryan Saucerman, Mr. Nakazawa
Mr. Nakazawa, Bryan Saucerman, Rick Cox,
Rachel Johnson - Supervisor, Production, Don Ball
Bryan Saucerman, Mr. Shimamoto,
Travis Morris - Assistant Manager, Engineering,
Dave Brink
Evan Ellenwood - Engineering
Technician, Level 2, Matt Huber,
Karen Neal
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. Mr. Nakazawa, Paul Kramer,
Sandra Watson - Systems Analyst
9
Maryville Plant News
Promotions
Front row: Jake Matheny, Trey Miyoshi, Todd Turner, J.D. Cook, Yasuhiro Ikeshita.
Middle row: Mike Roberts, Jeff Bruns, Chris Sowards, Curt Jeter, Quentin Strueby.
Back row: Steve Graham, Mike Clements, Robert Reed, Jim Dropinski, Annie O’Dell,
Megan Madden, Heather Morgan, Scott Farnan. Not pictured: Rob Ferguson,
Takayuki Nitta, Toshimichi Kasu, Junji Tobe, Tony O’Riley, Tim Melvin.
Kawasaki Engines
Donated to Area Schools
KMM-Maryville has donated engines to seven high schools in Iowa and Nebraska
in 2014, for use in classes such as Industrial Technology, Power Mechanics, and Small
Engines. Recipients include:
•Clarinda High School, Clarinda, IA
•Lincoln Public Schools: 3 high schools--East, Northeast, and LHS, Lincoln, NE
•North Polk High School, Alleman, IA
•Ankeny Centennial High School, Ankeny, IA
•Nishnabotna High School, Farragut, IA
Instructors have expressed thanks and appreciation for the donations, with plans for
students to learn basic engine functions, parts and engine systems, four stroke cycle
engine theory, and disassembly and assembly of the engines. They may be preparing
some future team members!
The large donation to three Lincoln schools was coordinated through KMM-Maryville’s
and KMM-Lincoln’s Shipping and Receiving Departments. Nice teamwork!
— SAVE THE DATES —
KMM, Maryville Plant will celebrate its 25th Anniversary on August 21, 22 and
23, 2014. August 21 will be an Employee Appreciation Day and August 22 will be
another day of celebration in which several guests will be invited. August 23 will
be an Open House for family, friends and the general public. More details to follow.
10
Congratulations to the following
individuals who received promotions.
Masafumi Miyoshi – General Manager
Yasuhiro Ikeshita - Purchasing Manager
Takayuki Nitta – Senior Advisor Quality
Toshimichi Kasu - Production Engineering
Project Manager
Slick Tobe - Die Casting Project Manager
Tony O’Riley - Information Systems
Manager
Jim Dropinski - Quality Manager
Tim Melvin - Production Manager
(Assembly/Shipping & Receiving)
Curt Jeter - Purchasing Assistant Manager
Quentin Strueby – Production Engineering Assistant Manager
J.D. Cook - R & D, Lead Project Engineer
Scott Farnan - Maintenance General
Foreman
Jake Matheny - Assembly General
Foreman
Mike Clements - Machining General
Foreman (Aluminum Crank & Cover)
Todd Turner – Maintenance Supervisor
(Environmental/Recycling)
Chris Sowards – Production Supervisor
(Machining – 3rd)
Jeff Bruns – Production Supervisor
(Assembly)
Rob Ferguson – Procurement Specialist
Steve Graham – Lab Technician
Annie O’Dell – Planner
Megan Madden – Purchasing Assistant
Heather Morgan – Production
Supervisor, 3rd Shift
Mike Roberts – Maintenance
Supervisor, 3rd Shift
Rob Reed – Engineer, Quality Control
RETIREMENT
Thank you for
your dedication
and years of service. Best wishes
from everyone
here at KMM,
Maryville Plant.
Don Lewis
3/21/2014
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A.
Maryville Plant News
8,000,000th
Unit
Celebration
Kawasaki, Maryville Plant celebrated the manufacturing of our
8,000,000th engine on Friday,
March 14, 2014.
