august 2023

Classic is defined as "of the highest class, serving as a standard of its kind". If one thinks of Major League Baseball, the pinstripe uniforms worn by the Yankees represent a classic, timeless look to go along with the 27 World Championships won by this organization. The most won by a team, followed by 14 won by the Cardinal's organization. 27 World Championships are won by commitment, focus, and repetitive practices done over and over by players that become automatic in nature, although simple in theory. Caterpillar Yellow, the high gross, highly visible hue, has been worn since 1979 by a growing, changing, industry-standard product line that can only bring to mind a bar being raised for excellence when seen. Lou Gering, although known more today for being stricken with ALS, played his entire hall-of-fame career for the New York Yankees from 1929 to 1939. He played in 2,130 consecutive games, a record that stood until 995. He was nicknamed "The Iron Horse".

Arthur Arceneaux, who presently resides in Bay 5 in Shop 2 in Reserve comes to mind when the words "classic" and "Iron Horse" are spoken. He quietly goes about his job of pre-delivering new machines day in, day out, year in, year out. A consistent, done-right quality every time. The most senior man we have on the Reserve property, Arthur, affectionately known as "Chief" by his co-workers, demonstrates a work ethic to be imitated and admired. Excavators with no booms or sticks, dozers without blades, and hammers in boxes that are in pieces, he does them all. And, whenever he removes an attachment from a machine, that attachment is marked with the Job Number, Model Number, and Serial Number so that everyone can know what it came off of when viewed. Small practice, but a tremendous aid for when it needs to be identified 12 months from now. I am grateful for all of my co-workers. This article isn't an attempt to elevate one over the other. It is to recognize one that universally is viewed the same by his co-workers, which is in a very positive light. 

Submitted by Tommy Fernandez, Sales Operations Manager 

Everyone,

As you know we have been battling extremely high temperatures over the course of the summer. This not only presents a hazard due to heat stress and heat exhaustion but also wears us down physically and mentally. Please continue to focus on working safely in the heat and remember the following:

-Make sure to consume fluids throughout the day. Water, Gatorade, and Squincher/electrolyte packs are recommended.

-Make sure to take breaks and cool down. If you start to get hot, take a break and cool down, don’t push it.

-Stay out of direct sunlight if possible. Field personnel should use small tents or umbrellas when possible.

-Make sure you have airflow in your work area. Utilize fans/air movers.

I would like to thank our drivers and field personnel as we have been doing a great job regarding our safe driving. At-fault incidents are down 50% compared to last year and we have not had an at-fault vehicle accident in over 3 months. We have had some not-at-fault accidents over the last few months and our Samsara GPS and Camera systems have been crucial in proving our innocence. Please make sure your camera is affixed to your windshield and aimed correctly. These systems are there to protect our employees and help keep us safe on the road. If you have any issues or questions regarding the GPS/Camera System, please contact the Safety Team.

Thank you again for your commitment and hard work.

 - Craig Fisher, Director of Safety