ATHENS– On March 4, The Steelcase Corporation in Athens hosted a plant tour for over 50 faculty and students from Athens State Universityโs College of Business. The students were from classes that focus on Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Accounting, MIS, and Operations Management. They toured the plant to see first-hand how lean principles and processes are practiced throughout the facility.
Plant Manager John Lucius gave the welcome and overview of Steelcase. Lean Team Supervisor Don Byford explained that lean principles and processes are part of the plantโs daily work culture. SAP Consultant and SME Craig McConnell discussed the value of using SAP ERP to run the global business activities.
The visiting students learned that the plant located in Athens is the largest Steelcase furniture manufacturing plant in the world. The company was founded in 1912 and it is global, publicly traded, and leads the industry with fiscal 2014 revenue of approximately $3 billion. Steelcase employs 10,700 workers globally.
โThere is a long history of collaboration between Athens State University and Steelcase,โ said Susan Calhoun, Athens State adjunct faculty member and Steelcase employee in Materials Planning. โSteelcase has long been committed to area educational initiatives and we are so pleased that these students can become familiar with the companyโs world-class production environment.โ
The event was organized by Calhoun along with Michelle McCoy, an Athens State graduate and Steelcase Material Planner, Scott Chappell, a recent graduate and intern in the Materials Planning Department, and Pearl Bridgeforth, Steelcase Operations and Athens State University Board of Visitors. The tour guides were Wes Allen, Jr., FDC Lead, Don Byford, Supervisor Lean Team, Doug Danley, Supervisor Manufacturing and Distribution, Brandon Drake, 2nd Shift Plant Lead, Randall Moore, Human Resources Leader.
MEDIA RELEASE/ATHENS STATE UNIVERSITY/GUY MCCLURE
