A town needs their plow drivers awake and alert after a big snow fall.

All towns depend on their plowing team to keep roads safe and clean when a big snowfall hits but few people have the opportunity to see just how taxing a job like this really is.

This past week we had a chance to learn for ourselves from town workers and plow drivers for the town of Richmond, Rhode Island. We learned that it’s not so much plowing snow that’s the challenge – it’s the exhaustion and poor eating habits that come with it.

While coffee, caffeine pills and Red Bull are quick and easy fixes for fixing sleepiness on a long shift, excessive amounts of these substances can be actually be more detrimental to one’s health. To help restore alertness, combat fatigue and cure hunger on the job and to break up the pattern of coffee after coffee and ultimately answer the question, "how to stay awake without caffeine on the job", try reaching for one of these eight high-energy snacks instead.

8 Foods for Combating Sleepiness and Hunger on the Job

For plow drivers: how to stay awake without caffeine on the job is a tricky question. Being awake and alert is part of what comes with being a plow driver, but it’s very hard to do. Imagine driving a truck through the night for 10 plus hours at a time with a 2 hour break periodically thought out the shift. Snow blowing all around you, visibility is cut down and the only thing keeping you from crashing into something is the truck’s heater keeping the windshield defrosted. Sound like a situation you’re going to be 100 per cent alert and functioning in? Probably not. 

To solve this problem, drivers often turn to fast fixes for energy. 5 Hour Energy shots, caffeine pills, coffee, Red Bull and energy drinks are the go-to solutions, despite the numerous health drawbacks. Drinking large amounts of coffee can dehydrate you, energy that comes from energy drinks is usually from the high sugar content and consuming too many caffeine pills can lead to the same effects that drinking too much coffee leads to. Dizziness, shortage of breath, increased urge to use the bathroom and increased thirst are just some of the side effects that come with consuming caffeine well past excess.

Good food, as we already covered in another post [link], is the best solution for staying awake through long nights of plowing – without any of the aforementioned health issues. Here’s a short list of some of the most energizing and nutritionally substantial foods for getting plow drivers through the long, cold shifts.

• Fruit including bananas, apples and blueberries: Fruit, specifically apples, bananas and blueberries, are packed with a whole host of vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. Fibrous foods are fantastic for those seeking a steady energy boost throughout the day because the fiber helps the body feel full and naturally processes evenly throughout the day.
• Walnuts, almonds: As a fast, energy packed snack, almonds and walnuts can never fail. Almonds, walnuts and most nuts come packed with a lot of calories in a small serving. Lots of calories means lots of fuel for the body to burn off. In addition to a lot of calories, almonds are packed with fiber, vitamin E, protein and magnesium – all vitamins and minerals that help you feel full without feeling bloated, energized without it feeling like it’s on a timer.
• Water: Believe it or not, water can wake you up. A leading cause of tiredness is dehydration. The body needs 1.2-2 liters of water a day, or 6-8 glasses, to function properly. Drinking too much coffee or energy drinks can suck the water out of your body and leave you feeling tired and deflated. Staying hydrated on the job is a simple solution to fatigue (even if it means you might have to pull the plow over more than you’d like).
• Green tea: While it does have caffeine, green tea boosts your energy without the jitters that can come after consuming other more highly caffeinated beverages. The aromatic drink is loaded with an amino acid called L-theanine, and it offers a long list of health benefits. 
• Steak, red meat: In addition to a plethora of protein, vitamins and minerals, beef and other red meat provides iron to the eater’s bloodstream. Iron shortages in the bloodstream are common causes of fatigue and consuming iron-rich foods like red meat can act as an energy restorer. However, consume too much red meat (and too much iron) and the body can feel heavy and tired all over again, especially in men over 40.
• Fish, salmon: Fatty fish like tuna and salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s help to elevate mood, improve mental clarity and overall alertness.
• Eggs: One egg (hard boiled, scrambled, over easy, etc.) is all you need to feel wide-awake. Whether to start a shift or to keep you going through a shift, eggs whether scrambled, hard boiled or sunny side up, are a food you should be eating. Eggs are rich in protein, essential for energy burning without feeling tired or fatigued after, thaiamin, riboflavin, folate, vitamins B12 and B6 – all essential for energy production.
• Dark chocolate: Caffeine in small doses certainly can keep you alert, awake and functional but too much caffeine can work against you. Dark chocolate – real dark chocolate, not milk or white chocolate – is packed with caffeine and theobromine, a natural heart stimulant.
• Protein bars: Don’t have access to a grill to cook up some meat? Maybe you forgot to boil an egg and take it with you before your plow run started. Either way, no problem! Reach instead for a protein bar. Enjoy all the benefits of steak and eggs’ nutritional benefits we discussed above all in a bar you can keep in your coat pocket.

The Big Takeaway

Plowing is tough, tough work both physically and mentally. As a driver, you’re expected to navigate a massive truck through a dark, snowy conditions for upwards of 12 hours at a time. It’s not an easy job at all.

However, the answer for how to stay awake without caffeine on the job has a pretty straight forward answer.

As we learned this past week, fatigue and poor diet are two of the biggest problems when plowing snow for a long time. Energy drinks and coffee certainly keep you alert, but the side effects of consuming these things one after another for hours on end can be worse than what you were experiencing before you consumed them.

Staying well fed and energized is a tough problem to solve, but the foods on this list are sure to knock out both of these issues. Each of these foods are easy to carry along with you, fill your stomach and keep your body burning good vitamins and nutrients rather than synthetic ones like you might find in fast or processed foods and drinks. Also with most of these foods, a handful or a single serving has effects that last hours well past consumption and are picked up at just about any super market either before the shift or during the shift.

While the occasional coffee or energy drink is acceptable, make a point to carry along some almonds and a banana the next time you go out on the job. Your body and brain will thank you.

Pouring concrete with heavy rebar ain't easy.

We’ve been to hundreds of jobsites, and talked to workers, supervisors and foremen in person and on the phone for over 50 years. In our experience, the biggest headache for concrete contractors is getting high quality consolidation and a great finish. Many times, finish is sacrificed to ensure concrete strength and durability. The end product has bugholes that ruin the finish, and surface cracks often appear only a few years after the job.

Internal Concrete Vibration and Heavy Rebar

Internal vibration is using a dip-style internal concrete vibrator to vibrate concrete. A dip-style vibrator is inserted into the concrete, activated, and moved up and down throughout the poured concrete. Internal vibration is very much dependent on the skill and attention of the operator. A skilled worker can get great results. However, more often than not, there is little consistency between operators. 

The vibration forces the entrained air and free water to move up and out toward the walls of the concrete form. Often, this means that the air bubbles are trapped against the form walls leaving behind bugholes and honeycombing. 

The concrete is consolidated – but the visible finish isn't great.

While internal vibration is frequently used in heavy rebar conditions, there are consequences. Too often, the concrete is not properly consolidated because the internal vibrator hits against the rebar, can't fit between the rebar, or the operator has not been trained for the heavy rebar conditions. To correctly use an internal vibrator:

• Insert the vibrator directly downward into the concrete and directly up with as little movement left or right as possible.
• Proper vertical penetration is important because too much movement to the left or right will cause the vibrator to make contact with the rebar and damage the vibrator or alter its area of influence. Both of which can lead to poorly consolidated concrete
• Avoid dipping and pulling the vibrator back at angles. 
• Avoid inserting the vibrator in a spot too far or too close from the last spot it was inserted in. Doing so can reduce the area of consolidation that occurs.

External Vibration and Heavy Rebar

External vibration means never having to struggle to vibrate inside a heavy rebar cage.  External vibrators mount to the outside of the form and shake the form. Air bubbles are forced to the surface of the concrete rather than against the walls of the form. Operators move the vibrators vertically up the exterior of the form and activate them as the concrete level rises. Vibrator brackets come in clamp-style, weld-on style, and suction style. Talk to a VIBCO Concrete Vibrator guy to determine the right bracket for your form style. 

Using Concrete Vibrators is easy, but there are key points to consider.  Read the top 5 things to know about external vibrators, making sure your vibrator is running properly, and review VIBCO's Concrete guides detailing how to VIBCO concrete vibrators for concrete walls, columns, precast forms, countertops, and more.  This information will help you to understand the science and technique of external concrete vibrator so you get perfect consolidation every time.

We supplied a jobsite in New York City where the rebar looked like this (left):

Yes – that is double wrapped rebar support. Heavy, heavy, cumbersome stuff to deal with. But the job went on without a hitch because the supervisor believed in using our SVRC 5500 external vibrators.

Heck – the supervisor even came up with a new way for mounting these vibrators that we hadn’t thought of before.

