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Turner Industries, a family-operated carpeting manufacturer, was started 49 years ago just outside Jackson, Mississippi. Today, the company is the third largest producer of carpeting in the United States. With revenue over $1 billion, Turner employs over 6,000 workers at this now-massive facility.

Five years ago, Turner developed an “Employee Initiative” program to instill commitment to customer satisfaction throughout the company. The company’s employees play a vital role in this program. A flat organizational structure gives employees, working in self-managed teams, significant authority and autonomy. Production work teams can undertake training, schedule work, and determine individual performance objectives. Any production process can be halted if an employee believes that quality is suffering or safety is jeopardized.

Teams form the core of Turner’s quality-improvement efforts. The company formed 25 “Proactive Teams” to address specific manufacturing and production challenges. In addition, select teams work on ways to enhance the relationship between Turner and its suppliers. The teams, in general, respond to customers’ comments, work on developing new products, and create activities that bring employees together in social situations (sporting activities, picnics, and fund-raising efforts for employee-supported charities). With diverse opportunities to affect the company, the teams demonstrate a fundamental commitment to customer satisfaction – even creating marketing opportunities that generate additional revenue.

Management and motivation of the work force require special care on the part of Turner’s management. Training and recognition is important. In a single year, the company invests $1,600 per employee in training. Recognition comes in the form of participation in teams, leadership opportunities, and interaction with top management.

Turner’s efforts at improving its management and human resource practices have allowed it to reduce the number of managers; lower its overall defect rate; and increase quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Revenues have increased significantly over the last four years. As a result of the focus on employees and customers’ needs, Turner has won over 20 quality awards and was voted the outstanding employer in the South in a regional competition. The company has been written about in the Top 200 Employers in the U.S., and its efforts to involve employees in determining the firm’s direction have been very successful, enhancing customer satisfaction and improving business performance.

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Date: 2015-01-02; view: 817