With the focus on increased technology and continuous improvement, businesses aren’t usually looking to stay the same for a nine-year stretch. But, in this case, staying consistent is exactly what Fontaine Modification’s Williamstown, West Virginia, center was going for. On Feb. 1, the facility celebrated its 3,000th consecutive day without a lost-time incident, a streak that began the day the operation’s doors opened in 2009.
“Quality work begins with a safe working environment for our employees, which is why safety is the top priority at Fontaine,” said Chris Reynolds, general manager of Williamstown Modification Center. “Maintaining high standards and achieving this significant milestone is something we’re very proud of. As a whole, we’re a very close team that works together to ensure everyone can perform at their highest level, which translates into top customer service and satisfaction.”
The key safety practices in place at Williamstown include morning meetings that focus on a specific issue at-hand or a general safety practice, identifying a technician to serve as safety liaison and point of contact for any potential issues and relying on the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the employees to bring forward best practices. Standard equipment preventative maintenance, routine inspections and town hall safety meetings for facility general managers also are in place at Williamstown as well as Fontaine Modification’s six other modification centers across the United States.
The 15,000-square-foot Williamstown Modification Center features 12 truck bays. This location is focused on supporting Hino Trucks’ Williamstown assembly plant. Fontaine provides painting services, installs truck commodity products and performs wheel and tire swaps on Hino trucks. Harrison Dearth, Fontaine managing director overseeing the Williamstown Modification Center, credits the strong working relationship between the modification center and the Hino team for contributing to its successful safety streak.
“We appreciate Hino’s support and the opportunity to provide our services for their dealer group and fleet customers in a safe and effective manner,” he said. “We feel this has proven to be an incredibly viable business relationship that we look forward to continuing for another 3,000 days and beyond.”