On the jobsite and as you prepare to use concrete vibrators, there are some key points to understand:

• Areas of influence and position. This is the single most critical point to consider. All concrete vibrators have a defined area of influence. By understanding the Area of Influence, you will be able to calculate the number of vibrators to use, placement of vibrators (movement) up the concrete form, and how they should be spaced on the form.

• Run time. A handful of phone calls will come through the office every month with a furious customer on the other line. Their frustration? Their vibrator died. When we ask what happened. They tell us how long they ran it for and at what power level. Turns out, they overran and overloaded their vibrator and blew it out. At the New York City job, run time was certainly something we explained.
• Mounting. How the vibrator actually sits on the form and how tightly it’s pressed against the form can make or break your vibrator – literally. We tell jobsite hands all the time how important it is to make sure that your vibrator is firmly fastened to the concrete form. If it’s not mounted properly the vibration from the vibrator won’t transfer properly into the form and into the concrete. Moreover, if the vibrator has any space between it and the form, the vibrator can shake itself to pieces by banging against the form.

The Bottom Line on Vibration and Heavy Rebar

If you intend to use internal vibration, be sure to use trained operators who understand good vibration technique:

• Dip straight down and straight up
• Measure out the distance between insert points to make sure you’re not missing space between one point and another

Halloween is a holiday saved for candy, monsters and spooks and surprises. But here at VIBCO, we had a little surprise of our own. 

Our creative director, Ed, comes into the office with a copy of the November issue of RI Local Magazine. He flipped open the magazine, turned the magazine around so it was facing all of us in the office and revealed a single page. It was a feature piece done on Ed's sketches of scenery around Rhode Island.

The full story is below. Click it to get the full sized scanned version of the story.

Also, check out Ed's blog, Rhody360, for more great sketches from all around Rhode Island.

Does your organization have a True North?

Probably not… at least not one that is a living, breathing, guiding force for focused and strategic decision-making.  You may be thinking, "I don't know what a True North is, but we sure do have a terrific Mission Statement." 

Do you really? Does it drive your organization toward its goals? 

Your True North answers two key questions for every member of your team…

• What do I work on first? Second? Never?
• Will this work add value to our customers?

What is a True North?

True North is a decision making tool. It is a clear statement that helps the people in your organization  emotionally connect with how you add value to your customers and build prosperity. It must be clear, simple, directly related to your core brand promise, and absolutely free of jargon and "business-ese".

Here are some TERRIBLE examples from our friends at Inc. - "The 9 Worst Mission Statements of All Time" or better yet… have a little fun and make up a terrible one yourself with this "Mission Statement Generator"

Why you REALLY need a True North… Right Now.

The people inside your organization are making decisions all day every day. Many decisions are made without any real consideration at all. Think about how many activities you and your colleagues do because "that's the way it's always been done" or because someone doesn't see the downstream or upstream impact. Even worse - they just guess and move on.

A solid True North cuts through these routines, patterns, and narrow fields of view to provide your team members with a persistent question - is this work going to help us get closer to our True North?   If the answer is yes, great! If the answer is no, then move on to something else.

But they're just WORDS, right?

"We shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender”  - Winston Churchill, Speech in the House of Commons (4 June 1940)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable Rights; that among these, are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” - Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence 1776

"…And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.  My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." - John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address 1961

Did those leaders just speak words? Or did something about those words resonate so deeply with their audience that entire nations were moved to action? 

The power of words to unite is the stuff of legends. Great leaders find WORDS to inspire emotional connections that guide, motivate and sustain the march toward a goal - no matter how difficult. A True North does the same for your organization.  

Our True North Guides Us Every Day 

VIBCO's True North is SAME DAY, NEXT DAY for our customers. It's everywhere. It pervades everything we do. It guides our improvement activities. It shows us where we excel, and frankly… where we still have a long way to go. In recent months, we've discovered that as we grow, Same Day Next Day for our customers means we need to strive for Same Minute, Next Minute within our four walls.

You can learn more about VIBCO's True North at www.vibco.com/about/true-north

The Bottom Line on True North

If your organization makes decisions, then you need a True North.

A clear and connected True North drives the thinking, innovation, values and beliefs of your organization - it becomes your DNA. Lean and Operational Excellence are not sustainable without a shared set of core beliefs that guide, drive and motivate. Your True North is the "burning platform", it's the reason why your team shows up to work each day energized to pursue excellence.

Developing your True North is an exercise in deep thinking. The task of finding words that capture your strategic vision is no small task - AND those words need to inspire your team to have an emotional connection to how THEY add value to your customers . It's not something you can read in a book or learn in business school. It comes through intimacy, authenticity and understanding who your business actually is today, what your customers need it to be tomorrow, and how you're going to get there.

The most important thing is to get started... Here is a collection of articles to help:

http://theleanthinker.com/2012/12/01/true-north-explicit-or-intrinsic/

http://www.aleanjourney.com/2014/01/what-do-we-mean-by-true-north.html

http://blog.leansystems.org/2011/09/purpose-of-true-north.html

http://www.industryweek.com/companies-amp-executives/getting-lean-right-lessons-learned-lifetime-lean

Dust is deadly.

Since 1980, there have been more than 350 dust explosions that have killed more than 130 people in the United States alone.

Even the most safety-conscious operations can experience a dust explosion event. Grain milling and processing operations are at risk, as are food, wood and chemical processing plants.

Dust explosion prevention is a high priority. The National Fire Protection Agency publishes an annual guide to Combustible Dust that is an essential resource for all at-risk processing operations.

VIBCO Vibrators can be part of the solution. We offer ATEX and Explosion-Proof electric vibrators, as well as a full range of pneumatic and hydraulic vibrators for combustible dust environments.

Some key points to understand about combustible dust:

1. What are dust explosions, and when do they occur?
2. How to recognize dust hazards, and have good preparation and training in place, should an event occur.
3. Where to find additional resources to help create a safer workplace.

What Are Dust Explosions? When Do They Occur?

A dust explosion is the rapid combustion of fine dust particles suspended in the air in an enclosed location.

The fine material can be any kind of material. Grain mill dust, saw dust, food ingredients including flour and powdered milk and even mined materials including coal and magnesium all have extensive records associated with workplace explosions.

The explosions are often very large, occur quickly and can be very destructive. In order for an explosion to occur, these 5 conditions must be met:

• fuel
• An ignition source and
• Oxygen
• Dispersion and
• A confined, closed off space

Industry experts have called these 5 components together the Explosion Pentagon (right)

Why and how is dust combustible? Some key characteristics are:

• Combustible by nature
• Dry - less than 25% moisture content
• Fine enough to go airborne
• Suspended in the air in an explosive concentration
• Contained or enclosed in a confined area

Dust explosions are unique in that they can occur in 2 phases, a primary and a secondary and spread quickly. The primary event is triggered when dust that has been settling on a surface for a prolonged period of time is suddenly disturbed. The dust becomes airborne in the confined space. When exposed to an ignition source - something as small as a spark discharged from a piece of clothing - the dust will ignite causing the primary explosion. The secondary explosion is often larger and more dangerous. The primary explosion can become an ignition source for a larger neighboring area, resulting in a much larger explosion.

Ignition sources are many and varied - some obvious, some not. The Forest Industry Task Force found that mechanical sparks are the leading ignition source of dust explosions. After that, the second most common cause is 'unknown', a statistical slice that can range from random chance to a cause that was unseen or unnoticed. Beyond those two cases, everything from static electricity to friction to fire to hot surfaces are potential ignition sources.

Recognizing Dust Hazards, Preparation and Training

You've heard about Lean. You're curious. You've even talked to a couple of consultants who seemed knowledgeable.

But you're not sure. You don't really know enough to know whether it's a strategy that makes sense for your business.

We understand. So here's a perfect reading list to help you figure it out.

Read these first, then come to VIBCO for a tour, then call in professional help.

7 Fantastic Lean Books to Read Right Now

Creating a Kaizen Culture
 Jon Miller, Mike Wrobleski and Jaime Villafuerte

Creating a Kaizen Culture is a fantastic book that features the combined experiences and insights from experts who have successfully used kaizen - continuous improvement.

In addition to providing actionable insights about how to create a kaizen culture, the book provides a detailed look into how kaizen is implemented, maintained and encouraged in a number of well-known organizations including Toyota, Zappos, and Wiremold, 

 The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Malcolm Gladwell

Gladwell's first book, The Tipping Point, is a research-based look into the power of ideas. Filled with case studies and academic research, the book documents how ideas, movements and trends brake through into our mainstream consciousness.

A snippet of the book from Gladwell's site summarizes the premise of the book best:

"Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate."

