Have you visited our blog?

http:/www.DreamwallsGlass.com

It's a one-stop shop for the latest news, press releases, and also a portal to our affiliated websites, flickr, youtube, facebook and twitter sites. So, check it out, and share it with your friends and customers.

If you have an event, show, or recent installation that you'd like to see on the blog, just contact Mandy and we'll get it done!

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Gardner held a bloodmobile in North Wilkesboro on August 31st. We collected 23 pints of life-saving blood.

Thanks to the following people who gave the gift of life!

Keith Holleman
Mark Melvin
Lester Sidden
Frank Anderson
Harvey Harbour
Karen Holsclaw
Ronnie Blevins
Sissie Church
Jim Minton
Scott Johnson
Joe Brooks
Dewayne McSorley
Patricia Canter
Monty Combs
Darrell Greene
Cody Myers
Jim Archibald
Herman Miller
Silas Wagoner
Josh Andrews
Matt Campbell
Donald Holsclaw
Jill Edwards

While not our best collection quantity, we want to stress to everyone the importance of giving blood when you can.

And remember, before giving blood, be sure to drink lots of water and eat iron-rich foods in the days prior to donation.

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Poppin' Cereal Bars

This is a great before or after school recipe for the kids!

Ingredients
• 2 cups popped popcorn
• 2 cups Life cereal
• 1 cup miniature pretzels
• 1 cup M&M’s, divided
• 1 package (10 ½ ounces) miniature marshmallows
• ¼ cup butter, cubed

Directions
• In a large bowl, combine the popcorn, cereal, pretzels and ½ cup M&M’s. In the microwave, melt marshmallows and butter; stir until smooth. Fold in the cereal mixture.
• Spread into a greased 11 x 7 in. dish. Sprinkle with remaining M&M’s; press lightly. Cut into bars.
Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

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Wilkesboro, NC
• Wilkes County Cruisers—Sep. 11

Huntsville, TX
• 7th Annual Huntsville Antique Show—Sep. 18-19 at the Walker County Fairgrounds

Phoenix, AZ
• Sandcastle Summer Send Off—Sep. 3rd at the Phoenix Art Museum

Indianapolis, IN
• 15th Annual Rib America Festival—Sep.3rd-6th at Military Park

Springfield, VA
• Herndon Labor Day Jazz Festival—Sep. 6th

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HELPFUL LINKS TO KNOW:

401K Information: GREAT WEST

https://www.gwrs.com/login.do

HEALTH INSURANCE INFO: BLUE CROSS BLUE SHEILD NC

https://www.bcbsnc.com

Gardner Welcomes New Employees!

Jennifer Pearce is our new operations manager for OnGlass Experts in Phoenix. She has 13 years of experience in the glass business and we’re happy to have her join the Gardner family.

Jennifer started her career out in public affairs and media relations for her local Home Builders Association in Albuquerque, NM, where her first job was selling glass. She has worked with various glass companies, including AFG Glass and Glaz-Tech Industries. While working at Glaz-Tech in Phoenix, Jennifer attended night classes and received certification as a Medical Assistant. She decided that the medical field wasn’t for her, though, and continued on in the glass business.

Jennifer lives in Tempe, AZ near Arizona State University and loves the diverse people and cultures there. She has three children; 2 girls (16 &20 years) and a son (18 years). She also has 3 grandchildren, ages 6 months & 3 years. She supports the God-Parents Club, Inc. which helps young African American boys in America that are growing up without fathers to find pride and discipline in their lives.

Debbie Huggins is the new Associate Account Manager for the Lowe's program. She'll be working closely with Mandy Marxen in learning the ropes of managing the Lowe's Account from a sales and marketing standpoint. There's a lot to learn about our long history with the Lowe's account, and while she's new to the mirror industry, she's an avid home remodeller and is very familiar with Lowe's.

In previous experience, she's worked in the textile, medical equipment, and printing fields. She is well versed in Excel as well as graphic design programs. In fact, when she graduated from Appalachian State University, she was trained as a graphic designer and has since earned certificate in Marketing Design with a concentration in graphic design.

Debbie resides in Lenoir, NC with her husband Joe, and two young sons, Thomas (8) and Jackson (7). She loves photography and spending time outdoors with her family and yellow lab named Sadie. Debbie and her family are also actively involved in military family support and foster care. We're happy to have her here at Gardner, and look forward to working with her!

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How to Beat the Heat and Humidity

10 tips to avoid running into problems with heat and humidity.

