September 2010

A&K and Social Networking

Technology is an amazing thing! The use of mobile devices have exploded. Everywhere you look there are Ebooks, netbooks, tablets, and smartphones. And, it is not just for the young crowd. Did you know that 94% of U.S. Senior Citizens use e-mail and 77% of senior citizens are shopping on line? Business is advancing in new ways through online use. SocialNet_imagemed.jpgAirlines such as JetBlue and Southwest believe one on one instant communication can drive loyalty and purchases. Dell claims that Twitter generated $6.5 million in revenue through sales alerts posted. A&K is right on top of the technology wave. Have you looked at our website lately? It has been updated and many items added. One of the additions you will see is that A&K is now on Facebook and Twitter. We encourage you to check out our website, visit our Facebook page and join us on Twitter. There are now 500 million active Facebook users and Facebook claims more than 10% of all time spent on the internet. Sites such as these create a buzz about our business and help our company.

We are definitely a plugged-in people, constantly bombarded by friend requests, photo tags, status updates and links to videos of funny babies and pets. At A&K, we not only embrace the media and technology that make these bombardments possible, we harness them for our customers. We also welcome the power of individuals to leverage and enhance their personal brands through tools.

At the same time, we recognize the challenges of the increasing competition for our time and attention created by this barrage of messages. To address these challenges, we have created a guideline for team members’ use of social media tools both in and out of the office.

Each employee will receive a copy of our new Social Networking Policy regarding the use of social networks such as Facebook, personalblogs, and e-mails. This should be read and acknowledged by signing and returning the attached receipt to our payroll department. The policy will be added to our official employee handbook.

Participation in social networking is not a right but an opportunity, so please treat it seriously and with respect. If you do so, then we will all benefit from these wonderful tools.

Scholarship Available for Children of A&K Employees

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I am pleased to announce that we are currently receiving applications for the A&K Scholarship Award. The initial $2,000 scholarship is for one year of school. If the scholarship recipient maintains a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 or higher (or equivalent), the scholarship may be extended on an annual basis, upon verification of the GPA, for up to three consecutive years. The total value of the scholarship could be as much as $8,000. The scholarship money will be paid at the beginning of each qualifying school year.

This scholarship is available to the son or daughter of an A&K employee who is currently enrolled in a college or technical school or plans to do so this Winter.

The first priority will be given to students who graduated in 2010. Please note that the scholarship will be presented on the basis of financial need as well as academic achievement. If you would like to apply for this scholarship, please complete the application which is attached to this memo and return it to my attention no later than September 30, 2010.

  • Date
  • Employee Name and Child’s Name
  • High School Attended and Year Graduated
  • G.P.A. and A.C.T./S.A.T. Scores
  • University or Technical College Planning to Attend
  • Recognitions Received during High School and Brief description of your desire and need for the scholarship fund

If you have any questions do not hesitate to give me a call at 1-800-453-8812.

Rhonda Nicoloff

Featured Employee

Manuel Sandoval, Field Operations

FeatEmp_med.jpgI was born in Guadalajara Mexico and raised in Mexico City. I have 2 sisters and 1 brother. We talk frequently and are very close despite living far apart. My mother was a waitress in a Chinese restaurant and my Father worked in a factory that made socks as a welder and mechanic repairing the machines. In Mexico school only goes through 5th grade. Schooling beyond that point requires a lot of money similar to going to college in the United States. So at age 12 I went to work. I worked for a truck driver delivering packages similar to UPS. The driver would drive and at each stop I ran the packages from the truck to the houses or business. Then I worked at a factory that made parts for cars like radiator hoses repairing machines and I learned to drive a forklift.

In 1975 I met my wife Lupe Bermudez in Mexico City and we were married November 15th. We were both 16 years old. We had three sons. We worked hard but the wages you can earn in Mexico are nothing unless you have an education higher than the 5th grade. When our boys were 7, 8, and 9 years old we made the decision together that I would go to work in the United States in order to give our boys a good future. The goal was to work for 2 years. That 2 years has now become 22 years. For many years I was only able to go home to see my family one time a year. This put a lot of responsibility on my wife to raise the boys. She was strict with them but they were always good boys and did well in school knowing how important it is. They never had any problems or got into trouble. I am very proud of them. It was a big sacrifice but it was worth it. All 3 of my boys graduated from college. My boys are all married now and I have 5 grandchildren. My oldest son, Eleazar Israel is a basketball coach at a private high school. My second son Emmanuella has 1 son and 1 daughter. He is a computer engineer. My youngest son, Luis Alberto has 2 sons and 1 daughter. He is a quality control inspector. Together we have a family business, an internet cafe, at 2 locations. Emmanuella runs the business full time and my other sons also work together in the business in addition to their other jobs, plus they employ 5 other employees.

The first job I got in the United States in 1988 was for A&K working in the Mira Loma Yard. I made $4.50 an hour and when I got my first paycheck, I thought it was HUGE money. At that time in Mexico the typical wage working in a factory was 75 cents per day. After a few months I was sent to help Rocky Smith at a take-up job in Auburn California. When that job was done I went home for Christmas and when I returned in January 1989, there were no jobs available with A&K. I made my way to Washington where I got a job working for a meat cutting plant and later worked picking apples and worked in an apple packing plant. Luckily I had stayed in contact with my friend Cappy, who started in Mira Loma when I did and who was still working with Rocky. I liked Rocky and the work that A&K did, so when Cappy said they were in Rosalia Washington I took a chance and went to ask Rocky for a job. Rocky hired me again in 1990 and I have worked for A&K ever since. The next job was in Idaho and Rocky asked me to help get new guys for the crew. He began to give me more and more responsibility and I became an assistant foreman about 16 years ago. For about the last 6 years I have been a foreman with my own crew. During my time at A&K I have worked in almost every yard except for Kansas City and have worked in 36 states traveling back and forth around the country wherever I was needed.