When developing a Lean culture in the workplace, ideas and understanding the weight that they carry is key. Gladwell provides tremendous insight into the 'DNA of ideas' and gives the reader a firm stepping stone on how ideas morph, change and catch on.

The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer
Jeffrey Liker

There are loads of books about the Toyota Production System... but few capture the true essence as well as Jeff Liker.

The Toyota Way is the first book for a general audience that explains the management principles and business philosophy behind Toyota's reputation for quality and reliability. It captures insights of senior management in a very concise way.  

The book also explains to managers of just about every industry how to build sustainable processes through: elimination and identification of waste; producing small quantities of goods and eliminating over production; and empowering all employees to be active participants in sustaining systems, identifying waste and improving quality.

Lean for Dummies
Natalie J. Sayer and Bruce Williams

Are you new to Lean and have absolutely no idea where to start? Start here.

Lean for Dummies is a go-to quick reference on all things Lean. In simple terms, the book explains lean terms, concepts and ideas in a way that the Lean Newbie can understand.

Real Lean Volume 1
Bob Emiliani

Now here's a book for managers!

In Real Lean Volume 1, author Bob Emiliani provides an analysis into lean management and the role managers play in developing a Lean culture.

Emiliani explains the purposes, advantages, myths, and misinformation surrounding Lean management - the application of Lean principles to those management and leadership positions. In a lively and engaging style, he answers the key questions that leaders of organizations have about Lean management.

At just over 150 pages long - a perfect read for the executive on the go - Real Lean is a practical guide to Lean management, complete with interesting and informative linkages to historical events and long-forgotten perspectives in Lean.

Readers will learn how the two principles of Lean management, Continuous Improvement and Respect for People, work in tandem, with emphasis on Respect for People the principle that is often missing from the practice of Lean management.

Learning to See: Value Stream Mapping to Add Value and Eliminate MUDA
Mike Rother, John Shook, Jim Womack and Dan Jones

The art of identifying and eliminating waste is a cornerstone of Lean. Waste is defined as any activity does not directly produce value to the customer. With the right training and set of eyes, managers and workers alike will quickly realize how much waste is staring them in the face with this book.

Learning to See is a equal parts How-To book and detailed analysis. The book walks the reader through the concept of value stream mapping - actually drawing out the steps that take place during a process. The goal of value stream mapping into a comprehensive visual in order to identify waste and areas of improvement.

Ideas are Free: How the Idea Revolution is Liberating People and Transforming Organizations
Alan G. Robinson and Dean M. Schroeder

The art of identifying and eliminating waste is a cornerstone of Lean.

Because they're doing the day-to-day work, front-line employees see many problems and opportunities their managers don't. But most organizations fail to realize this potentially extraordinary source of revenue-enhancing ideas. 

The authors of Ideas Are Free use real-world examples from their work with hundreds of organizations to show how to exploit the virtually free, perpetually renewable resource of employee ideas. 

The book explains how sustainable competitive advantages in areas ranging from productivity and responsiveness to cost reduction and quality assurance are only possible with the attention to detail that comes from getting and implementing large numbers of ideas from employees. 

Subjects include how to make ideas part of everyone's job, how to set up and run an effective process for handling ideas, how to help people come up with more and better ideas, and how a strong flow of ideas can have a profound impact on an organization's culture.

-----

Want even more? We have loads of recommendations in the VIBCO bookstore

Have a lean story to share? Contact us so we can share the news!

Rumors have been circulating around the Concrete Industry water cooler that the Wacker ARFU26 electric vibrator might be out of stock in the domestic USA, without a lot of guidance on when it might be available again..

We have good news!  VIBCO offers high frequency electric concrete form vibrators… and ours are read to ship. The VIBCO US-900 high frequency electric vibrator is an excellent option instead of the Wacker ARFU26.

Some of our competitors take months (months!) to deliver a vibrator to the end user. Others encounter production problems including a lack of materials and ineffective use of factory work force labor.

Not with VIBCO.

With a VIBCO product, you can rest easy knowing  that the products including our all American-made US-900 high frequency electric vibrator.

Just what kind of vibrator is this? Well, the US-900…

• 900 lbs of force
• Easy to power -  115 AC-DC Volts
• High Frequency - 10,000 VPM at 1 Phase

Is the VIBCO US 900 versatile? Yes it is.

Come equipped with standard voltage? You betcha.

Can you connect it to a single phase current? Absolutely.

Is it totally enclosed? High impact resistant AND light weight? Yes, yes and yes again.

So how can we have stock when so many others are struggling to keep up with high demand?

At VIBCO, we have created a world-class lean manufacturing culture that means…

1. We are agile and flexible to manufacture the concrete vibrator products that you want, when you want them, with the performance and quality you expect;
2. Our concrete vibrators are ready to ship - lead times as short as "same day, next day" available on most products
3. Our Made in the USA vibrators are manufactured here… we're never waiting on containers coming from overseas suppliers.

Same day, next day. That's our True North and that's what we stick to. (link)

VIBCO makes versatile, durable and effective concrete vibrators with styles and brackets to fit every form type. Consult with our Expert Concrete Vibrator Guys™ for advise on how you can produce perfectly consolidated concrete with a beautifully smooth finish.

Make VIBCO your go to solution for high frequency vibration for your job site. Whether it's being mounted on wood or steel, give us a call today and we'll get you equipped with the best.

1. You're Not Sure Which Vibrator Will Work For You.

With so many options, it can be difficult to select the right vibrator. Power supply, force, frequency, style and operating environment all factor into the selection process - you can use our easy online form to provide us with your needs. Our technical support team has decades of experience making recommendations. They will make sure that you get the right vibrator for your application.

2. You Are a Concrete Contractor and Need Help Sizing, Selecting, Placing and Operating your VIBCO External Concrete Vibrators.

Excellent consolidation and finish quality matter. You need the right vibrators, mounted with the right brackets, placed in the right locations, and run for the right amount of time. In other words, you need VIBCO. We're the Concrete Vibrator Guys™ and we have decades of experience to bring to the table. From our work on the World Trade Center (photo above), to the Eastside Access Project (360° Panorama Photo)  to the Yale Ice Rink (video below)... we have the expertise to help.

Get More Information on Using VIBCO Concrete Form Vibrators

3.  You Want to Replace Existing Vibration Equipment

Whether you want to replace a competitive unit with a VIBCO Vibrator, change your power supply, or upgrade to a maintenance-free model, VIBCO's technical support team has your answer. We have an extensive cross-over database so we can quickly and accurately suggest replacement equipment AND we'll even provide a FREE adapter plate if we don't have a direct bolt match available. Contact VIBCO right now for help.

4. You Have a New Application or Idea for Using Vibrators

It's amazing. We've seen thousands of vibrator applications, yet every day we hear about something new. Whether  you have a new application in mind for your material flow system or a new idea for a product or type of equipment, VIBCO technical support can help make sure that you get results you want. Our engineers are truly the Expert Vibrator Guys™ and are always ready to help.

5. You're Unsure About the Best Way to Install or Mount Your Vibration Equipment

Correct mounting and installation is critical to vibrator performance. VIBCO provides detailed instruction manuals with every unit and offers even more information online. Reading these instructions BEFORE you begin the installation process is critical to proper safety and operation of the unit. However, if you have any questions or need more help, VIBCO technical support is ready to assist you. We offer 'Virtual Van Visits' where you send us a photo of your application and we will mark the photo to show you exactly her and how to install your equipment.

When you think of Rhode Island, you probably think of lobster, beaches, Buddy Cianci, squid, Water Fire, Brown University, and the Rhode Island School of Art and Design.

Probably not craft whiskey.  But you should.

The Sons of Liberty Spirits Co., is making a splash in the whiskey business. The company was started in 2009 by Mike Reppucci and manufactures in the Peacedale Mill Complex in beautiful (and quiet) Peacedale, RI.

If the notion of craft whiskey in a small town in the smallest state in the union didn't capture your attention, try reading their website. Sons of Liberty hits hard with a company message that speaks strongly towards their mission of innovation in whiskey and spirits:

"We started with a couple questions: "Why is no one distilling single malt whiskies from the beers we love?" and "Why are there so many seasonal beers, but no seasonal whiskies?" With a spirit for innovation, we set out to create a line of whiskies the world had never seen."

Quite a mission!

Now, if that didn't grab you, check out the long list of accolades that Sons of Liberty has racked up in a very short time. The team has been featured in countless news publications all over Rhode Island and New England and taken home prestigious awards including a "World's Best" award this past March for their pumpkin flavored whiskey, presented by Whiskey Magazine.