1. Wear light clothing technically designed to wick moisture away from your body.
2. You MUST hydrate properly. Drink before, during and after exercise. If possible take colder or cool beverages with you with electrolytes to help balance out mineral loss. The suggested amount of liquid intake is 6-8 ounces of fluid every 15-20 minutes.
3. Don't use a sun block with an oil-base. You must keep your pores open to help facilitate the body's ability to sweat and cool down.
4. Don't exercise in the blazing sun. Adjust your schedule to exercise in the early morning hours or later in the early evening.
5. Slow down in pace and intensity. You'll lose your ability to have consistent workouts because of the loss of fluids and minerals.
6. If possible, place a small cooler of ice on your route to use under your hat, sports-bra or singlet.
7. Find a route with the most possible shade.
8. Consider using a device called a "neck cooler". This is basically a handkerchief sewn into a tube with a substance in the tube that you soak for about 15 minutes prior to exercise. When soaked, this substance produces a cool temperature. You wrap the neck cooler around your neck and it stays cool for several hours. You can get these at select outdoor stores and on-line.
9. Wear a hat or visor to help shade your face and neck.
   
10. Always tell someone where you plan to walk or run and your expected time to return.

• Look for the signs of HEAT EXHAUSTION •
  • Body temperature usually normal or only slightly elevated
  • Dry mouth
  • Fatigue, weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Nausea, sometimes vomiting
  • Weak and rapid pulse
  • Heavy sweating
  • Cool and clammy skin
  • Muscle cramping
• Look at the signs of HEAT STROKE •
  • Elevated body temperature over 103 degrees F
  • No Sweating
  • Heart beat is rapid and strong
  • Throbbing or pounding headache
  • Dizziness
  • Vomiting
  • Nausea
  • Muscle cramping all over body
  • Need to lie down
  • White streaks of light flashing in eyes
  • Fingers and toes locking up
  • Falling down
  • Inability to communicate
  
  In conclusion, we don't need to fear the heat and humidity. We need to respect the fact that if we make unwise choices when working or exercising, we may end up paying the price. Most importantly, listen to your body. Stop immediately if you're feeling dizzy, faint or nauseous.

Gardner Glass, and all of the branches, will be closed on Monday, September 6th in honor of Labor Day. Have a great holiday!
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When studying lean, one formula given was 20-60-20. This translates to the 20% who are eager to adopt the system, the 60% who want to wait and see if it works or fails, and the 20% who vehemently oppose lean because they see it as change or lost jobs.

Companies who successfully implement lean rarely jeopardize anyones job. They do however, see a signigicant increase in output, which leads to shorter turnaround to customers, which leads to more orders.

This effectively secures people's jobs because that company can give a faster lead time against their competitor's who have not embraced lean and are still struggling with inefficiency.

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Driving green means adopting a few simple, inexpensive driving habits to decrease the amount of fuel you use and put more money in your pocket.

Get that junk out of the trunk
When you carry extra weight, your vehicle must work harder--i.e., use more fuel to move it.
Don't go too low
Check tire pressure once a month and keep tires properly inflated and you can save up to a tank of gas per year!
Slow down and save
Every five miles over 60 mph can cost you up to an additional 30 cents a gallon.
Don't be a jackrabbit
Abrupt starts and hard stops may only save you a few seconds of time, but they can increase fuel consumption by 40%.
Change your oil
Doing so regularly can result in better gas mileage.
Idling is not ideal
Turn off your engine if you're waiting for more than a couple of minutes.
Be smart when you cool
At speeds less than 40 mph, roll down the windows; more than 40 mph, use the AC.
Use the cruise
Use cruise control for more than 10,000 miles a year and save yourself 60 gallons of fuel.
Let your car breathe
A clogged air filter can cut mileage by 10%.
Don't drip and drive
Tightening your fuel cap can prevent leakage of up to 30 gallons of gas a year.

Employment Anniversaries

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Reflections newsletter is published every month by the Pluminators Gemba Squad. It is posted on/by the 5th of each month.

NEXT DEADLINE:

September 24 , 2010

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NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS:

Site Editor:
Holly White

(with assistance from Mandy Marxen)

Employee Involvement
Jim Archibald & Rebecca Johnson

Personnel Events
Dan Day

Health & Economic Issues
Mary Adams

Lean Initiatives
Charles Church

Computer Tips
Tom Jones

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Remember, you can see REFLECTIONS by going to www.gardnerglass.com and clicking on the gray "double G" logo at the bottom of the opening splash page.

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Click Here to access the Past Newsletter Archive