The famous American Indian Sitting Bull once said, “Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children.” Keeping these words alive, the team at Rinker Materials’ Miami cement mill recently put them into action for some special needs children.
Long time employee and member of the infamous “Yard Gang,” Argelio Morejon had been eyeing the cement mill’s outdated computer equipment in storage for quite a while – watching as it collected more and more dust.
“My son is a special education teacher at Paul W. Bell Middle School in Miami and I knew his students could benefit from these old machines,” says Argelio. “He teaches career education and computer repair to students with varying learning abilities. I knew they would benefit from this equipment a lot more than our storage room.”
Now the donated equipment is being used by Argelio’s son to help teach form and function of computers in a “hands–on” environment. This not only teaches core academic skills within work–related procedures, but also helps to build important social skills. Once repaired, the computers are also donated to students needing one at home.
“This was a real win–win,” says Miami cement mill manager Bob Rogers. ”We were glad to play a small part in such a worthy effort.”
Flying wild
When parents were told their children would be trained in a course called Flying Wild, they likely hesitated at first. But Flying Wild was a popular feature of the Corporate Lands for Learning (CLL) workshop and is the latest educational program from the creators of Project Wild.
This program teaches students and community members about migratory bird species, encouraging attendees to hold regular “bird festivals” to help pass on this knowledge. It also allows students to showcase research completed on corporate sites, including progress made in habitat preservation and restoration.
Between training for Flying Wild, attendees also hiked Florida’s picturesque Anheuser–Busch Jacksonville properties to get closer to the many birds and wildlife. The workshop continued at Rinker Materials’ Engstrom Lake and Gator facility allowing the group further hands–on activities. A behind the scenes tour of Sea World Orlando’s wildlife conservation projects, including their manatee rescue program, was a great way to end the four day program.
Process improvement at Shared Services
Continual improvement and standardization of core processes across all lines of business: This task may seem daunting at first, but if you are anything like Rinker Materials Shared Services department, all you need to do is harness the expertise found in your people.
In an effort to reach this goal, Shared Services recently developed steering teams. Team leaders were found from all parts of the business for their process area expertise.
“Through these teams, we want to facilitate cost reductions, prioritise system enhancements, improve communications, set the strategic direction and measure success within their process.” Says Nancy Stanton. “They will then make decisions based on the best business case or what is best for Rinker Materials as a whole rather than individual business units.”
The primary issues currently being addressed include standardizing corporate credit policies, improving billing accuracy and improving training and reporting processes.
Watching over Tampa Bay
Ever wonder what oysters do for a living? They don’t just fatten up to one day become a tasty hors d’oeuvre, they play an important part in filtering the ocean so that the water and ecosystem is kept clean.
With this in mind, volunteers from Rinker Mate– rials recently assisted Quicksilver Recycling in placing 308 oyster domes in Tampa Bay – helping to reduce erosion of the shoreline from heavy boat traffic and storm water.
Due to water traffic from the Port of Tampa, waves from constant activity in the area cause erosion of mangroves and premature wearing of the sea wall, vital elements of the shoreline’s precious ecosystem.
These domes now allow a safe haven for oysters to nest and do their job of filtering storm water re– entering the bay. The domes are designed so that strong waves are channeled out so the sea wall and shoreline are protected. Mangroves west of Bayshore Boulevard are especially vital in protecting birds, small fish and other sea creatures. These will benefit from the domes as well.