With a great product and excellent recognition, Sons of Liberty is on a rapid upswing. Managing growth is a "great problem to have", but it also means that processes and systems that  worked when the company was starting out aren't sufficient to meet today and tomorrow's production demands.

"The Big Order" was in, and Sons of Liberty was in a jam to fulfill it on deadline.

So what did they do? The whiskey guys called the VIBCO Vibrator Guys.

Did they need vibrators? Nope.

Did they have a big budget to bring in consultants? Nope.

They needed a favor.  Fast.

Mike Reppucci and his team heard that VIBCO is a leader in manufacturing and process excellence and that we regularly open our doors to help others learn.

The challenge - Sons of Liberty needed(s) to operationalize many of the companies' day to day functions so they can shorten lead times while increasing capacity.

Could VIBCO help Sons of Liberty? Would we?

Of course we would. That's what good neighbors do… they help each other.  (And the whiskey is a pretty good incentive!)

Just a couple of days after an initial conversation, a team of VIBCO workers including VIBCO President, Karl Wadensten, traveled a few miles down the road to the Sons of Liberty factory for a Gemba walk and fact finding tour. Bruce Hamilton from GBMP (and host of the famous Toast Kaizen lean training video) accompanied the team on the walk.

The VIBCO Team and Bruce Hamilton made it a priority to contextualize Lean concepts and tools to create a more complete picture of what it means to implement and maintain Lean. We emphasized that Lean is not just a set of tools but a mindset and a culture and that the tools shouldn't be used for the sake of using another tool to fix a problem. Lean is about active problem solving and developing a culture that exercises continuous, rational problem solving… and that many of these changes start from the ground up and are culturally rooted. If the culture of the organization doesn't allow for these kinds of continuous improvements, then the company cannot successfully use Lean to its full potential.

Last week, Sons of Liberty hosted the Rhode Island gubernatorial town hall debate for this past week. They were kind enough to extend an invitation to the VIBCO team. When we arrived, Mike and Bruce and the whole Sons of Liberty Team excitedly shared that they had made huge gains based on the ideas generated during our visit there… and that fulfilling "The Big Order" was achievable - thanks to our help.

Neighbors helping neighbors to create opportunity for all… we love that.

A Bit of Rhode Island Politics for You

The topic of the Gubernatorial Town Hall was the food and beverage industry in Rhode Island. Each of the candidates running for governor of the state of Rhode Island, Mr. Angel Taveras (D), Mr. Clay Pell (D), Mr. Todd Giroux (D), Ms. Gina Riamondo (D), Mr. Ken Block (R) and Mr. Allan Fung (R) participated.

Here are the candidates moments before the town hall began:

The room was packed full of Rhode Island food and beverage business owners - from catering companies to bistros, sandwich shops to local small farm owners and local produce growers. All eager to hear from candidates on the topic of food and commerce in Rhode Island.

As we sat and listened to each candidate's plans and ideas, we looked around and couldn’t imagine a better place to hold a town hall debate about food and drink than at the Sons of Liberty distillery. With the flood of press and achievements surrounding Sons of Liberty lately, the distillery is quickly becoming a major player in the Rhode Island food and beverage industry. Big things are happening with this small team of people through ingenuity, creativity and hard work.

The Sons of Liberty story - from humble but dream-filled beginnings, through a challenging start-up, through early success and now the challenges of managing growth - is indicative of the path traveled by many food and beverage companies. It's one that candidates and elected officials should understand and follow.

Rhode Island is uniquely positioned to leverage its strengths in this industry - a cultural culinary tradition, incredible talent, education partners like JWU, unique growing conditions, ample seafood resources, etc. - and creating job growth and opportunity via food and beverage is a key economic development opportunity.

The whole VIBCO "Vibration Nation" looks forward to doing more work with Sons of Liberty, and will continue our commitment to sharing and learning with our neighbors to make Rhode Island Number One.

Here are 7 tips for helping to promote and enforce a safer workplace in the feed, grain and agriculture industry.

An Unlikely Appearance on the 'Most Dangerous Workplaces' List

In a 2012 article, Yahoo listed the Most Dangerous Workplaces and Industries in the US. The list was based on an analysis to determine which industries had the most "fatal occupational injuries" in the United States. Not surprisingly, Fishing, Mining, Roofing, and Law Enforcement were on the list. The one that struck us was the inclusion of Farming and Agriculture.

Farming brings to mindo images of the American family and the heartland of the United States. We envision "amber waves of grain" and Chevy Trucks, of people rolling up their sleeves and working an honest day's work for an honest day's pay.

The reality however isn't always so rosy. Farming involves using heavy machinery, transporting and storing massive amounts of corn, grain, feed, etc., working in and around silos, elevators, railcars, livestock and other hazards.

One of the leading causes of death particularly in feed and grain is death by suffocation. According to OSHA:

"Suffocation is a leading cause of death in grain storage bins. In 2010, 51 workers were engulfed by grain stored in bins, and 26 died-the highest number on record, according to a report issued by Purdue University (PDF). Suffocation can occur when a worker becomes buried (engulfed) by grain as they walk on moving grain or attempt to clear grain built up on the inside of a bin. Moving grain acts like "quicksand" and can bury a worker in seconds. "Bridged" grain and vertical piles of stored grain can also collapse unexpectedly if a worker stands on or near it. The behavior and weight of the grain make it extremely difficult for a worker to get out of it without assistance.

Grain bin safety is the subject of extensive measures and safety bulletins from a number of industry leaders, influencers, and outside groups including NationWide Insurance. Industry publications including Corn and Soybean Digest published 7 Tips for Grain Bin Safety and The National Grain and Feed Association even hold their own conferences focused entirely on safety in grain manufacturing and how to combat preventable, accidental deaths. Even entire websites including SafeGrain.com exist for the sole purpose of promoting awareness for this problem. More resources and organizations are listed below.

Here's a curated list on Grain Bin Safety: 7 Tips for a Safer Workplace

Grain Bin Safety: 7 Tips for a Safer Workplace

1. Manage grain to prevent spoilage 

Preventing conditions that would result in engulfment and suffocation is not difficult. In fact, many of prevention strategies are rooted in common sense and clear procedures.

Key reasons why workers enter grain bins include cleaning out a grain bin, or addressing an issue with the grain itself. Issues include  spoiled grain (above) or clogged grain. Spoiled grain can take on many different forms.  The grain can form solid masses or crusts on top of or around the interior walls of the bin. Fixing these types of problems usually requires unloading the bin.

Entering a grain bin is a dangerous condition!

In the case of spoiled grain, grain can crust over and solidify forming vertical walls of grain (below) that are extremely fragile. Once the mass is disrupted, the grain can collapse on workers, engulfing them. Additionally, spoiled grain can plug augers and conveyors leading in and out of the bin. Assessing this kind of issue is just as important as dealing with spoiled grain and risks are no fewer.

To reduce the likelihood of grain molding, spoiling and clogging up grain bin hardware:

1. Make a point to check, maintain and clean up aeration equipment and generally keep it in optimal working order.
2. Check the roof of the bin for leaks. Water plus a cool, damp environment is asking for mold generation.
3. Be sure to keep grain at the correct moisture content and temperature.
4. Aerate to cool grain quickly at the time of storage, remove the core of fines that is most prone to spoilage, and monitor for pests, off-odors, hot spots, and moisture content to help prevent spoilage. 

2. Always have an outside observer with a quick method to contact emergency responders if necessary.

A better solution is to work from outside the bin whenever possible. If there is a problem with the bin or grain with clumps or crusting over, use a pole or another device to poke and fix the problem rather than climb inside of the bin.

The best solution is to prevent the conditions that would require someone to enter the bin or silo. VIBCO produces a number of products including the Air Cannon, large electric vibrator and a high frequency electric vibrator that solve most bin clog issues.

3. Ensure that there’s adequate lighting inside of the area you're working in and have a written plan for training and rescue

Lighting is key when working inside of this kind of environment. As small slips can quickly turn into a life or death situation, it's smart to make sure that the area you're working in is well lit and any areas where there is a chance to misstep or be caught off guard are in plain, unobstructed sight.

4. There are 3 major ways to get trapped in a grain bin

While suffocation by being overtaken by moving grain is certainly the way that makes the news the most often, there are in fact two other ways where workers can get trapped in a grain bin.

The second way is the collapse of bridged grain. Bridged grain is when a layer of grain forms over a pocket of air. When enough weight is applied to the bridge, it will collapse and the worker will immediately be engulfed in grain. 

The third way is by a collapse of a vertical wall of grain. When workers are cleaning out a bin, a vertical wall is likely to emerge.

