Inclusion beyond words

Often, however, the meetings include a less conventional element: learning a new word in sign language from her teammate and fabrication shop operator Tomasz Krason, who is deaf. Over the past decade, Tomasz has taught her sign language one step at a time. “She was interested in learning, so I taught her the alphabet and then the signs for words,” Tomasz says. Learning has become part of the workday. Renee and Tomasz teach teammates a vocabulary word each morning, and Renee often signs at the facility’s allstaff meetings to keep Tomasz in the loop. “I wanted to be able to communicate with Tomasz the way he communicates,” she says. “For me, it was important and has been really helpful.”

With tight turnarounds and complex logistics as part of every order, making sure the pipes get from factory floor to customer in good shape is up to Renee, who supervises teams in the fabrication, shipping and receiving departments . The role involves keeping in constant touch with customers, answering their questions and keeping them updated on the status of their orders. Effective communication, with customers and colleagues alike, is paramount and needs to take place also among people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds, Renee says.

Fortunately, she already possessed solid communication skills when she started working night shifts at the Calmar plant nearly 20 years ago, balancing work with raising a family. Renee’s background isn’t in manufacturing, but in the hospitality industry. Before moving to Calmar, she ran a series of restaurant and food service businesses in different parts of Canada, including a bake-your-own-pizza shop in Saskatchewan and a milk delivery business in Vancouver. “I’ve always been a people person,” she says. “But I think my skills from the restaurant business have really helped me in this industry, and my experience dealing with the public has been an asset.”

Coworkers agree. “Renee works so hard to assist her teammates with real-time responses,” says Ron Gravel, Industrial Market and Business Development Manager at the site. “She goes out of her way to make sure that every order is complete and gets to its final destination.” That commitment doesn’t end when the pipes leave the loading dock in Calmar. Renee stays on top of things, keeps her customers informed of delivery times, and always takes a personal interest in any additional needs they may have – all with a drive that Ron raves about: “Renee ensures the best possible GF customer experience.”

Renee is also a key link between GF and the local community. Since starting at the company in 2004, she has organized several fundraising drives each year, helping to raise tens of thousands of dollars for charities in and around Calmar. The money has helped local kids buy school supplies. At Christmas, Renee leads a donation drive to collect and donate food and toys to families in need. “When there is a need in the community, everyone chips in and does what they can to make a difference,” Renee says.

Renee points out there’s no leader without a team. “I might be the one who organizes and gets the ball rolling, but the group I work with is so kind and caring – they really go out of the way for their community,” Renee says. “I think the whole group here are heroes.”