Assembling a winning team against all odds

Tour with Power Partners to discover how to conquer recruiting, training and retaining talent and how to battle low output and efficiency.

Overview

In the five years leading up to 2020, Power Partners in Athens, GA experienced five different CEOs and a significant loss of experienced hourly and professional talent. It would be an understatement to say that this left the 60-year-old transformer manufacturing facility poorly prepared to deal with the workforce struggles that ensued during, and have persisted since, the pandemic.

On-time delivery was at an all-time low while the demand for the product soared. Struggles to hire and retain people in skilled positions led to unprecedented levels of rework, low output and poor efficiency. As of Q1, 2024, the rework is all but gone, we're breaking output records, and efficiency continues to climb. So, what changed?

While there are far too many changes to list, this tour will focus on a few key activities that have greatly contributed to the turnaround.

• Recruiting and hiring: The use of unconventional new practices for locating candidates, filtering them and bringing them on board.
• Training and development: The creation of a robust training program with new opportunities for employees to increase their pay through a newly created lateral progression program.
• Focused problem-solving and project management: The launch of the Evolution for Growth weekly cadence to sanction and manage projects.

These are just a few of the activities driving the improvements at Power Partners. Tour participants will also learn about the daily Gemba meeting cadence, factory layout to support high-volume, high-mix, single-piece-flow, visual management tools, and more.

Please note: The tour facility will provide safety glasses.

Company

For more than 60 years, the Athens, Georgia facility has led the production of reliable, energy-efficient distribution solutions. Offering products that range from single-phase and three-phase pole-type transformers to new padmount solutions, Power Partners prides itself in providing responsible value to customers, associates and the communities they serve. With the shortest manufacturing cycles in the industry, extraordinary storm response and designs that meet the highest industry safety and quality standards, Power Partners is more than a manufacturer. It's a leader in innovation — 400 employees strong, all ready to meet your distribution transformer needs. https://powerpartners-usa.com/