In all of these instances, the risk is that a large volume of grain will move suddenly. The best offense is a good defense. Make sure that your facility has a training guide and routinely reviews proper procedures and protocols for working around grain.

http://farmsafety.mo.gov/grain-bin-safety/

5.  Never enter a grain bin alone – always have an outside observer who can see you and hear you clearly

Remember the buddy system that was used so much during elementary school field trips? Well, the same principle applies here as an adult working in agriculture. When working in a hazardous environment, working alone can easily be the biggest danger of all and certainly the most preventable.

6. Label and lock your grain bins

There is always the risk of someone wandering into your grain bin who is unaware of the hazardous conditions. Therefore, it's critical for the safety of others - friends, loved ones, other farmers, business people, etc. to know that grain bins are dangerous environments.

Take steps to create a very eye grabbing, visual sign that explicitly states the hazards of the grain bin.

Moreover, when the grain bin is not being used, lock access to the space up as to prevent unauthorized persons, bystanders and children from entering.

7. Evaluate the atmosphere of the bin regularly and before entry

Grain bins can accumulate toxic gases if not checked and aerated regularly.

Use a gas meter or another properly calibrated and approved air quality indication tool specifically for the purpose of measuring the oxygen to other gas ratio in a given area. Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and fumigants are some of the most common silent killers quietly accumulating in grain bins.

Above all else, trust your nose and your gut judgment when assessing the air and oxygen quality in a grain bin. If the bin smells moldy or not 'fresh', assume that the bin needs to be aerated. Moreover, if the smell of mold is present, this is also a good indicator that there are likely to be grain verticals accumulating along the walls waiting to fall over and trap a worker.

Here's a handy chart courtesy of the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health to refer to when checking air quality:

Additional Power Players in Grain Safety

You can never be too safe.

Here are some additional resources and organizations that are making safety in the agricultural workplace their top priority. Each of these organizations also provides some helpful downloads, links and PDFs to walk away with:

1. Occupational Safety & Health Administration

2. Feed and Grain Associates of Illinois

3. University of Illinois Agriculture Safety nad Health

4. AgChat Foundation

5. Farm Safety for Kids

6. 15 Safety Tips from Ag Chat

1. Manufacturing Jobs Are Returning to the United States

Contrary to widely held beliefs that "We don't make anything here anymore", manufacturing is actually returning to the United States. Not only do we make things here, we are making more and more things here every day.

In the last few years, many companies including Walmart, Apple, Motorola, General Electric, Ford and many more, have begun moving manufacturing facilities out of China and re-establishing them in the United States. If you haven't visited www.reshorenow.org, you should check it out.

One New York Times piece summarized what the most common answers from 200 decision makers across varying industries chose to come back to the United States. The answers were "competitive labor rates, proximity to customers, product quality, skilled labor and transportation costs".

Moreover, China is no longer looking like an attractive place for manufacturers to set up shop. One Forbes article found that the main reasons China is losing its attractiveness is that "oil prices are three times what they were in 2000. Natural gas in the US is a quarter of what it is in Asia. Chinese wages are five times what they were in 2000. And labor is a steadily decreasing percentage of the cost manufacturing."

2. The First Factory Established in the United States was Slater's Mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island (Go Rhody!)

When people imagine the Industrial Revolution, contraptions including Eli Whitney's cotton gin, James Watt's steam engine or Samuel Morse's telegraph. But few would think cotton mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Samuel Slater, an English-American industrialist, was the first man to use manufacturing machinery in the United States. Slater, who worked from apprenticeship to owner and superintendent of a cotton spinning mill in Derbyshire, England, developed a strong familiarity and knowledge of cotton spinning technology developed by British inventor Richard Arkwright. In 1789, Slater emigrated to the United States, leaving his work in England behind with ambitions of wealth in the budding America.

Slater however needed to work covertly to establish what would be his legacy as an industrialist in America. British textile law forbade textile workers from sharing technological information or leaving the country.

Upon landing in Rhode Island, Slater (with the help of Rhode Island merchant Moses Brown) built America's first water powered cotton spinning mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island along the Blackstone River. The factory thrived for many decades and by 1803 the mill town of Slatersville was established to house and support the families that worked in Slater's mills.

3.  U.S. Manufacturing is the World's Eighth Largest Economy

In 2012, American manufacturers generated $2.03 trillion in revenue. The U.S. manufacturing sector is so huge that if it were its own country, it would rank as the eighth-largest world economy.  The United States produces the most goods and services overall as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), and is far ahead of second-place China.  

Between 1992 and 2012, American manufacturing output increased more than 83 percent. 

4. The United States is the 4th Easiest Country to do business with

Each year, the World Bank performs a comprehensive analysis of structural costs to start and conduct business in virtually every country in the world.  Typically, advanced economies tend to receive higher rankings while less developed countries tend to receive lower rankings.

While the United States is and has ranked among the top 5 easiest countries to do business with, it is not number one. Currently, the U.S. ranks fourth in terms of the ease of doing business, and Singapore, Hong Kong, and New Zealand are ahead of us. There's a great opportunity to improve to become the #1 manufacturing economy that is also the easiest to do business with.

5. Food Manufacturing is the United States Largest Manufacturing Sector

While many might think that automotive is the leading manufacturing sub sector for employment, food and beverage is actually at the top of the list by considerable margin.

With almost 13.9 million employed in food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing, this industry leads the pack in American manufacturing. Within this industry, meat and poultry take the lead at 32% of the total industry breakdown according to a 2011 analysis by the USDA Economic Research Service.

6. Manufacturing job gains are the largest in Wyoming; lowest in Washington D.C.

With American manufacturing jobs on the rebound, growth is progressing at a steady, consistent rate, with the Midwest and Northwest out performing other regions.

While many states have lost their manufacturing sectors relatively quickly, others have retained them and even strengthened them. According to a new survey put out by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, States as of March 2014, states that have added additional manufacturing jobs and sit well above the national average in manufacturing employment, Wyoming has gained 11% additional jobs in manufacturing. Washington state and Oregon follow close behind with 12% and 10% respectfully.

Conversely, there are states that have lost considerable portions of their manufacturing industries and fall well below the national average. Washington D.C. is well below the national average at -25%. Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and much of New England have fallen considerably below the national average for manufacturing jobs posting numbers including -10%, and -4%.

On average, the Northwest and Midwest states have experienced above average increases in manufacturing employment while states in the East and Southwest are recovering at a slower pace.

7. Oregon's manufacturing sector makes up 58% of its state economy

No that's not a typo.

Oregon has developed a tremendous manufacturing sector in recent years. The state's output has increased 8 times since 1997 and reaps a 75 billion dollar per year reward.

Bear in mind: Oregon is not a large state. The jump in manufacturing output is so significant it now trumps former manufacturing power houses including Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

What's the root cause? Technology.

Electronic circuit boards, processors and controllers were the state's largest exports in 2012. Intel, whose home headquarters resides in Santa Clara, California, controls 6 manufacturing facilities in Oregon which employ over 17,000 workers making it one of Oregon's largest private employers.

8. Industrial manufacturing leads in renewable energy use

Renewable energy is a very hot topic these days and whether or not corporations should take responsibility and do their part in halting climate change.

Fortunately, many industries have taken steps to do their part and the industrial manufacturing sector has been leading the pack among other manufacturing subsectors. Manufacturing leads the charge in adopting renewable energy with 2,269 trillion BTUs of renewable energy compared to other sectors including transportation with 1,158 trillion, residential with 652 trillion and commercial 132 trillion BTUs.

1. Follow VIBCO's Vibrator Mounting Instructions

Make sure to follow all of the mounting and installation steps exactly as they are provided in the manual. One of the ways you can ensure a good mount is to select the correct mounting plate and channel for your bin. The following charts are a good 'rule of thumb' guides.  Read More about selecting the right channel/plate combination

2. Use the right air line and make sure it's maintained

Kinks, holes, and leaks in your air line will hurt the performance of all pneumatic equipment - including vibrators. Regularly inspect your air

 lines as part of your normal maintenance and quickly address any issues.

Do not use "T" style junctions with your VIBCO Pneumatic Vibrators. Best practice is to run separate, correctly-sized air lines for each unit in operation. Your instruction manual contains further information on air supply.

3. Have enough air (CFM) at the right pressure (PSI)

Make sure that you are providing your VIBCO air vibrators with correct PSI and CFM. The recommended PSI and CFM for your vibrator is indicated on the housing or on the shipping box. A general rule of thumb is that VIBCO units are intended for 40-80 PSI. Consult your manual for proper CFM. 

Running pneumatic vibrators at high pressure can damage the unit. 

