Hello DCP and welcome back to production.

By now, you are well acclimated to the enhancements in the production system that will aid in helping to improve our quality performance. I am glad that we weathered the 2020 pandemic and that we are here to talk about it, but at the same time, we suffered great losses and in so many ways we will never be the same again. Yet, we must pick up the pieces remembering God is with us. We must move forward with more determination to produce the best class A Motorhome chassis and commercial step-van chassis in the industry.

While we were out adjusting to lay-off, many of us ran into difficulty successfully filing for and receiving unemployment payments. Many tried and were unable to contact anyone at the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) for assistance. After holding on the line for hours, we learned that UIA had a large backlog of UI claims, suffered from a lack of staff, and had computer system problems. All of this contributed to delays and denials. Frustration was high and morale low.

The Human Capital Team learned of the massive problem and went above and beyond the call of duty behind the scenes working tirelessly with the UIA on the weekends and after work hours when necessary to identify and resolve issues with claims.

Thank you (Edwina Milligan, VP, Human Capital and team) for caring about the well-being of all of the Associates. We appreciate your efforts.

“Thank you for going above and beyond to make this happen…” Michael J. Guthrie, Co-Chairman

“My thanks for this extraordinary service…” Carlton L. Guthrie, Co-Chairman.

GETTING BACK TO PRODUCTION

Now that we are back to regular production and the world around us returns to normal, let’s remember the valuable lessons learned over the past 15 months. Life is fragile. Be careful and stay aware.

Some are still at-risk. Those that received injections are in a better position to help protect our community, but everyone did not get inoculated and they may have legitimate reasons, but everyone is not protected against Covid. Do not misinterpret what the “Powers that Be” are saying by relaxing restrictions associated with the pandemic. Know that people still die daily from Coronavirus, so please be careful.
You are an important part of the DC family. You are loved, appreciated and needed.

Due to residual effects of the pandemic our HR team constantly hires new Associates. We expect to see some stability soon. In the meantime, the cross-functional team focuses on Quality because a well-trained Associate is extremely valuable to the production process.

Michael Hinton, VP Human Resources wants to highlight the efforts of Jim Terry, Senior Engineering Warranty Specialist, for stepping up to the plate to assist the team with New Hire Orientation. The sessions are spirited and engaging and emphasizes Safety and following processes.

Jim took the opportunity when asked to mention the hard work of Quality Operating System Coordinators, Verlyn Hodges and Ed Mobley, who are doing an amazing job conducting the Day-3: Tool-Use Hands-on Training. Great Job Verl and Ed. Keep doing what you Do!

Thank you, Jim for being a CHAMPION by acknowledging the efforts of other team members. We appreciate your unique style that is making training more effective. Kudos to everyone involved in New Hire Orientation and Training. Your efforts are helping DC to staff up to build the “BEST” Motorhome and Commercial Step-Van Chassis in the industry.

QUALITY TRAINING

The week of June 16th, the Quality and Operations teams conducted training to improve the Quality Operating System (QOS) and exceed Customer Joy. Initially, the Gatekeepers team grumbled that the tablet training was too difficult for them. Yet, after several more training sessions with Maurice Lucas, Data Analyst and Dr. David Ogbuaku, C3 Quality Engineer, the group shared during a daily reflection how much they enjoyed the tablet training, which motivated Nayeesha Conway, Chief Steward, to take the tablet training class.

LynAngela Tipton, Quality Associate, shared during a daily Quality Training Reflection meeting with the entire training group that she cringed when she heard that she had to attend the visual training class led by Tim Meadows, Assistant Plant Manager, because she thought that he was too hard on the team. Yet, after taking his training class she has established the upmost respect for Tim Meadows as a manager and a person. The training improved associates’ learning development, communication and team building.

The sessions:

• Tablet Usage: Maurice Lucas, Data Analyst and David Ogbuaku, C3 Quality Engineer
• Visual Confirmation Mapping: Tim Meadows, Assistant Plant Manager
• Torque/DataMyte: Jutuan Brown, C2 Quality Engineer
• Torque Markings/Quality Alerts: Claudio Enriquez, Assistant Quality Manager and Matt Freeman, CAL
  Supervisor
• ISO 9000: Aslam Saeed, C2 Quality Engineer
• CAL Calibration to NFS inspection, Matt Freeman, CAL Supervisor
• Gatekeeper Calibration to CAL inspection: Janice Johnson, Gatekeeper/Team Leader
• Quality Tip Levels: Ranson Smith, Senior Manager – Quality

UAW Representatives Nayeesha Conway, Kenyetta Boudreaux, and Jimmy Perryman, began walking to the front of the group during a reflection meeting. Carolynn Lofton, Executive Quality Champion grabbed her pen and paper. She prepared to document another UAW concern, when to her surprise, the UAW leaders complimented Detroit Chassis’ management team. They were impressed with the training and shared the high level of confidence they have in the management team’s ability to drive quality improvement.