Facility spotlight

Positive attitude, determination keys to Richardson's success

By Sue Nading

Photo of one of two Rockwell Collins facilities in Richardson, Texas

In 1999, the three buildings that once comprised the Rockwell Collins campus in Richardson, Texas, were consolidated into two, including the one pictured above. Today, thanks to an increase in business, senior leaders are once again looking to add space to the campus. Photo by Terry Graham

For employees at our Rockwell Collins Government Systems facility in Richardson, Texas, success in recent years has been about positive attitude and the determination to exceed expectations.

In 1999, after an economic downturn, the sale of a segment of the business and the reduction of more than half of its workforce, the three buildings that once comprised the Richardson campus were consolidated into two. Intent on not allowing those events to bring them down, Richardson employees joined together to "control their own destiny."

"It was a very challenging time," recalled Lori Siegelman, a senior facilities engineer who was one of the few people hired during that period. "But we all decided as a group that we needed to get to work because we had a job to do."

A vision of success

With the support of Greg Churchill, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Government Systems, Richardson employees embraced a vision of working together for sustained growth and a dedicated commitment to customer satisfaction. They continued designing, developing and manufacturing integrated communication systems and services for the United States government and its agencies.

"We needed to prove that the services and capabilities we provide in Richardson give our company and our customers value," said Kit Miller, operations director in Richardson. "We were determined to prove our contribution and set the stage for our future and, through our employees' efforts, I believe we did just that."

In fiscal year 2000, the Richardson facility achieved an impressive $87 million in sales, which was a dramatic increase over the previous fiscal year's $59 million in sales. This, along with other accomplishments, earned the Richardson operations team the annual Rockwell Collins Chairman's Team Award. The facility also received the National Safety Award, and was recognized by the Clean Texas Environmental Program for its environmental efforts within the community.

"Through multiple programs, such as KG-3X, GEMS, E-6, Scope Command, Global Air Traffic Management, Israeli VLF and ELINT Systems, our facility is able to provide an umbrella of services and products for our customers," said Miller. "We do not have one program that stands out from the others, because in Richardson it is about everyone pitching in and helping each other out."

Today, business in Richardson continues to increase through its support of some of the U.S. military's most important projects. During the past seven years, the number of employees has doubled to about 800, and senior leaders are once again looking to add space to the campus, which currently spans about 63 acres.

"Our ability to address our exponential growth over the past few years has been extremely gratifying," said Miller. "At the same time, we've managed to hire the highly-skilled and diverse workforce we need to help us maintain our competitive advantage."

New technology increases customer satisfaction

That desire to provide our customers with the latest products and services has led to the development of interactive aircraft displays and surveillance systems, automated flight controls and high frequency data networks.

"Our commitment to the armed services and its communication needs is one of our primary goals," said Miller. "One of the inroads to our continued future success is our new Performance and Architectural Collaboration Environment (PACE) laboratory."

According to Senior Engineering Manager Jackson Anderson, the PACE lab uses state-of-the-art modeling and simulation tools along with performance verification and analysis to evaluate strategic systems before they are introduced into the field.

"The central theme for the PACE lab and the overall work here is to ensure that the needs of the customer are understood and satisfied," said Anderson, who also is the director of the PACE lab. "Being able to enhance our ability to secure programs and successfully execute them through this resource and others is our primary goal."
With its behavioral modeling and simulation, paired with high-fidelity performance verification, the PACE lab provides more timely analysis and less risk than traditional design methods.

"As military and commercial systems become more complex, the need for a seamless design process and collaborative interaction between systems becomes more critical," said Anderson. "Along with the need for zero defects, the PACE lab provides customers with significant benefits."

Community contributions

Along with their job responsibilities, employees also are making significant contributions through volunteer programs. According to Siegelman, employees have embraced community outreach programs such as the K-12 Partnership Program, environmental improvements, and our company's annual Hands Across America United Way campaign.

The Richardson Helping Hands program also enables employees to provide monetary donations and services to colleagues and their extended family members during times of need.

"Our employees also have volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, and we've partnered with local schools and civic groups on a variety of projects," said Siegelman. "We also contribute to Goodwill."

One of the fastest-growing employment centers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Richardson is known for its cultural diversification and large number of high-tech industries. It also is known by most of the 100,000 people who call it home for its small town values.

"Even though we're in a major metropolitan area, the people of Richardson have small town values," said Lana Parker, an electrical and mechanical inspector in Richardson. "That not only means we value a hard day's work, but that we pull together to help each other out."

Sue Nading is a freelance writer.