Never hook your vibrators directly up to plant air.  VIBCO offers filter/regulators and other accessories to help you.

4. Check your vibrator mount

Most VIBCO Air Vibrators are virtually maintenance free. Keep your vibrators running smoothly and extend their life by regularly inspecting your vibrator installation.

1. Check that all mounting bolts are properly tightened, retighten as necessary
2. Inspect mounting plate and channel welds for fatigue, cracks
3. Inspect your safety cable to ensure that it is secured to the vibrator and to a secondary location

5. Lubricate your ball vibrators and piston vibrators

If you use piston and ball vibrators, then you MUST lubricate them. If maintaining good lubrication is a problem, consider using a VIBCO Turbine Vibrator instead.

Make sure that your lubricator is functioning and is no more than 5 feet away from the vibrator. For best results, VIBCO recommends using the air oil tool. You may also use SAE 10 or lighter machine tool oil, Marvel Mystery oil or automatic transmission oil.

- - - 

Follow these simple rules to get years and years of top performance from your VIBCO Air Vibrators. Call us at 800-633-0032 to get help for your specific needs or use our Technical Support Request Form.

"THE IDEA DRIVEN ORGANIZATION" WITH DR. ALAN G. ROBINSON
Original Airdate: Wednesday, July 16 at 3pm
BUY THE BOOK  IN THE VIBCO BOOKSTORE

Best-selling author, Dr. Alan Robinson, joined the Lean Nation IN STUDIO to talk about his new book, The Idea-Driven Organization. 

"Front-line employees see a lot of problems and opportunities that their managers don't. Their ideas represent some 80 percent of an organization's improvement potential.

When managers gain the ability to tap their ideas, everything changes."

1. Reduce Product Loss, Increase Efficiency, Improve Material Flow

Vibrators promote efficient and consistent material flow. That's what they do. Vibration breaks the friction between material and container walls. This aids gravity and allows material to flow.

Your ROI is extremely quick as you reduce product loss caused by material left in hopper, you reduce stops, skips and flow problems caused by blockages, and you eliminate overspill and other material flow problems.

Read Vibrator Case Studies Now

 2. Improve Safety

Most VIBCO Turbine Vibrators are virtually silent - under 65 decibels. Ball and piston-style vibrators commonly exceed 80 decibels, which is loud enough to require the use of expensive hearing conservation programs.

Additionally, as you eliminate the clogs, you also eliminate the need for team members to engage in risky behaviors to clear these clogs. (i.e. swinging a sledge hammer, climbing up onto or into bins for clean out, etc.)

3. Pack and Ship More Efficiently

Whether you bag or box material, vibration will help you to fit more material into a smaller container - that means that you will ship less air.

 Vibration compacts material in boxes and drums, and will compact bagged material to produce a flatter, more uniform and more easily shipped package.

Watch this "oldie but goodie" video of a kitty litter filling station (originally posted to YouTube in 2007!)

4. Free Up Resources for More Valuable Work - Labor, Equipment and Maintenance

Any time spent clearing clogs, cleaning overspill, using a sledgehammer on  bin or correcting inaccurately weighed batched is wasted labor hours. Get those hours back by installing a vibrator!

Many of the traditional improvised methods to clear clogs - like using a sledgehammer - can lead to equipment fatigue and damage. Hammer rash, bin cracks and dents only make sticking and clogging problems worse and require even more maintenance.

Talk to one of our application engineers today, or start the process now by completing an Online Product Selection Request

I was driving in my car, heading to the first day of my very first internship. I didn’t know what to expect. So I thought to myself, “Just keep an open mind and see what happens.”

Let me tell you, it’s a good thing I did keep an open mind, because I walked in and everyone was stretching! Yes, stretching - doing toe touches (attempting to anyway), finger fans, arm across chest – like you’d do before a workout.   

When I accepted the internship at VIBCO, I knew that I’d be learning about manufacturing; I knew that I’d be learning about customer service; but I never could have guessed that I’d be learning how to make every day better for the rest of my life.  

A little bit of back story – this internship started as one of my high school graduation requirements.  To be honest, I wasn’t particularly excited about the requirement. However, after spending two months with VIBCO, I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity. I think back to last fall when I didn’t understand why my teacher seemed so excited for me do to my internship at VIBCO.  But now I do, and here’s why.

As you may have gathered based on what I said about our morning stretch, VIBCO is very different than most companies.  Innovative things happen every day.  For example, Jackie - a coworker of mine (who was a college intern, now full-time employee) - implemented an Idea Board where manufacturing team members can contribute improvement ideas.  Read more about the story behind the Idea Board 

The first day the board was up and available for use, Jackie announced over the loud speaker whenever someone put an idea on the board. “We have a new idea! We’re moving in the right direction! Thanks so much everyone!”  It can be hard to find people with this level of enthusiasm for what they do, but at VIBCO, this kind of passion is the norm.

And I love it.

Whether it be helping a customer, or helping a VIBCO team member accomplish something, every person at VIBCO really is happy and willing to do whatever it takes. You can’t find that just anywhere. 

This positive energy is infectious and it’s definitely infected me!  When two of our primary customer service members were away on the same day, I had to step up to the plate and provide customer support.  I was a bit nervous about talking to customers on my own, but I’d observed countless calls, and my supervisor seemed to have faith that I could do it.

So, despite the nerves, the positivity won out. Why wouldn’t I be happy to help? The simple answer is there was no reason for me not to be. So I was! At the end of that day, I realized that the message we send to customers with our willingness to help makes the interaction way better for us and the customer. Why hadn’t I realized this simple notion earlier on?

Due to every person on the VIBCO team’s positive attitude, my experience thus far has not only been highly educational, but it has been incredibly enjoyable. Being around people who are so passionate and enthusiastic about what they do (tackling problems included) inspires me to carry myself the same way.

So here’s a challenge: no matter what’s going on, be optimistic and pleasant.  You’ll be shocked with how much better it makes every situation. And don’t forget, if you ever need assistance with our vibrators, don’t hesitate to call. It will be your most pleasant interaction of the day because we really are happy to do it! 

Potholes are a major problem throughout the United States and around the world. Reports come in daily from Idaho to Michigan from England to Washington DC about the problems potholes are creating for cities and towns.

Cities and towns spend thousands of dollars every year on pothole repair - often repairing the SAME potholes week after week, year after year. 

VIBCO has been educating our customers on proper pothole repair technique and procedure for many years, but this is the first time we're presenting the actual pothole repair process. The bottom line is that repairing a pothole "the VIBCO Way" is easy - it just takes the right tools and a few minutes. When done correctly, you will never have to go back to the same pothole again. Ever.

So how do you fix a pothole for good?

Start with understanding what's NOT working… and then commit to a new method.

Throw-and-roll. Hand tamping. Those are quick and easy methods, but the repairs just don't last. You've seen the asphalt "crumbs" all over the road as cars and water ruin these temporary patches… sometimes within hours of the "repair".

"But that's how it's always been done!" 

"We have all these holes to fill - we don't have time to do anything else!"

"That's what you do with cold patch."

That's like saying, "But we've always used Oxen to plow our fields!" or "We have all these handwritten logs we've done - we can't switch to a spreadsheet!" or "Printed photos are easy to send via postal mail - why do I need Facebook or Instagram?"

Change is sometimes uncomfortable. We get that. But when a better method - a CHEAPER, FASTER, BETTER method comes along that gives you what you WANT, not just what you GET…  you have to commit to the new method. That's how we do more with our limited resources. It's where innovation, improvement, and progress begin.

That being said, here are the correct steps required for a long lasting, properly fixed pothole:

1. Clean the Pothole

This is an extremely important step that most online guides miss. They don't even address the need to prepare the hole for repair - they just begin with actually applying the patch or asphalt to the pothole. Patching a hole that is filled with water and/or debris virtually guarantees the patch will lift, disintegrate, etc. So be sure to Clean the Pothole!

Method: Clean the pothole with a large shop broom or a leaf blower. The goal is to get the pothole so that there is no loose debris inside of the hole or loose material hanging off the sides of the pothole that could hinder the patch or asphalt from sealing correctly and preventing water and the elements from creeping under the patch.

2. Fill the Pothole with Patch Material

Regardless of if you're using hot asphalt patch or cold asphalt patch to repair your pothole, there are some key points to remember.

 Method:

• Mound the patch material in the hole
• Using a lute, rake the patch material so that you can see the edges of the hole and material does not overflow the hole.
• Where there is uneveness, make it a priority to take excess patch from one part of the pothole and spread it to the sections that need it. An even material spread will pay dividends later on in the repair process and in the long term life of the repair job.

