11.05.05 - Clopay Names Mary Jo Lilly as Global Business Unit Director

10.01.05 - Clopay Acquires Remaining Shares of Clopay do Brasil

07.01.05 - Clopay Acquires Remaining Shares of FINOTECH Joint Venture

05.12.05 - Clopay Plastics Products Names Nick Forte as Director ...

05.03.05 - Tim Burke joins Clopay Plastic Products as National Account...

02.15.05 - Close Shave Helps Clopay Reach Goal of Perfect Safety Record

01.18.05 - Clopay Strengthens Commitment to New Business Development

Griffon News Releases

February 15, 2005

Close Shave Helps Clopay Reach Goal of Perfect Safety Record

Augusta, KY - Clopay Plastic Products Company has reached one year without a recordable incident at their Augusta, Kentucky facility. As part of the employee incentive to reach this aggressive goal, a few managers were willing to sacrifice a bit of their personal pride by offering to shave their heads - all for a good cause.

Initially, Plant Manager Brian Blackford received a shearing from his employees after his plant achieved a perfect safety record for a six-month period. "We take safety very seriously here at Clopay," said Blackford. "We were achieving outstanding results from our plant safety training program and were approaching six months without a recorded accident. That's when I decided to offer an extra incentive for a perfect record."

Blackford's encouragement was to allow his employees to shave his head if they achieved a perfect safety record for a six-month period. To make the event even more fun, he decided to auction off to his employees the privilege of defoliating him. Proceeds from the event went to Clopay's Bracken County Relay for Life Team fund-raising efforts.

Blackford continued to shave his head as a reminder to employees that the overall goal was to achieve a perfect safety record for one full year. I had already lost my hair over this goal and now my challenge was to encourage them to complete the year accident-free. Two production managers, Mike Vanatsky and Steve Melton, stepped up to the challenge, offering to shave their heads based on meeting the one-year goal. The offer had a twist though, where company personnel "bid" their own money to either save each person's hair or cut it off.

On September 17, Clopay Augusta achieved the goal of a perfect safety record for a one-year period and both Vanatsky and Melton lost their hair. As a result of the overall bidding process, the Bracken County Relay for Life Team received over $3,000 from these events.

In an effort to say "well done" to everyone, Clopay's Augusta plant sponsored a dinner cruise in late September for all employees and their spouses aboard "The Queen" on the Ohio River. "We called it MAKING WAVES IN SAFETY," said Blackford, "and it was an evening to remember."

Clopay conducts extensive safety training at all their worldwide manufacturing facilities to protect their employees from injury. The program has also helped Clopay achieve an enviable record of nearly uninterrupted product production for their customers.

Brian Blackford being sheared. Brian Blackford shaving Steve Melton's head. Caption: l. to r. Mike Vanatsky, Brian Blackford, and Steve Melton

Clopay is a global leader in specialty films, extrusion coatings, and laminations, serving the hygienic, healthcare, protective apparel, and industrial markets. Clopay Plastic Products is a Griffon Company. For more information on the new Clopay R&D Technical Center, call 1-800-282-2260 or visit their new web site at www.clopayplastics.com.