Communication is the key to the success of the Employee Involvement program at Shurtape Technologies, Inc. in Hickory, NC.

Bill Green, Gainsharing Coordinator says, "We do not hold anything back from our employees. We let them know how the company is doing. Employees feel better about their job security when they know the company is doing well."

Shurtape manufactures tape products, paper tapes, duct tape and carton sealing tape. They have three manufacturing plants and one converter plant. Green is in charge of the Employee Involvement program for all four plants. The program has been in place since 1992.

The first thing the company did was to set up teams that consisted of employee volunteers. Each department has their own team. These teams come up with ideas or suggestions for management. Each team has a budget for implementing ideas.

In 1996 the company decided to make team membership a requirement for all employees, in each department. Volunteerism was not working. “We wanted to eliminate the ‘I didn’t know about that attitude that some of the employees had,” commented Green. “Now everyone is up-to-date with current information. Employees know whether or not the company is making money. If people know how the company is doing, it makes them feel good about their job.”

At first the employees at Shurtape resisted the team idea. They were worried about having to rely on a co-worker for bonuses and rewards. But after working in the system for a few years, employees are really beginning to think, act and work as teams. "Everything we do, we do through the teams. It makes the employees feel a part of the company, makes them feel like they have a say in things," says Green.

Shurtape has a bonus system to reward employees. Each employee gets quarterly bonuses and a year-end bonus. (These do not include the Christmas and July bonuses each employee receives.) The bonuses are based on net sales. The better the company does, the better the bonus. The company has a "threshold" of sales that has to be met. If met, then employees receive a bonus based on a percentage of earnings. The highest bonus given yet was 5.7% of annual earnings.

Shurtape also has a reward system. Each team is able to put all accepted ideas into a drawing for a prize. The prizes are different every time. The latest was dinner at one of the better area restaurants and a movie of choice.

Some of the many successful ideas from employees at Shurtape:

• One employee suggested putting airguides on two rollers on a machine in the manufacturing plant. The cost to implement the idea was $4,000, the savings was $800,000.
• One young lady's suggestion was to put a filter on a latex tank The cost was $400, the savings was $70,000.
• Another suggestion was to put an electronic switch on a packaging line. This idea saved on machine down time.

After seven years the program seems to be working. Yet Green says he is constantly looking for ways to improve. He likes to visit other companies to learn about their Employee Involvement programs. But, he doesn't just talk to the person in charge. "I like to go directly to the floor of the other companies and talk to the employees," says Green, "They are the ones who can tell you if the program is actually working."