Across our company

Photo by Sharon Zeimet, Bellevue, Iowa
Time well spent — Rockwell Collins employees in Bellevue spent time recently with Airbus representatives Gilles Willems and Lionel Loudet. Pictured are: (front, from left) Jo Barnes, Margaret Wilhelm, Aimee Richard, Gilles Willems, Lionel Loudet, Shanell Langston, and Phyllis Blech; (back, from left) Jerry Litterer, Bill Ritter, Claude Eyssautier, Eddie Chu, and Matt Wedeking.

Airbus personnel from Toulouse, France, recently spent a day at Rockwell Collins in Bellevue, Iowa, meeting with employees, reviewing the facility, and verifying compliance with regulations and requirements.

Gilles Willems and Lionel Loudet conducted an Industrial Process Control Assessment (IPCA) on the AFDX 3800 top-level unit. Willems is a procurement quality and supply chain avionics development engineer at Airbus, and Loudet is a communications system technology network engineer.

The duo — from one of the world's leading aircraft manufacturers — evaluated manufacturing conformity and quality by walking through processes, evaluating supplier quality, reviewing work instructions and checking revisions.

An ongoing process, these assessments provide Airbus an opportunity to examine our processes and determine whether there are any areas not robust enough.

"They also look at our quality procedures, value stream maps, possible trends, obsolete parts, eView (work instructions), design issues, and risk assessment," said Jo Barnes, senior quality assurance engineer for the AFDX 3800 unit. "They essentially look at everything we do.

"The AFDX 3800 top-level unit is used on the A380, A400M and A350 Airbus aircraft," continued Barnes. "Airbus is an important customer for Rockwell Collins and for our facility in Bellevue. We are pleased that the representatives were satisfied with the assessment results."

Rockwell Collins employees at our production facility in Bellevue, Iowa, took advantage of an opportunity to leave work early recently when they traveled to nearby Maquoketa to help celebrate the plant's 20th anniversary.

Several facility accomplishments - 100 percent customer acceptance rate and 100 percent on-time delivery rate in FY'08 - were highlighted at the event. Lunch, music, a video and presentation celebrating those with service anniversaries this year also provided an opportunity for employees to reminisce.

"We had two employees share stories remembering past experiences in the workplace, and it was hilarious," said Aimee Richard, plant manager at Bellevue. "They did such a great job, and you could tell everyone really enjoyed that portion of the afternoon."

In addition, special recognition was given to employees who have been working at our Bellevue facility since it opened on June 6, 1988. Of the four original classes of 10 operators trained to work at the location, 26 are still working.

The celebration continued on Sunday, June 8, when family and friends were invited to tour the facility during an open house. Teams created displays showing the equipment they produce, and presentations on different experiments also were given throughout the afternoon.

According to Richard, about 250 people toured the facility during the open house. For some employees, this was the first chance they had to explain to family and friends what their work entails.

"I think it was very enjoyable - especially for the children - who were able to see where Mom and Dad sit at work and learn more about what they do," she concluded.

Photo by Phyllis Blech, Bellevue, Iowa
A worthy cause - Kim Rolling packed her luggage for a week-long stay in Naples, Fla. A production operator at Rockwell Collins in Bellevue, Iowa, Rolling won the trip as part of a fundraiser for colleague Barb Gebhart, who lost her battle with cancer on June 7.

When Barb Gebhart was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer earlier this year, she knew she could count on her Rockwell Collins colleagues to rally around her.

But, the funds raised in her honor weren't enough to keep the disease from running rampant, and Gebhart, a production operator at our facility in Bellevue, Iowa, lost her fight on June 7.

Still, Gebhart's daughter, Angie, a production operator in the Transmitter Receiver (TTR) area at our facility in Bellevue, is extremely grateful for the efforts her colleagues put forth in organizing a raffle and auction to help raise money to defray medical expenses.

Employees donated everything from handmade doilies to gift baskets and gas cards. In addition, several local businesses participated in the fundraiser, including one that donated a week-long stay in Naples, Fla., which was valued at about $1,800.

"The trip was what everybody wanted," said Shelley Hermiston, a Value Stream Facilitator in Bellevue. "But the value of the packages didn't matter; it was all about supporting Barb."

In the end, $3,628 was raised to assist with Gebhart's medical costs, and although her mom has since passed, Angie Gebhart is still thankful for the support from those around her.

"This is a very close-knit community," she said. "Our family really appreciates everything."

Record snowfall across the state of Iowa left many residents with a severe case of the winter blahs. Therefore, Rockwell Collins facilitators in Bellevue, Iowa, set out to lift the spirits of their fellow employees by bringing a touch of the Hawaiian Islands to the Midwest plant.

Photo by Margaret Wilhelm, Bellevue, Iowa
A touch of Hawaii - Rockwell Collins employees Julie Bradley (left) and Shelley Hermiston were two of several facilitators in Bellevue who helped lift the spirits of their colleagues by bringing a touch of Hawaii to the Midwest. The Hawaiian celebration took place following the long Iowa winter.

"It was a long winter, and it was really hard on all of our employees," said Phyllis Blech, industrial engineering technician in Bellevue. "Our staff wanted to do something to help improve everyone's morale, so we surprised employees in early March with a Hawaiian-themed day at work."

Plant facilitators even managed to surprise those who arrive on the job before the sun comes up - at 4:45 a.m.

"They loved seeing us here so early," said Shelley Hermiston, a Value Stream facilitator in Bellevue. "It was like, 'now you know what it's like to be here this early,' and they really appreciated it."

Greeters dressed in Hawaiian attire welcomed employees as they arrived at work, and island music played throughout the day to help keep spirits high. Non-alcoholic frozen drinks were served during breaks, and employees enjoyed a Limbo contest in the afternoon.

Employees also were permitted to wear Hawaiian-style shirts throughout the work week.