Did you know Kawasaki built its 10 millionth engine recently?
Skye Pournazari Managing Editor
It’s an amazing operation you have here Maryville. The original building on the land where Kawasaki now sits, was an old Uniroyal building. Purchased in late 1988. Tim Melvin, current Kawasaki Human Resources Manager was hired in March of 1989. That, to me, speaks volumes about the kind of company Kawasaki must be. It takes a lot to keep employees so happy in their work, that they stay 28 years. Melvin spoke to the 32nd class of Leadership Maryville last month before we were given a tour of the facility.
Now, I don’t know if it was because I was wearing a bum pair of shoes or not, but that tour seemed the longest of my life.
Not in any bad way, mind you. It was absolutely the best tour I’ve ever been on. It was by far the most intriguing, the LOUDEST and the most detailed.
I’ve been on several factory tours before — including an ice cream tour in Ames, Iowa, where free ice cream was given at the end — though none were quite as intense. From listening for honking vehicles hauling aluminum ingots headed to the die cast area or crankcases headed quality control to staying close with my new group of classmates to hear all the details our guide was delivering, I’ve never had more fun learning.
I went to Truman State University, in Kirksville, Missouri, I know, I know … I’m not a Bearcat. I’m sorry. I am, however, able to tell you I applied to Northwest Missouri State University, even got offered a partial scholarship, but alas a former high school teacher added just one more checkmark in the pro-Truman column.
In any case, a Bulldog I became and that is where my love of learning about anything really took flight. Now, I spend my days at the Forum, meeting new people and learning what’s important to them. This is the best job in the world for someone like me: curious and willing. I considered asking Northwest, if I could peruse the tunnels they’re working to fix under campus. However, I was certain I’d be denied, so I didn’t want to bother them. They’re busy teaching the next generations of news gatherers.
But back to the Kawasaki tour, I think the reason for the extended feeling of the tour, was because it’s literally the farthest I’ve walked in quite some time. (Please ignore the health ramifications of that statement.) That place is enormous! The Maryville plant’s footprint is 887,064 square feet, with another 10,435 square feet for a Quality Assurance Lab. They have 113.7 acres on that corner of South Main Street and U.S. Highway 71.
There is so much to look at and see. If I could tour on my own, I’d feel the need to stop and watch every line, just to see how the working parts move and how employees handle all that metal and machinery.
At one point during the while waiting to start the tour, we stood in an entryway, while a shift let out. Multiple times I heard an administrator thank the employees and ask them to, “please come back.”
At the time, I thought that was odd, but a nice way to end your day of work and then went about the tour.
It wasn’t until I was on the floor with our guide, when someone in my group asked him, “What is the biggest obstacle Kawasaki faces?”
Without a beat, my guide responded retaining employees. And then it clicked. That administrator was being completely honest with those line workers, not just nice. She truly hoped they would come back.
Our tour guide, told us that sometimes people leave and just don’t show up the next day. That the work has been made, and will continue to be made easier with the advent of technology, but that it still will be hard work.
I have zero doubt about how hard it is. Walking through the different areas Die Casting, Machining and Assembly, that create four products: 4 Cycle Industrial Engines (9.5 HP – 37 HP); Single Cylinder, Air-cooled, OHV; V-Twin Cylinder, Air-cooled, OHV; and V-Twin Cylinder, Liquid-cooled, OHV, it did not appear to be work I would be very good at. It looked like very hard work.
Then I thought, it probably is hard, but this company also works hard to keep its employees.
Within my first month here in Maryville, I saw Kawasaki hand over $100,000 to the St. Francis Hospital Foundation to help construct a new preschool and child care facility for the community. This help also gains the 788 Kawasaki employees and their families priority enrollment, preferred pricing with sliding scale discounts and back-up child care. Opportunities for second and third shift care also are being evaluated. That’s a company looking out for its employees.
I know in 2016, Kawasaki funded a $2.2 million project to pave a gravel road and build a new southbound ramp onto Highway 71, to help with the flow of traffic. Yes, it helped the company, but also the community. Southbound traffic from Kawasaki had another option instead of exiting onto South Main Street. (I will add it must have been pretty great getting to decide the name of the street. Horsepower Drive, couldn’t be more perfect, in my opinion.)
I’m certain there are more examples of Kawasaki’s helping its employees and the community in which it is located, but being new to the area, I’ll just have to wait to see the next ones and hope everyone is as thankful for Kawasaki being located in Maryville as I am.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Skye
Skye Pournazari is the Managing Editor for the Maryville Daily Forum.
