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Rich’s Foods of Morristown held a flag-raising ceremony to celebrate an important achievement.

Rich’s Foods reached the second phase of TPM. TPM, which stands for Total Productive Maintenance, is a concept that is designed to create a team-based system to improve equipment effectiveness.

Plant Manager Scott Kington says that achieving this milestone for the Morristown plant is a proud moment for him and his employees, as the Morristown plant is the first Rich’s location to reach phase two.

“We’re the first plant in Rich’s that’s gotten into phase 2. There’s 28 plants in the US and Canada and we’re the first ones to reach phase two so that’s why we’re celebrating,” Kington said.

Kington went on to explain the process of reaching TPM phases and the effects it has on the teams within the plant.

“It’s a progression, you start at phase zero which is really foundational. It’s about getting associates involved and maintaining equipment and emphasizing proactive and preventative maintenance so you have fewer breakdowns and defects. It creates a safer work environment and a better engaging work environment. The intent of the whole process is for people to own what they do and make their own decisions, so instead of coming from the top down it’s really from the bottom up,” Kington said.

Kington says that the employees have worked hard to achieve this milestone and that it’s been rewarding for him as Plant Manager to watch their growth and development throughout the process.

“It’s rewarding to see people grow, to see them doing things they never thought they could. It’s been good to see the growth. The metrics improve as well, so there is a benefit for the company as well. But to me the most visible part is the growth of the people and the work environment that comes out of it,” Kington said.

The ceremony took place in front of the Rich’s plant where employees in attendance were treated to lunch catered by Jersey Girl before everyone gathered to raise the flag identifying the plant as a phase two TPM plant.

Mayor Bill Brittain, Vice Mayor Tommy Pedigo and Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce President Marshall Ramsey were all in attendance at Tuesday’s celebration as well as Rich’s President and CEO Richard Ferranti.

Ferranti remarked that this plant location’s achievement is a huge milestone for the company and that he is proud to be able to celebrate this with them.

“This is a significant milestone in the history of this company. In all 47 manufacturing facilities, the fact that this is the first one to reach phase two is a significant achievement. This group is on the cutting edge of all our facilities when you talk about taking TPM to the next level. TPM is really all about leadership, productivity, safety and engagement. More than anything it’s about creating value for our customers and it’s about providing opportunities for folks to grow and develop within the organization,” Ferranti said.