In 2005 I applied to be a U.S. Citizen. I started studying for the history test and I was so happy to pass. I had to learn to speak English better because my English was pretty broken. I had responsibilities so I did not have time to take a class to learn but I had a very patient friend that did a lot of translating and helped me. Plus I learned English by watching a lot of T.V. – the news, movies and a lot of Sesame Street. In 2007 when the process was complete I became a citizen of the United States. There were 150 others there when I was sworn in. It was COOL. I am very proud. I show the American flag everywhere. I wish I had not waited so long and had not been so scared and nervous to try before.

In my personal time I enjoy reading. I like movies, mostly comedies and cowboy/western movies. I go to church every Saturday and read my bible every day. I am very honest and loyal. My favorite foods are Chinese and Mexican. I listen to country music. I like to help others and regularly give gifts to my neighbors and friends. I like to shop with my wife for clothes and perfumes/cologne.

My wife Lupe is here with me now which is very nice! She enjoys cooking and decorating cakes. She likes to watch the cooking shows and tries new meals she sees on them. She is very good at sewing and makes beautiful crocheted doilies. She is very picky about making everything nice and is always cleaning and fixing things so everything is perfect. She can do anything she sets her mind to.

I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given. I want to work for A&K until retirement. I would like to return to Guadalajara Mexico where I have a house and I can be close to my grandchildren and watch them grow. I have been able to travel all over the U.S. and I want to travel Mexico also when I have the time to do so.
 

Trackwork Division Increases Capabilities

The Trackwork Division recently purchased a new piece of equipment that will increase its capabilities and decrease the amount of time necessary to produce long products. The CNC-controlled, 5-axis Traveling Column Mill was purchased from an equipment supplier in Belgium. Phil Poce and Karl Renner traveled there in mid-August to view the dismantling of the machine, to verify the foundation and leveling requirements and to familiarize themselves with all of the parts and pieces. All pieces are being put into containers and will then be loaded onto an ocean-going vessel for shipment to the US and ultimately to Kansas City.

This machine will be used to produce stock rails, long switch points and guard rails. It has the capability to cut, machine and drill all holes needed in the web for switch points. It also features the capability to load its own tools with a 67-tool changer.

Once it arrives in Kansas City, the original manufacturer of the machine will send personnel to reassemble the equipment and to provide training on the operation as well as programming. It is expected to be functional by the end of the year.

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Employee News

A celebration was held for Kern Schumacher in honor of his 70th Birthday. Many friends, family, and associates gathered at his home at Lake Tahoe for the event. He is pictured here with entertainer, Shalom Sherman. Happy Birthday Kern!


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Bob and Cindy Merrell, (Corporate Headquarters), announce the birth of their second Great Grandchild. Melanie Elena Rutherford arrived 4 weeks early and was born August 14, 2010 at 3:09pm.She weighed  4 pounds 12 ounces and was  18-1/2 inches long. Mom and baby are doing fine Melanie will be in the Nic Unit for a while yet, because she is a Preemie. She is truly a little bundle of Sunshine and makes her Mom so happy.
We had another summer BBQ in August at Corporate Headquarters. This one was hosted by the Real Estate Department. They prepared delicious ribs and chicken with corn on the cob, baked beans, salad and corn muffins. Alejandro even made his famous homemade tamales which are the best! It was all topped off with dutch oven cobbler and vanilla ice cream. Phil and Pat were in Salt Lake for business on that day and were able to participate also. It was another great day thanks to the efforts of everyone in Real Estate. EmpNews_image3cBig.png
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Procrastination

There’s an old saying that says … "If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!"

Brian Tracy says that your "frog" should be the most difficult item on your things to do list, the one you’re most likely to procrastinate on; because, if you eat that first, it’ll give you energy and momentum for the rest of the day. But, if you don’t …and let him sit there on the plate and stare at you while you do a hundred unimportant things, it can drain your energy and you won’t even know it.

If you are like most people today, you are overwhelmed with too much to do and too little time. As you struggle to get caught up, new tasks and responsibilities just keep rolling in, like the waves of the ocean. Because of this, you will never be able to do everything you have to do. You will never be caught up. You will always be behind in some of your tasks and responsibilities.

For this reason, and perhaps more than ever before, your ability to select your most important task at each moment, and then to get started on that task and to get it done both quickly and well, will probably have more of an impact on your success than any other quality or skill you can develop.

Your “frog” is your biggest, most important task. It is also the one task that can have the greatest positive impact on your life and results at the moment. The first rule of frog eating is this: If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest one first.

Frog_Big.jpg If you have two important tasks before you, start with the biggest, hardest, and most important task first. The second rule of frog eating is this: If you have to eat a live frog at all, it doesn’t pay to sit and look at it for very long. The key to reaching high levels of performance and productivity is to develop the lifelong habit of tackling your major task first thing each morning. Develop the routine of "eating your frog" before you do anything else and without taking too much time to think about it. Discipline yourself to begin immediately and then to persist until the task is complete before you go on to something else.

Think of this as a test. Treat it like a personal challenge. Resist the temptation to start the easier task. Successful, effective people are those who launch directly into their major tasks and then discipline themselves to work steadily and single-mindedly until those tasks are complete. They force themselves to eat that frog, whatever it is. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average person and are much happier as a result.

“Procrastination is attitudes natural assassin. There is nothing quite so fatiguing as an unfinished task.”