Pictured from left: Tim Melvin,
Matt Kurushima, Nate Kobayashi,
Steve Bratt, Trey Miyoshi, Bob
Staashelm
Service Awards
April
June
20 Year – Annette Nicol-Smith, Jeff Bruns
3 Year – Ryan Pearson, Howard Walker, Michelle Hansen,
Amanda Welch, Chris Bradley, Jarad Romine, Shawn Dilley,
Richard Wickert, Rachel Hunt, Shannon Donnell, Chris Koont,
Kevin Hayes, Tina Harkrider
May
30 Year – Dave Nun
25 Year – Marvin Derks, Mark Schieffer, Tim Woolery
20 Year – Don Alford
15 Year – Heather Morgan, Jeff Partridge, John Brown, Eric Hornbuckle, Michelle Campbell, Bonnie Trimble, Shama Damgar,
Fred Giesken, Darlene Hayden, Jeff Burns, Penny Waggonner,
Ray Bohannon, Jody Thompson, Cameron Redick
10 Year – Linda Maurer, Clarice Davidson, Zach Coleman, J.D.
Cook, J.C. Duckworth, David Varner
25 Year – Dave Thurnau, Steve Graham, Shawn Leeper, Scott
McGinness, Roger Tunell
15 Year – Gay Fincham, Phillip Burhoop, Norbert Wilmes
10 Year – Dave Ditamore, Jennifer Nielson, Todd Turner, Sue
Wooten, MeMe Walker
3 Year – John Wilmes, Bruce Chu, Keith Fattig, James Michaelsen,
Alexander Sics, Matthew Lompe, Gary Howell, Tammy Arnold
July
25 Year – Terry Dorrel, Jo McGeorge, Lisa Steeve
20 Year – Jeff Madden
10 Year – Jamie Snead, Karen Renwick
3 Year – Pam Muncy, Cody Schimming, Arthor Owens, Edwin
Mack, Jeremy Snow, Cassie Roebkes, Jacob Briner, Drew
Steinman, Sara Jones, Matt Claspill
BIRTHS
March Madness
March was Madness at KMM
this year. Along with full production and plenty of overtime, we
had a March Madness Basketball
Bracket Tournament. We had 33
participants fill out brackets on their
predictions and raised $165.00 for
the March of Dimes Foundation.
Thank you to all that participated.
1st Weekend winner was
Dennis Losee
2nd Weekend winner was Brad
Hannold
Winner for the “Worst Bracket”
was Rod Hevelone
“Over-All” Winner was Brad
Hannold (pictured at right)
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. Employee
Child
Joseph Kopel
Devin Babcock
Ryan Hill
Sky Bounds
Jaicelle
Jaylee
Jenna
Chevelle
Sex
Birth Date
G
G
G
G
03/21/2014
03/31/2014
04/09/2014
04/21/2014
Congratulations KMM Maryville on achieving
our 2013 Environmental Goal of 15% reduction
in trash cost. Not only did you meet the goal
you helped reduce our actual cost by 30.3%.
By tuning up our recycling and reducing waste
YOU helped save KMM Maryville over $7000.00 and reduce our
environmental footprint.
Now let’s focus on the 2014 goal of reducing our industrial
landfill footprint tonnage by 20%. Our track record speaks for
itself. Thank you for your efforts.
11
Maryville Plant News
Kawasaki Congratulates these 2014 Graduates
Ty Hilsabeck, son of
Vicky Hilsabeck, graduated from Maryville
High School. He plans to
attend Missouri University to study Animal
Science and Agriculture
Business.
Cour tnie Atkins,
daughter of Robbie Atkins, graduated from
Nor th Andrew High
School. Future plans
are to attend Missouri
Western.
Bradie Clements,
son of Darren Clements, graduated from
Maryville High School.
Bradie will be working
for MODOT this summer
and is still undecided
about college in the fall.
