Fort Smith Kraft-Planters Facility Earns 2 Million Hour Safety Award

Oct. 02--Employees at the Kraft-Planters facility in Fort Smith recently reached a safety milestone with completion of 2 million work hours without a lost-time accident.

The facility makes a variety of Planters products, including both oil-roasted and dry-roasted peanuts, cashews, almonds and mixed nuts. The plant last obtained the 2 million-hour safety mark in 1999.

Kraft executives served dinners to employees on all shifts Wednesday and Thursday. A number of local and state officials visited the plant Thursday to recognize the achievement.

"It's certainly significant and reflects the caliber of people working at Planters and the dedication to make safety a priority," Fort Smith Mayor Sandy Sanders said of the award.

Sanders noted that Kraft-Planters plays an important role in the community as a United Way Pacesetter company, and many of the 350 full-time employees are coaches of youth sports teams, scout leaders and Parent Teacher Association members.

Mark Lindgren, Kraft-Planters Fort Smith plant manager, said safety actions have included Behavior Observation Systems to give feedback on how co-workers perform tasks and to identify possible risks.

"Employees reinforce safety awareness through safety and risk management fairs and health fairs at work, and also communicate the importance of safety at home for family members too," Lindgren stated in a news release.

State Sen. Jake Files, R-Fort Smith, also in attendance for Thursday's award presentation, noted that Kraft-Planters Fort Smith has been a dependable corporate citizen for more than 35 years and there are expectations that it will continue to grow.

"This award points out the team effort needed with management, employees and government to make it happen on the floor," said Clark Thomas, safety division manager for the Arkansas Department of Labor.

Employees accumulated the 2 million hours between Feb. 18, 2012, and Aug. 13, 2014.

"I'm so proud of our Fort Smith facility for achieving this landmark," Joe Metzger, vice president of Integrated Supply Chain for Kraft's Enhancers & Snack Nuts Business Unit, stated in a news release.

The Fort Smith facility is incorporating Integrated Lean Six Sigma practices into its processes, Metzger added, to build capabilities so that they "never have a safety incident."

"Fort Smith has clearly demonstrated they've made great progress on this journey, and I look forward to celebrating their next safety milestone," Metzger stated in the release.

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