3. Compact The Patch Material

There are different ways to compact pothole repairs. From the least effective - the "roll" part of "throw and roll" to the most effective - a roller compactor.

Regardless of the tool and process you use, the goal of flattening out the patch is so that it not only is flat, but that the patch blends in with the road, doesn't collect rainwater, doesn't get kicked up by tires, and doesn't create a hazard for motorists.

There are some proper practices to bear in mind when flattening a pothole:

• Apply even pressure to the entire mound of patch
• Work from the outside and move inward
• After each sweep of the flattening tool, scrape away the excess material and re-pack it into the pothole
• If your device has a screed bar, use that bar to shave off lumps or domes and, again, work the excess material back into the pothole patch. 

The goal of the process should be a flat patch that doesn't dome up or resemble a birdbath [8]

4. Clean Up

This is another extremely important step that is often neglected in the "how-to" guides.

Once you've packed your pothole, take a shop broom or a leaf blower and clean away the loose asphalt around the pothole. Sweep it off to one side and collect it or sweep the loose crumbs onto the pothole and pack it into the patch. Either way, make a point to remove the loose debris from on and around the pothole. Leaving loose debris and patch material is unsightly and creates a hazard on the road.

5. Say goodbye to this pothole for good and move on!

Your pothole is now repaired for good… so say goodbye because you won't be returning to fix it again.

By committing to a new method - by following these steps - cities and town will save tens of thousands of dollars in pothole repair costs. Going back to the same hole over and over again is wasteful, frustrating, and ultimately costs much more than fixing the hole correctly right from the start.

 If you're looking for more information on pothole repair, check out this video:

And if you're looking for some material and tools to fix your pothole with, consider some of these links and resources:

Patch:

• SealMaster PatchMaster Cold Patch 
• U.S. Cold Patch
  
• Aquaphalt

I say "Gemba", you say, "What?"
"Gemba!"
"What?"
"Gemba!"
"What?"

Gemba is a word that is unknown to the vast majority of Americans. Unless you're among Lean folks, mention the word and you're going to be met with a blank stare or a confused look.

Fundamentally speaking, the Gemba is the place that matters most. It's the place where value is created for the customer and it's the heart of any business. For some it's the sales department, for others it's the delivery team. For many companies that embrace Lean management and manufacturing's best practice and philosophies, the Gemba is the factory floor.

This past week, a small team of VIBCO employees from production and sales area had a chance to participate in a Gemba Walk - a personal observation of work where the work actually happens through unbiased eyes - at Gemline Corporation in Lawrence, Massachusetts. 

The Gemba walk isn't just a guided promotional tour through a factory. No window dressing, no hiding problems - it's a real look at the real work being done. It is not about showing off the highlights of the factory or reciting this quarter's and this year's achievements and accomplishments, nor is it a time to find fault in others while they're being observed.

Gemba is all about ideas.

A Gemba walk is where direct observation is an improvement idea bonanza. It means to actually go to the Gemba location and see where and how the work is happening. A Gemba walk focuses on:

1. Observation: in person observation or actually going out and seeing the Gemba for yourself
2. Value: Seeing where the work is being done as opposed to discussing a warehouse problem in a conference room
3. Teaming or interacting with the people and process in the spirit of Kaizen or "change for the better"

Gemba walks are active learning experiences where each person on the walk is encouraged to ask questions, and wonder why things are happening the way they are… all with the specific goal of learning, and developing ideas for change and continuous improvement.

The VIBCO's teams Gemba at Gemline put the power of Ideas into sharp perspective.

Ideas are Free

Before we visited Gemline's factory floor, we visited Gemline's business floor. The business floor is on the 2nd story and is the main location for Gemline sales, marketing and design. As we walked in, we saw loads of tables with Gemline representatives sharing their company's achievements with other people interested in seeing and learning from them.

Each division of Gemline had a table. There was the marketing table, the IT table, the human resources table, accounts receivable, continuous improvement and many other sections - each with their own decorated tri-fold presentation board full of charts, tables, pictures and visuals highlighting their divisions accomplishments and achievements. Gemline team members were proud to share how much they had improved from year to year, but they became kids on Christmas morning when talking about how ideas are transforming their company.

Every single department shared how ideas and an ideation culture is accelerating the growth of their company (ten-fold!!!) and introducing unimaginable levels of improvement. Moreover, every Gemline division had a high level of idea success and implementation - over 70% for each division!

"How the heck is Gemline doing it?" we wondered.

The answer? Idea Boards, Leadership Commitment to Operator-Led Idea Implementation, and Discipline.

Idea Boards are large bulletin boards placed in each department. Employees with ideas write down the idea and tack it to their board. Every week, each department gets together, discusses the ideas on the board and determines a plan of action.  They do this based on a number of parameters including urgency, do-ability and impact.

According to just about everyone we talked to at Gemline, Ideas are the reason they are successful. Ideas replace legacy systems with modern ones. Ideas unify their factory workforce and create a culture that is empowered to enact change. Ideas are shaping the future of Gemline.

For the VIBCO team, the notion of Ideas resonated… big time. Our pencils couldn't scribble notes down fast enough and we all took a ton of pictures. At Gemline, Ideas aren't dying by committee, they aren't hiding behind job titles and responsibilities. They are out in the open for all to see and get involved in implementation. The passion at Gemline is clear. We could feel their belief in the power of ideas and we were incredibly impressed with their systematic, democratic and transparent process to impact the company's direction, mission and goals.

The Walk

After the office floor "show and tell", we headed down to the factory floor for a tour of Gemline's production operations.

The sheer size and scale of the factory was staggering. The factory extended far out in all directions with stations and machinery aligned to promote the flow and movement of product and raw material throughout the plant. Each station features visual aids to support standard work.

We saw Gemline production lines, we reviewed samples from recently completed orders, and we observed different signals and systems that have been developed over the years to help solve problems and reduce waste.

Then our host took us over to the factory floor's idea board. Their idea board was similar to those we had seen in the marketing and IT department. A long white board chuck full of Ideas Cards with suggestion and input from workers all around the factory!

Here's how the board works:

• Someone has an idea.
• They write the idea on an orange idea card and put it on the board.
• Every Monday, the factory team gets together and reviews the submitted ideas.
• The team votes on the priority and discusses how the ideas can be implemented.
• Ideas that don't have a high priority still remain on the board for later votes.
• All ideas are reviewed and all ideas get attention.

The ideas that get top priority go to the top of the board. At that point, a team member volunteers to work on the idea. They block a section of time out of that week's work schedule and are expected to report back on progress the following week.

If an idea hasn't been implemented within two months, it moves down the board to another quadrant. It doesn't disappear. It's just set aside into another section of the board denoting that this idea is older than 2 months. It's still free for anyone to pick up and work on.

What about the ideas that no one volunteers to implement? They stay on the board for 6 months and then either drop off or are elevated for additional resources and support.

To us, the system seemed fluid, self-regulating and the results spoke for themselves.

It is clear that, at Gemline, Ideas are a primary driver and goal for every single employee. Leadership has provided a structure to capture ideas, managers have standard work to review ideas, and operators have standard work to IMPLEMENT ideas.  The system works.

What We Learned

After returning to VIBCO the next day, our team of five shared what we learned from the Gemline Gemba walk.

We shared our excitement about Gemline's Idea Boards with our VIBCO team members. VIBCO has tried a few different approaches to Ideas…  with some good success as evidenced by the massive number of operator-led improvements all over VIBCO.  But what we haven't done well is to provide a concrete structure to those ideas with standard work for the review and implementation process.

Our visit to Gemline provided inspiration and a template…  now we have to go put it to work!

UPDATE! As of last week, we finally put together our first Idea Board here at VIBCO and within minutes, it was already being populated with ideas!

Filling a customer's order is a simple enough task 99% of the time.

We fill customer orders all day every day. It's a pretty straightforward process for most businesses.

A customer places and order via phone, email, EDI or fax. A vendor receives an order and processes the information via whatever information systems they have - often with quite a bit of searching, filing, asking, waiting, entering, scrolling, calling, etc.

Then someone in fulfillment gets the information and builds or pulls the product from the shelf. Once that's done, another person alerts shipping, someone boxes and prepares shipping documents, and then finally the order goes out the door.

Reasonably straightforward process, right? 

Well, it's kind of the same thing here at VIBCO except much, much faster.

See, while it can take other companies hours or even days to take an order and run it down the entire sales chain, yesterday VIBCO customer service filled out an order in tandem with the customer as he described what he wanted.

No long lead times from customer service to shop, no excessive waiting to move the order through the sales process - none of that.

The order was processed as it being dictated.

How did we do it, you're probably wondering?