12
Matt Woolery, son
of Tim and Stephanie
Wooler y, graduated
from Maryville High
School. Matt plans on
attending Northwest
Missouri State University
for Computer Science.
Nate Atkins, son of
Brad and Valerie Atkins,
graduated from North
Andrew. He will be attending North Central
Missouri College in Trenton Missouri majoring in
Criminal Justice.
Alysha Harris, daughter of Dennis and Patty
Harris, graduated from
Maryville High School.
Future plans are to get
a degree in Graphic Design and Painting.
Kameron Schief fer,
son of Mark and Alice
Schieffer, graduated
from Maryville High
School. Kameron plans
on attending Northwest
Missouri State University to study pre-physical
therapy.
Travis Wardlow, son
of MiLynn Wardlow, is
a graduate of Maryville
High School. Travis will
be attending Missouri
Western in the fall for a
degree in Engineering.
Cheyann Marrison,
daughter of Bryan Marrison, is a graduate of West
Nodaway High School.
Future plans are to
attend Missouri Western
and study Social Work
and Criminal Justice.
Alisha Woods, class
of 2014 graduate of
North Nodaway High
School, is the daughter of Neil and Kristina
Woods. Alisha plans to
start her career in Veterinary Medicine this fall
at Northwest Missouri
State University.
Jordan Sheehan,
daughter of Eric Sheehan, is a graduate of
Maryville High School.
Jordan plans to continue
her campaign of doing
epic stuff directly after
graduation.
Dakota Calfee, son of
Shane Calfee, is graduating from Clarinda High
School and has been
accepted to Iowa State
majoring in Aeronautical
Engineering.
Skyler McGinness,
son of Marsha and Mike
Gibson and the late Allen
McGinness, is a graduate
of Northwest Missouri
State University with a
Bachelor’s of Science in
Education, K-12 Physical
Education. Skyler is a third
generation BEARCAT
along with his grandmother and his mother.
Jennifer Boulting,
wife of Stan Boulting,
will be graduating in
June with a Bachelor’s
Degree in Early Childhood Education. She has
worked at a local school
for ten years starting out
as a cook and is now a
paraprofessional. She
has accepted a position as a Kindergarten
teacher at Northeast
Nodaway School. Her
future plans are to go
back to college and work
on her Master’s degree.
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A.
Maryville Plant News
Madison Driskell,
stepdaughter of Debbie
Driskell, graduated from
Maryville High School.
Her future plans are to
attend Northwest Missouri State to obtain a
degree in Elementary Education or High School
Special Education.
William Lonn, son of
Doug Lonn, is a graduate from the University of Oklahoma with
a B.S.(Double Major)
in Mathematics and
Letters. He will attend
Harvard Law School in
Cambridge Massachusetts this fall.
Derrick Vore, son
of Sandi and Kevin
Kline, graduated from
Maryville High School.
Derrick plans to join the
workforce.
Dalton James Pistole, son of Bill and
Heather Pistole, graduated from Maryville
High School. During high
school, special accomplishments were being
a member of both the
2012 and 2013 Class 3
Missouri State Football
Championship teams. In
the fall, Dalton will become a Tiger as he plans
to attend the University
of Missouri and major
in Business/Accounting.
Colten Steeve, son of
Doug and Lisa Steeve,
graduated from North
Nodaway High School.
His future plans are to
attend The Audio Engineering Institute in
Kansas City, KS.
Dane Hull, son of Curt
and Renee Hull, graduated from Maryville High
School. Dane’s plan are
to attend the University
of Central Missouri, Warrensburg and enroll in
their aviation program.
Frankie J. Grout III,
son of Frank Jr. and
Tammy Grout, graduated from Maryville High
School. While in high
school, he earned his
first year certification
in Automotive Repair.
Future plans are to
attend the Maryville
Technical School and
obtain his two year certification in Automotive
Repair and attend college to become a Veterinarian Assistant.
Andrea Hull, daughter of Curt and Renee
Hull, graduated from
Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO,
where she earned her
Doctorate in Physical
Therapy.
