Stories from our May 10 edition
Bassett proud of Manufacturer of the Year award
By Judy Dixon Hebbe
For the Times-Villager
Without naming it, the presenter described the company that would be the 2008 Wisconsin Manufact-urer of the Year. As he proceeded, Bill Bassett, CEO, and Kim Bassett-Heitzman, president, recognized their company and proudly reflected on the honor their employees had brought to Bassett Mechanical.
“It was just like the Oscars,” said Bassett-Heitzman. “No one knew who was going to get the award until they read the name. We knew because, as he described the company, we knew it couldn’t be anyone other than us.”
Together, father and daughter walked up to the podium and accepted the award. Bassett-Heitzman called it an “honor to accept the award on behalf of our employees. It did not go back to one person or one department,” she said. “It was a total team effort and everyone could be proud of the recognition of our efforts and the recognition they received on a statewide basis.”
Bassett Mechanical, which has been in the valley since 1936 and moved its main office and plant to Kaukauna 11 years ago, is recognized as a single-source provider for a wide range of commercial building and industrial process systems. They focus on designing and building; industrial refrigeration and control systems; heating, ventilating and air conditioning; metal fabrication; plumbing; industrial ventilation; replacement, and service and preventive maintenance.
Although she did not know which of the 10 criteria propelled the judges’ decision, Bassett-Heitzman felt the company was strong in the areas of manufacturing process and operational excellence, where the business is “always looking for solutions.”
She pointed to their management philosophy, which is stated in their reputation and promise: “We answer to you.”
“We answer to our customers, out employees, our vendors and our community,” Barrett-Heitz-man said. How Barrett Mechanical achieves those answers is in-scribed on a card that is readily available to anyone who is interested. It describes reliable, high-quality and responsible priced mechanical services for customers; fair business practices and win-win relationships with vendors, and maintaining a strong, vibrant workforce that contributes to the community.
“We answer to our employees by fostering an environment where people are proud to share ideas, work hard and provide outstanding solutions for customers,” she said.
In 2002, Bassett Mechanical became one of the first in its industry to become an ISO 9001-2000 certified company, which required them to prove their ability to consistently and professionally meet rigorous standards for organizational management.
During the two years of preparation, significant payoffs in internal communications, more efficiency for customers and improved company morale were seen. A steering committee with one person from each department initiated the process, which ultimately got everyone involved.
“Because we are so customer oriented, a customer can become involved with several different departments working on his project,” Barrett-Heitzman said.
Customers not only have contact with a salesman and a project engineer, they are also assigned a foreman who is overseeing the project in the plant, an arrangement Barrett-Heitzman applauds.
“Engineers think conceptually; foremen think practically. Both can help each other,” she said. “Many times a customer will call the foremen directly for an answer. Because of our constant focus on how we can make this better, foremen will call customers with suggestions. It has worked so well that we have some customers who request the same foremen on other jobs.”
Another plus for the company is working Lean, a management practice which focuses on eliminating waste in time and movement while continuing to improve productivity. Toyota espoused the idea about 50 years ago and has made it ritual. Bassett Mechanical has Lean teams of six to eight people, some who work in the area, some who are not involved daily and outsiders. They include individuals from the field, from the shop and from the office.
“You need that outside person who never deals with a practice to ask the question of why you do it,” Barrett-Heitzman said. “Sometimes people who have worked one way all of their career need to hear that question to look at a work practice from a different perspective.”
Shadow boards for tools are a direct response to one team’s efforts. Tools have come out of the tool room, where an employee had to go and rummage through drawers until he or she found the sought after tool. They are now placed close to the work area on shadow boards on which the silhouette of the tool is painted. At a glance, the employee can find the tool, determine if it is available or if it is in use, or, if it isn’t in the area, if it is lost.
“It saves a lot of time walking back and forth or looking for something,” she said. “We are using the process to cut waste where we can, with the goal of making ourselves more productive and servicing the customer better.”
Originally focused on commercial refrigeration services, the company has expanded into numerous fabrication areas and construction. Since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf of Mexico around Louisiana, they have been manufacturing saturation dive systems for use in the Gulf, repairing oil derricks and pipelines. The diving bells can operate in 1,000 feet of water, providing a workstation for up to 12 men for 36 days.