Well, here's the story.

 All We Needed Was 10 Minutes:

As the work day was beginning to wind down, At about 5:10pm, the office received a customer call.

An outside salesman from one of our distribution partners called looking for (2) two 2P-75-3-230 electric vibrators. 

"The salesman was calling from his customer's office in Texas… on our end, we could hear his customer in the background talking about needing the vibrators right away.

At most businesses, "quitting time" means the day is done, close up shop, forward the phones, we're heading home. 

And if the phone rings at 4:58, the low-man-on-the-totem pole has to take the final call, or maybe it just gets ignored because nobody is willing to stay.

Not at VIBCO. 

We actually take regular customer service calls until 7:30 or 8:00pm EST and then have a 24-hour hotline that connects to people's cell phones!

So, a top-level customer service agent received the call and got right to work - even though the call was technically past her normal working hours.

Now, as the customer was describing his order, VIBCO's customer service was already at work searching for the vibrator model in our inventory including how many were available and at what price for (2) of them.

In just over 10 minutes (10 minutes!), VIBCO customer service was able to:

• Check the inventory list to see if the vibrator was in stock (and it was)
• Confirm the stock of the vibrator with shipping manager and alert the ship team that there was an urgent same day order on its way
• Enter the Order (while the customer was creating his Purchase Order)
• Confirm the drop ship location and shipping method
• Acknowledge the Order to the Customer for verification prior to shipment

And get the vibrators shipped via UPS Next Day Air.

The phone call, the package AND all the important paperwork was squared away by 5:20pm.

Literally, as the salesman was making the purchase order, we were fulfilling the order in tandem with each other.

A direct quote from our customer: "You guys are the only supplier I have where this could happen like this… I appreciate it so much… I wish everyone worked like you guys do."

Once the phones were hung up:

• The package was made up with both vibrators inside
• The box was sealed and taken down the line to shipping
• Picked up by UPS and

ready to go and ready to arrive the next morning to the end user.

 In the End…

 Another satisfied customer? You betcha.

I’m brand new here at VIBCO.

Brand brand new.

Like 5 days on the job new… and my start here has been anything but conventional.

Typically, a new hire to a company might spend the first few days, weeks or even months learning company protocols, passwords and preparing to actually do the work that they were hired to do.

There’s usually a considerable amount of time before a new hire will actually get the chance to understand and feel acclimated to what exactly the company is, what it does or how it really operates to PROVIDE VALUE.

Those first few months can feel like being in a bubble, separated from the reality of the company.

Kind of like the first two years of college.

You know you are going to eventually get to the great learning in your major coursework, but you have to slog through the Gen Ed requirements first.

That slow orientation process means that there's of build up before the bang.

Ideas, questions, concerns, hopes - all in anticipation of actually making a contribution.

But then, when it happens, when you finally get through the break-in process, the energy and excitement of the new opportunity has diminished.

More like a dull thud. Not a bang.

My first week at VIBCO? It was all bang!

This morning was the biggest bang yet!

I got the chance to see, first-hand, VIBCO's customer focus in action.

I got to go to a product demonstration and training session in Swansea, Massachusetts.

The headline - I saw exceptional customer service, learning through showing, and an unwavering faith in a quality product made in the USA.

Let Me Set the Stage…

Last month, the Swansea Highway Department purchased a VIBCO Pothole Patcher™ to replace/augment their existing pothole fixing tool kit (plate compactors, hand tampers, ride-on roller, etc.), only to call the VIBCO offices a few days after taking delivery to voice some concerns and frustrations with the product.

Rather than get into a long discussion and game of verbal charades over the phone with the customer, Karl and VIBCO’s creative director, Ed, scheduled a time to go out in the field with the road crew and provide a demonstration and training session.  (I've also learned that if the customer wasn't within an easy drive, they would have used something called a Virtual Van Visit - also something worth checking out.)

I've never been part of a company where the first question is "can we go see them in person?" whenever there is a customer issue.

Most folks go out of their way to avoid direct customer contact all the time… even more so when there is a problem. 

Not here.

Apparently we race into the fire instead of running from it.

So this is how the visit went from the perspective of a guy that started working at VIBCO 5 days ago.

A Quick Demonstration

We pulled into the Swansea Highway Department and were greeted by the team of workers in charge of keeping the town's road clean, safe and drivable.

Everyone shook hands and shared some friendly banter before getting down to business: the Pothole Patcher™ wasn't satisfying their needs and they wanted answers.

As the crew explained their issues with the equipment, we all walked over to a small pothole near the edge of the grounds.

A dump truck rolled up with hot asphalt in the bed. 

There were shovels attached to the truck and the work crew immediately went to work. They poured, shoveled and spread the asphalt in and around the pothole in preparation for the Pothole Patcher™ demonstration.

As the team finished pouring hot asphalt onto the hole, Karl rolled out the Pothole Patcher™, powered on the machine with a single pull of the draw cord and went to work.

The machine's engine purred along as the once lumpy mound of steaming asphalt turned into a smooth surface. The Pothole Patcher™'s 1,600 lbs of compaction force and 12-inch drum turned and unsightly pothole into a perfectly flat patch that will last.

During the demonstration, Karl offered information on best practice and technique. As he pushed and pulled the machine over the asphalt, Karl explained…

"Consistent even movement is KEY to getting the most out of the Pothole  Patcher™." Karl Wadensten

Karl added, " You gotta keep moving… if you stop at any time, you can lose your momentum and risk sinking the Patcher." 

He went on to explain that if you keep that technique in mind, you can use the machine to repair any size and any shape pothole - stubborn, awkward, large - no problem.

The entire process from start to finish was recorded start to finish on the Pothole Patrol’s Twitter page:

A Changed Mind

Once the demonstration was finished, you could actually see how the mindset had changed - body language was different, eyes were different, words and tone were different.

It was like night and day.

The Swansea team went from wanting to return their Pothole Patcher™ to wanting to keep it and continue to use it - maybe even buying another one!

And all it took was a short 45 minute demonstration, some helpful literature and an openness to hear the customer’s problems and concerns rather than ignoring the problem and avoiding the customer’s complaint.

To Wrap Up…

For some it takes months to understand what a company does, what their culture is like and how they function as an organization of people working towards the same goal.

For me, I saw it in a matter of one day – not even a full week in.

I saw a skeptical, frustrated customer turn into an enlightened, satisfied customer in under an hour… I saw one go from disappointed to instantly excited to use the product that they were adamant about returning just a week ago.

It was the VIBCO way in action: an unmatched customer service experience and a drive to go the extra mile to see a satisfied - actually satisfied , informed customer walk away with a product that is both made in the USA and actually does what is says it will do - and does it better than any other product on the market.

Now that's customer service.  And I'm really excited about my new job.

Quick Links

Featured Application: Sell VIBCO Dump Truck Vibrators This Month
Industry Focus: Grain and Feed Mills 
Industry Focus: Foundries
"Talk the Talk" Lean Word: 5S

Featured Product: VIBCO Pothole Patcher™ Vibratory Rollers

VIBCO GR-1600 Pothole Patcher™ Vibratory Rollers improve the longevity and reduce the costs of pothole repair. You can sell one to every DPW, asphalt contractor, parks department, or landscaper in your territory. ROI in weeks...

100 POTHOLES
$62 per hole via "Throw and Go" = $6200*
$20 per hole via VIBCO Semi-permanent patch method = $2000*
Savings = $4200
No Brainer.

Learn about VIBCO's efforts to make Rhode Island the #1 Pothole Free State

*From Evaluation of Pothole Patching Materials http://www.qprcoldpatch.com/pdf/Rutgers-Study.pdf

Feed and Grain Mills

• Unloading Railroad Hopper Cars (flour, wheat, grits, etc.)
• Bulk storage bins
• Tote Bins
• Blending, screening, separating and sizing
• Feeding chutes
• Packaging and compaction
• VIBCO Product Applications for Bulk Material Handling

Foundries

• Match Plates (use VIBCO model FBS)
• Sand and other bulk storage bins
• Molding Machines
• Shake Outs
• VIBCO Product Application Bulletins for Railcar Unloading

"Talk the Talk" Lean Manufacturing Word of the Week: 5S

5S is the name of a workplace organization method that uses a list of five Japanese words: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke. Transliterated or translated into English, they all start with the letter "S". The list describes how to organize a work space for efficiency and effectiveness by identifying and storing the items used, maintaining the area and items, and sustaining the new order. The decision-making process usually comes from a dialogue about standardization, which builds understanding among employees of how they should do the work. Learn more about 5S at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5S_(methodology)

Learn about VIBCO's Lean Manufacturing Program and Leadership