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. Jacob Reid-Smith,
stepson of Dan Bates,
graduated from Clarinda High School. He
has already earned his
private pilot’s license.
Jacob will be attending
Utah Valley University for
a Bachelor’s Degree in
Aviation Science.
Cierra Calfee, daughter of Shane Calfee, is
graduating from the Creative Center in Omaha
with a degree in Graphic Design. She will be
working in Omaha as a
graphic designer.
Jason DeMott graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a degree in Zoology.
Kara DeMott graduated from University of
Missouri with a Master’s Degree in Occupational
Therapy. Kara and Jason are the children of Kelly
and Jim DeMott.
Madison McBride,
daughter of John and
Denise McBride, graduated from Clarinda
High School. Her future
plans are to attend Des
Moines Area Community
College for a Medical
Lab Technician degree.
Sierra Sturm, daughter of John and Denise
McBride, graduated
from Maryville High
School. Her future plans
are to enter the workforce.
13
Maryville Plant News
NEW HIRES
Robert Wood
Maintenance Eng. - 1st
Navin Paul
Programmer - 1st
Debbie Driskell
Clerk, Prod. Control - 1st
Shellie Woods
Assembly - 1st
Dustin Winter
Assembly - 1st
Christopher Winans
Assembly - 1st
Christopher Kelly
Assembly - 1st
Robert Keith
Assembly - 1st
Todd Pedersen
Assembly - 1st
Austin Feighert
Assembly - 1st
Mariah Meyer
Assembly - 1st
George Anderson
Assembly - 1st
Robert (Bob) Atkins
Oil & Coolant - 2nd
Leslie Law
Maintenance - 2nd
Paul Whittington
Maintenance - 3rd
David Lynch
S&R - 2nd
Mark Russell
Machining - 2nd
Steven Quick
Machining - 2nd
Jeffrey Monahan
Machining - 2nd
Max McGinnis
Machining - 3rd
Steven Seipel
Machining - 3rd
Benjamin Anderson
Manf. Process Eng. - 1st
William Eimer
Mfg. Process Eng. - 1st
Cameron Weddle
Engineering Tech. - 1st
Bradley Honnold
Programmer - 1st
Carolyn Gilliland
Attendant, Costodial - 3rd
Justin Shackleford
Assembly - 1st
Paige Baker
Assembly - 1st
Jacob Vinzant
Assembly - 1st
Melinda Williams
Assembly - 1st
Christopher Ray
Assembly - 1st
Jerica Glover
Assembly - 1st
Christopher Staggs
Assembly - 1st
Rick Lisenbee
Machining - 2nd
Kody Allen
Machining - 3rd
Kale McBrien
Machining - 3rd
14
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A.
Maryville Plant News
NEW HIRES
Casey Bennett
Machining - 3rd
Sharee Volner
Machining - 3rd
Cameron Norris
Die Casting - 2nd
Safety Corner:
“SAFETY Starts With ‘S’,
But Begins With YOU”
Our Safety Employee of the Month winners were: January –
Tammy Sullivan; February – Fred Giesken; March – Chet
Renfro; and April – Alex Sics. They were all nominated by their
Supervisors for identifying safety hazards and taking steps to
eliminate them. Their prize was a reserved parking spot for the
month. Thank you for your observations, corrective actions, and
commitment to Safety.
Tammy Sullivan Fred Giesken
Chet Renfro
Alex Sics
Safety Tips: “Off the Job Safety”
Would it surprise you to know that more workers are injured
or killed away from work, than at work? One study showed that
more than 50% of injuries occurred while not at work and over
two-thirds as many deaths were from off the job accidents. Be
careful when you take on projects at home, use the correct tools
for the job, buckle-up in the car, and don’t text and drive.
ALWAYS think SAFETY, even when you’re not at work.
Cooking Safety Tips
GREASE FIRE: DO NOT USE WATER! Smother with a pan
lid or use a fire extinguisher. Baking soda works, but it takes a lot
and is usually too slow to get at. If clothing catches fire, stop,
drop and roll. Call 911 if necessary.