“They are not so much different than the ammonia receivers we make for the food and dairy industry,” Barrett-Heitzman said. Size is not an issue as the company has made smokestacks that are 120 feet high and seven feet wide and pipes that a truck can drive through. “You see some big equipment going out of here on flatbed trucks.”
Bassett Mechanical was among 63 Wisconsin businesses nominated for the Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards and won in the large company category.
The category covers organizations with 300 to 999 employees. Bassett has 320, which made them “a baby” in the classification. This was the second time Bassett had been nominated. Because Bassett had been named the Fox Valley Manufac-turer of the Year in 2006, they were automatically entered in the 2007 state awards, which they did not win.
The statewide recognition program is co-sponsored by Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP and Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce. Nominations are reviewed and graded by 15 judges.
Historic mural returns to Kaukauna
By Brian Roebke
Editor
Part of the City of Kaukauna’s history was returned Wednesday morning when the U.S. Postal Service unveiled the restored Vladimir Rousseff mural in the lobby at the Kaukauna post office Wednesday morning.
The mural was taken from the former post office building, now housing the Kaukauna school district’s Educational Services Center, after the school district decided to sell the building.
The mural, painted during the depression, was on permanent loan to the school district, but isn’t allowed to be kept in a privately owned building.
Thus, on Feb. 15-16, Elizabeth Kendall, director and chief conservator of Parma Conservation from Chicago came with Peter Schoenmann, head conservator of paintings and murals, to remove the mural, which was then restored in Parma’s studio in Chicago.
The unveiling was a high-class affair, with postal dignitaries from across the country on hand for the ceremony along with local elected officials.
On hand for the event was District Manager David Martin from Milwaukee, Bill Galbraith, manager of post office operations from Green Bay, as well as Dallan Wordkemper, real estate specialist for facilities, federal preservation officer, who came from Washington, D.C.
Diana Klapperich, the officer-in-charge at the Kaukauna Post Office, officiated the ceremony and began the program talking about the history of the city, and added that Kaukauna was just the third post office opened in the state.
Galbraith spoke about the artist, who has left a legacy in federal buildings nationwide.
Schoenmann spoke about his company’s efforts to restore the mural, and noted that if preservation isn’t done right, it can do more damage than help.
“I want to commend the postal service for taking this issue of preservation seriously,” he said.
The mural, titled “A. Grignon Trading with the Indians,” is an oil on canvas painting. The mural was essentially glued to the wall in the old building, and had to be carefully removed.
Over the course of several weeks, the company removed 70 years of dirt and grime from the mural and brought it back to the artist’s original color scheme.
“That’s really the goal, and the aim of conservation,” Schoenmann said. “As conservators, we’re not interested in interpreting or adding to a painting, but as a profession, it’s in our name that we’re conservative.”
Wordkemper said he only attends a few of the rededication ceremonies, and joked that somebody has to check out the work once in a while to see if they’re getting it right.
He noted the postal service has about 1,200 murals and 300 sculptures nationwide and their preservation is critical.
Wednesday afternoon, Kendall and Schoenmann made a presentation to students at Kaukauna High School about their efforts.
“We are going around the country and doing restoration on a lot of these murals,” he said. “I’m really picking the ones that are at risk.”
He said there have been some excellent restorations as well as some disasters. “One of them we had to basically destroy in New York City, which was sad.”
Art has always been a way to record history, throughout all of history, not just the United States and of the postal service.
Martin said, “It’s important to recognize that we safeguard murals like this and other forms of art because it records history and it helps future generations to help understand who we are and where we came from.”
Kaukauna Mayor Gene Rosin talked how there is so much history in the city and how at one time the Fox River was the super highway.
He was pleased with the mural’s restoration. “It looks fantastic,” he said. Everyone seemed to agree.
Kimberly approves temporary fencing policy
By Judy Dixon Hebbe
For the Times-Villager
To define the “requirements and expectations with regards to the utilization of temporary fencing on the baseball/softball diamonds” at Sunset Park, the Kimberly Village Board approved a policy requiring the youth sports organizations to maintain, replace, install and remove and store the fencing.
