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Transystems foreman Eddy
Heisel is up to his ears in work
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By
Lorraine Cavener, The Times-News
Online
October 30, 2001 |
PAUL - This is the time of year when Eddy Heisel is probably the busiest
man in Minidoka County, maybe in the entire Magic Valley.
He has a knack for talking on his cell
phone at the same time he is talking on his desk phone. People are lined
up outside his office for job interviews or they walk in unannounced to
talk to him about an immediate need.
"I need the slice for the last 24
hours," he said in one phone, as the other phone started ringing
again. "Start getting that every day."
The other caller had a message about a
loader that was brought into the shop for repairs. Heisel told the caller
that something should be done about it ASAP.
As foreman for the new beet hauler for
Amalgamated Sugar Company -- Transystems -- Heisel's days are hectic at
this time of the year.
During the first year as hauler the
chartreuse green Transystems trucks are becoming familiar. The company is
using 93 trucks in Idaho. In the six-month hauling season the 40 trucks
that Heisel oversees are scheduled to haul 2.3 million of the 5 million
tons of beets hauled in the state.
The factory contracted to Circle-A since
about 1968, but the decision to go with Transystems was made because of
economic reasons, said Amalgamated's John Schorr, ag manager for the Paul
factory.
"Circle A is an excellent
company," he said. "But it was a cost savings for the
company."
Transystems is a good company to work with,
he added.
"They understand the beet
business."
Heisel said one of the things he likes
about Transystems is the up-to-date equipment.
Global Positioning System is being
installed in all the trucks, Heisel said.
"We're still working a few kinks out,
but with GPS we will be able to dispatch better," he said.
The information from GPS can be downloaded
onto laptop computers, which will tell Heisel how many tons per pile are
left to move.
"As the pile decreases, it shows
automatically," he said. "There is no guessing."
A printout, including information about how
many tons the factory sliced in the last 24 hours, will be made every 24
hours once the new equipment is in place.
With the juggling act Heisel has to
perform, GPS will come in handy.
While acreage has increased, capacities at
the piling grounds have not been increased, Heisel said.
Keeping on top of constant pile moves to
make room for more beets is something he deals with on a minute-by-minute
basis.
To keep up with the amount of beets the
Paul factory requires a truck to be unloaded every two minutes.
Besides, the GPS equipment trucks are also
equipped with electronic shift transmissions.
Many of the drivers were not used to such
sophisticated equipment, he said
"That was a little obstacle to get
over," Heisel said.
But they learned quickly, he added.
Even with all the sophisticated equipment,
Transystems' main concern is safety, Heisel said.
"That is why they have that bright
green color," he said.
Steve Torix, the division maintenance
manager, for Transystems agrees.
"Our first three rules are safety,
safety and safety," Torix said.
The company has a team philosophy, he said.
"You don't work for me, you work with
me," Torix said.
The company is still hiring drivers for
this year's haul.
As with most years drivers are not found
until after harvest because many are driving for farmers, said Heisel, who
knows about finding drivers from his many years of working for Circle A.
"Harvest is a killer every year,"
he said. "We usually don't fill trucks until after harvest."
But it's not all business; the company is
also family oriented.
"They are very employee-minded. They
offer benefits after one month," Torix said. "Benefits are
something every employee should have."
The company wants people from the community
and offers year-round jobs. In the summer, when beet hauling is done, the
jobs consists of rock and road construction work.
"The idea is to keep people on the
job," he said.
Employees are valued, Heisel said.
"Without them we don't make
money," he added.
And valuing employees helps with
production, Heisel said.
"I can't be prouder of the help I've
got," he said. "We've got some guys that are really producing.
It's just unreal." |
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