DEEP PAN FRYERS: Never allow water or any other liquid but
cooking oil to come in contact with hot oil or else it may instantly
turn into steam and splatter oil.
BOILING: Always lift the lid of a boiling pot by lifting the far
side of the lid first.
HOT POT/PAN: Always leave a hot pad on a hot lid as a warning
to others. Never leave the handle hanging over edge, especially
if children are around.
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. Logan Allen
Die Casting - 2nd
Clarence Beason
Die Casting - 3rd
In the Kitchen Storage Smarts
Proper food storage can improve on a refrigerated product’s
shelf life. Restaurants are experts in food storage. The guidelines
restaurants use also can be used at home.
Here are some tips:
•Unpack and store items. Place opened food items in clear
containers that seal tightly.
•Mark each item with the date when it goes into the refrigerator.
•Practice “first in, first out” storage. This requires that new items
be shelved behind existing refrigerator stock. Once items are
shelved, use the goods up front first.
•Store products in the proper place. Keep frozen food at zero
degrees Fahrenheit in the freezer. Non-frozen foods should be
placed in a refrigerator set at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
Meat, eggs and cheese can stay safely refrigerated for as long
as seven days.
•When placing items in a refrigerator allow space between
goods and don’t let them come in contact with the refrigerator’s inside walls.
Source: National Restaurant Association
Policy Updates
Highlights of recent Policy updates and changes:
•Paid Time Off: Policies for hourly and non-exempt PTO - PTO
hours will be considered as time worked when computing
overtime on a daily basis.
•Service Awards: Added the following service incentives – Employees that reach 3 years of service will receive $50, 5 years of service will receive $250, 40 years
of service will receive $2,000, 45 years of service will receive
$2,225 and 50 years of service will receive $2,500 .
•Notice to all Employees, effective June 1st, marriage license
and birth certificates will be required when adding a Spouse/
Domestic Partner and/or eligible dependant(s) to Kawasaki
benefits due to a Qualifying event and during Open Enrollment.
If you have any questions please contact HR.
15
Maryville Plant News
Worlds of Fun
Worlds of Fun Single-Day Ticket: $39.99
(regular price $51.99 + tax)
Single-Day Jr./Sr. Price - $31.99
Junior/Senior Tickets are available at
Worlds of Fun Main Entrance and
online @ www.worldsoffun.com
Schlitterbahn
General Admission (ages 12-54): $34.34
Child/Senior (ages 3-11 and 55 & older): $28.80
Ages 2 and younger are free
Discount Tickets available in HR
(OVER 62 YEARS OLD OR UNDER 48” TALL)
Age 2 and under are free
Emergency Travel Assistance
Sun Life offers active employees and their immediate family Emergency Travel Assistance and Identity Theft Protection. These extra
services are part of your Group life insurance.
Emergency Travel Assistance is available if you have a medical emergency while you are more than 100 miles away from home. You
can call and be connected to Assist America’s staff of medically trained, multilingual professionals who can advise you in a medical
emergency, 24/7. No matter where you are in the world, they will help you access and receive:
• Medical consultation, evaluation and referral
• Hospital admission
• Critical monitoring
• Lost prescription assistance
• Legal and interpreter referrals
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Transportation to return home or to a rehabilitation facility
You or your family (whether traveling together or separately), whether you are on vacation or on a business trip (spouse business
travel excluded) Assist America pays for 100% of the services it arranges for and provides.
Identity Theft Protection
You have the support of a comprehensive Identity Theft Protection program through Assist America’s SecurAssist Indentity
Protection. It provides:
• 24/7 telephone support and step-by-step guidance by anti-fraud experts
• A case worker assigned to you to help you notify the credit bureaus and file paperwork to correct your credit reports
• Help cancel stolen cards and reissuing new cards
• Help notifying financial institutions and government agencies
Please see Human Resources for more information.
16
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A.