Installation of the fencing must be coordinated with the village so as not to interfere with regular maintenance of the fields by the village. Fencing must be removed immediately after a game or tournament, unless a written request to leave it in place has been approved by village staff.
An agreement with the Kimberly Recreation Association relating to the 2008 International Softball Congress World Softball Tourna-ment was approved. During the Aug. 10-17 tournament, KRA has exclusive use of Sunset Park for the tournament, charging admission, managing food concessions and handling parking.
The only other use of the park will be for normal landings of boats at the park launch site. Parking for the use of the boat launch site will be granted on a first come, first serve basis.
Approving the recommendation of the Kimberly Water Commission, trustees awarded the Elm Street water main project to Don Hietpas and Sons. The low bid was in the amount of $137,271.25.
Street Commissioner Dick Vanden Boogaard reported that with the increase in gas prices this year, the department has already spent 60 percent of the 2008 budget. He has advised department workers to minimize travel and conserve fuel whenever possible.
Responding to a constituent’s concern over skateboarders using picnic tables in Verhagen Park, Trustee Marcia Trentlage asked Al Schaefer, community enrichment director, if there were plans for a skateboard park in the village.
Schaefer told the trustees that the concept is in the five-year capital improvement budget, but he has received little comment on the possibility of building one. He estimated that a skateboard park could cost up to $150,000.
Vosters boys sing their way through China visit
By Abby Nickolay
For the Times-Villager
Two area boys recently took a tour of China as members of the Appleton Boychoir. The tour lasted 10 days, from March 21 to March 28.
Zach and Isaac Vosters live north of Little Chute and are both students at Maplewood Middle School in Menasha, where their mother, Michelle, teaches. Zach has been a member of the Appleton Boychoir for four years, while Isaac has been involved with the program for two. Previous places the boys have traveled include St. Louis, Nashville, and Detroit.
The Vosters boys are members of the Ambassador Choir. This is the highest level choir and the group that tours both nationally and internationally. Those interesting in joining the Boychoir must audition and progress up through the younger choirs.
The China trip included visits to the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou. While there, the boys gave concerts in each city. All of the concerts included singing with a Chinese children’s choir.
In the four cities, members of the Boychoir were able to see such sights as the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. They also saw the Shanghai Acrobatic Show, the Bund and Shanghai Museum, and the silk spinning factory in Suzhou.
The first concert of the tour was given in Forbidden City Concert Hall.
“It was spectacular, almost completely made of marble,” Zach explained. He also noted that they were told that they “were one of the first, if not the first, American group to ever sing in it.”
Regarding the Forbidden City, Isaac says “The temples were huge and the stairs leading up to them were unusual to me.”
One of the favorite sights for the boys was the Great Wall of China.
“I have heard about it through classes or TV so to see it first hand and actually be on it was just overwhelming,” Zach relates. “You may have seen pictures of it but it is nothing compared to actually being there and realizing how high you really are”
To Isaac, the Great Wall “was very tiring to get to the top – but boy was it worth it!”
The boys also visited the Buddhist Temple of Lingyin near Hangzhou. “It was a holiday so there were literally thousands of people praying and burning incense,” Zach says. “It was really fascinating to see so many people praying together in such a small area.”
A part of the trip Isaac found interesting was the visit to the silk factory. “It was fascinating to see how the silk worms lived in cocoons and then how they came out of the cocoon. Another thing that I liked about it was how they took the silk from the cocoon and made it into thread.”
“They actually taught us about making silk, starting with the cocoon of the worm and through spinning the thread and then making it into a blanket,” Zach related.
Both boys agree that the language barrier wasn’t as big of a factor as previously thought.
“They knew enough [English] that we could communicate a little bit, which was nice,” Isaac explains.
Zach adds that the “Our tour guides/interpreters were most helpful.”
Zach explains that his least favorite part of the trip was the traveling. “Each way took over one full day. Between the bus ride, connecting flights, security, and weather, our travel day took about 28 hours going to China and 32 hours coming home.”
“The plane rides felt like days. I can’t believe how long 12 hours really is until I spent it on a plane,” Isaac added.
Despite these inconveniences, both boys believe the trip was one definitely worth repeating.
According to Zach, the sights and sounds the boys were able to experience were indescribable: “You really need to see it to believe it.”