Volume 12 Issue 1 > Facility spotlight
Volume 12 Issue 1 A look ahead at FY'07 Getting healthy while you work Investing in your future Finding the right people A plan in action From Clay Jones Letters to the editor Contributors in this issue Across our company Service anniversaries Retirees Facility spotlight		Facility spotlight Positive attitude, determination keys to Richardson's success By Sue Nading In 1999, the three buildings that once comprised the Rockwell Collins campus in Richardson, Texas, were consolidated into two, including the one pictured above. Today, thanks to an increase in business, senior leaders are once again looking to add space to the campus. Photo by Terry Graham For employees at our Rockwell Collins Government Systems facility in Richardson, Texas, success in recent years has been about positive attitude and the determination to exceed expectations. In 1999, after an economic downturn, the sale of a segment of the business and the reduction of more than half of its workforce, the three buildings that once comprised the Richardson campus were consolidated into two. Intent on not allowing those events to bring them down, Richardson employees joined together to "control their own destiny." "It was a very challenging time," recalled Lori Siegelman, a senior facilities engineer who was one of the few people hired during that period. "But we all decided as a group that we needed to get to work because we had a job to do." A vision of success With the support of Greg Churchill, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Government Systems, Richardson employees embraced a vision of working together for sustained growth and a dedicated commitment to customer satisfaction. They continued designing, developing and manufacturing integrated communication systems and services for the United States government and its agencies. "We needed to prove that the services and capabilities we provide in Richardson give our company and our customers value," said Kit Miller, operations director in Richardson. "We were determined to prove our contribution and set the stage for our future and, through our employees' efforts, I believe we did just that." In fiscal year 2000, the Richardson facility achieved an impressive $87 million in sales, which was a dramatic increase over the previous fiscal year's $59 million in sales. This, along with other accomplishments, earned the Richardson operations team the annual Rockwell Collins Chairman's Team Award. The facility also received the National Safety Award, and was recognized by the Clean Texas Environmental Program for its environmental efforts within the community. "Through multiple programs, such as KG-3X, GEMS, E-6, Scope Command, Global Air Traffic Management, Israeli VLF and ELINT Systems, our facility is able to provide an umbrella of services and products for our customers," said Miller. "We do not have one program that stands out from the others, because in Richardson it is about everyone pitching in and helping each other out." Today, business in Richardson continues to increase through its support of some of the U.S. military's most important projects. During the past seven years, the number of employees has doubled to about 800, and senior leaders are once again looking to add space to the campus, which currently spans about 63 acres. "Our ability to address our exponential growth over the past few years has been extremely gratifying," said Miller. "At the same time, we've managed to hire the highly-skilled and diverse workforce we need to help us maintain our competitive advantage." New technology increases customer satisfaction That desire to provide our customers with the latest products and services has led to the development of interactive aircraft displays and surveillance systems, automated flight controls and high frequency data networks. "Our commitment to the armed services and its communication needs is one of our primary goals," said Miller. "One of the inroads to our continued future success is our new Performance and Architectural Collaboration Environment (PACE) laboratory." According to Senior Engineering Manager Jackson Anderson, the PACE lab uses state-of-the-art modeling and simulation tools along with performance verification and analysis to evaluate strategic systems before they are introduced into the field. "The central theme for the PACE lab and the overall work here is to ensure that the needs of the customer are understood and satisfied," said Anderson, who also is the director of the PACE lab. "Being able to enhance our ability to secure programs and successfully execute them through this resource and others is our primary goal." With its behavioral modeling and simulation, paired with high-fidelity performance verification, the PACE lab provides more timely analysis and less risk than traditional design methods. "As military and commercial systems become more complex, the need for a seamless design process and collaborative interaction between systems becomes more critical," said Anderson. "Along with the need for zero defects, the PACE lab provides customers with significant benefits." Community contributions Along with their job responsibilities, employees also are making significant contributions through volunteer programs. According to Siegelman, employees have embraced community outreach programs such as the K-12 Partnership Program, environmental improvements, and our company's annual Hands Across America United Way campaign. The Richardson Helping Hands program also enables employees to provide monetary donations and services to colleagues and their extended family members during times of need. "Our employees also have volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, and we've partnered with local schools and civic groups on a variety of projects," said Siegelman. "We also contribute to Goodwill." One of the fastest-growing employment centers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Richardson is known for its cultural diversification and large number of high-tech industries. It also is known by most of the 100,000 people who call it home for its small town values. "Even though we're in a major metropolitan area, the people of Richardson have small town values," said Lana Parker, an electrical and mechanical inspector in Richardson. "That not only means we value a hard day's work, but that we pull together to help each other out." Sue Nading is a freelance writer.