Reaching the next generation of manufacturers

October 29, 2014

Bloomington, IN– It is a well known fact that the manufacturing industry is in need of young, trained technicians and engineers. TASUS recognizes the need to begin reaching out to high school aged students to share the career opportunities and spark interest in the manufacturing industry. Recently TASUS representatives attended a career fair for local high school students.

The career fair was held at the Hoosier Hills Career Center, a technical school extension of Bloomington High School North. The classes offered in the Hoosier Hills Career Center are for students interested in technical career fields, from engineering to mechanical careers. All though the students are interested in technical fields, many do not know of the career opportunities available in the manufacturing sector. Due to outsourcing and other negative connotations generally associated with manufacturing students tend to go in other career directions.

This is why it is of the utmost importance for TASUS, and other manufacturing firms, to have a presence at career fairs of this type. TASUS was represented by three full-time employees and an intern from Vincennes University. Led by Director of Technical Development Robbie Elliott the TASUS team shared with students the career opportunities in the manufacturing industry. Many students found the types of products produced interesting, but what all showed the most interest in was the robotics behind it all. Trained engineers will do much more than work on the manufacturing floor. They will build and work on various robots that assist in producing high quality products. This was something that not all students knew. The presence of TASUS at this fair helped to rid some of the negative assumptions these students had towards manufacturing and expand their knowledge of the work in the industry. Additionally, TASUS was able to encourage students to consider the manufacturing field by sharing the opportunities and benefits available for those that enter it. Many young students do not realize the abundance of available jobs in this field. On average, there are around five jobs available for each student studying to work in the manufacturing field. Companies are willing to offer extra benefits for students entering this field because of the need for young professionals to fill positions.

This is one of the only career fields with so many job opportunities that companies compete for students, rather than the other way around. TASUS intern Michael Frederick will not have to pay for tuition for the rest of his education. TASUS has offered to pay for Frederick’s tuition as an investment in his future with the company. When Frederick told students and their parents about his story with TASUS their eyes would light up. Students saw a path to a promising career and parents saw a path to a free college education.

It is our hope at TASUS that by sharing insight into the industry’s potential careers it will spark interest in some students. We understand not all will want to work for our company, but if they still enter the manufacturing sector the industry will be better as a whole. With the average age of welders and other technical positions being over 50 years old the industry is in need of a new generation of trained employees, before the current ones all retire. TASUS will continue to reach out to young students any way we can in hope of drawing more young professionals into the industry. For more information on MCCSC and Hoosier Hills please follow the link below.

Hoosier Hills Career Center

TASUS Celebrates Silver Anniversary

October 29, 2014

Bloomington, IN– TASUS recently celebrated the company’s 25th anniversary by hosting an event to honor employees and retirees from the Indiana facility. The company brought in a number of dignitaries to speak to employees and make it a truly special event.

The event began with tours around the facility, led by employees. This allowed employees to showoff their profession to friends and family, while spreading awareness about what it is we do at TASUS. After the tours employees and their guests made way to the tent for food and drinks. At that time the ceremony was kicked off with both the Japan and the United States’ national anthem sang by two time Grammy award winning soprano Sylvia McNair. Not many companies can say a Grammy winner performed at a company event. This was truly a memorable way to start the program.

The event also featured special appearances from Koichi Ohara the President and COO of Tsuchiya Group Ltd. (parent company of TASUS), as well as Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellsperman and Deputy Mayor John Whikehart. The ceremony served as a time to recognize employees with long tenured service at TASUS, perfect attendance, and retirees.

TASUS was honored to have one other special guest. B.J. Yoho, a.k.a. B.J. Claus, attended and spoke at the event. Yoho is known for his charitable work collecting presents and money to be donated to The Riley Children’s Hospital. TASUS has been involved in helping Yoho raise toys in the past, so for this event we presented him with a giant check to be donated to The Riley Children’s Hospital in his honor. TASUS will still run toy drives to help Yoho raise more toys as the holidays are quickly approaching.

This event was about the employees, and for the employees. All the planning going into the event revolved around what would mean the most to employees, as they have meant so much to the company throughout the years. Without the hard work and dedication from all of the employees at TASUS the company would not still be growing after 25 years. Employees have shown resiliency through difficult times and never gave up on the company. As a token of gratitude TASUS gave all employees a gift bag of locally made products with the TASUS 25th anniversary theme mixed in. We have enjoyed the past 25 years of business and are looking forward to the next 25.

New employees receive TPS toolkits for success

October 29, 2014

Bloomington, IN– TASUS practices and teaches each new employee the Toyota Production System principles. As one way to introduce new employees to the TPS principles we provide them with a “tool kit for success”. This kit features many concepts from TPS principles. The kit includes a notepad for jotting down ideas, at TASUS we say small improvements, big impact. The notepad allows employees share ideas they have throughout the day with the management team. The toolkit for success also includes a TPS pen. This was designed by the TASUS marketing department and includes a pullout banner with all 14 TPS principles listed. This is served as a visual indicator to aid the learning of the principles for new employees. Using visual indicators is TPS principle 7, so at TASUS we have used TPS to teach TPS.

While establishing what would be included in the new employee kit Director of Marketing Jay Brown reached out to the author of “The Toyota Way”, Jeffrey Liker for his input. Liker thought the kit, and the banner pens specifically, were great ways to share the TPS principles with employees. Liker thought the pens were such a good idea he has asked that we send him some for his own use. TASUS began utilizing the TPS principles in 2006 at the Indiana facility. Now all TASUS facilities utilize, promote, and teach TPS principles to employees. The plants have TPS training sessions led by fellow employees who have previously been through the training. This serves as a way to expand employee knowledge, improve efficiency, and create buy-in for the company philosophy and culture.