As you are all aware, last spring we had a pretty rough time dealing with the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) throughout our turkey operation. At the time of the spread, our employees, managers and leaders were all scrambling to try and put the pieces together. How did this get inside our barns? Is it airborne, or what is the method of transfer? And, arguably most important, how do we stop it? These were all very good questions and there were many conversations revolving around these questions.

A year later, some of you may be wondering a different set of questions. How is the industry doing now? Did the bird flu come back? What has the industry done to prevent what happened last year, to happen again?

The good news is, the turkey industry is rebounding and as of now the highly pathogenic avian influenza has not come back, knock on wood. In regards to what has been done to prevent last year’s disaster to happen again? The answer to that is that a lot has been done, especially on the biosecurity front. Whether that is installing Danish entries, educating the workers on disease control and how they play a part in it, or purchasing extra equipment so that equipment no longer moves between farms, I believe it is safe to say that farmers and workers in the industry have elevated their level of biosecurity as well as their awareness of disease control.

For more information, or if you are looking for more information on where we are now and how we are rebounding from last year’s events, take a look at the following articles.

State producers take pricey steps to prevent another $650 M disaster

New safety procedures to stop bird flu at farms

– Kristi Degree

Tom Ost Engagement

Tom Ost, Machinist at NTE, recently got engaged at the 2016 Boston Marathon.

Here is what happened from Tom’s perspective:

“I carried the ring in a small waist belt under my shirt that she was unaware of. The ring itself was in a small jewelry bag that I had tied shut as not to loose it if were to come out of the belt. When we were making the final turn on to Boylston street approaching the finish line I positioned my self so Tracy could not see exactly what I was doing when I was getting the ring out. She did see me reaching for something but thought it was a little late in the marathon to be eating an energy gel. I was a little worried about getting the ring out and dropping it while I was running.

When we crossed the finish line we held our hands together in the air, which allowed me to stop us just after the finish line and propose. Immediately there were news cameras and photographers all around us capturing the moment. After I proposed, she said yes. I got up and we started walking. We didn’t make it to far before a reporter from Runners World Magazine stopped us for a quick interview and photo.
There was 12 of us from the Kandiyohi county area that ran. This was Tracy’s second Boston marathon and my third. We are thinking of having a fall wedding this year.”

Congratulations Tom!

i3 MTC Youth Science Retreat 2016

A few weeks ago the MinnWest Technology Campus was bustling with kids, rockets, robots and explosions. The 2016 i3@MTC Youth Science Retreat was held in and out of the Life Center building and is a science event for students in fourth grade through high school that blends the love for science, technology, engineering and math. Below are a couple of pictures during the weekend. There was demonstrations on egg candling, robots, rockets and “The Amazing Chemistry Show” – an educationally entertaining stage production filled with explosions, colored foam, and liquid nitrogen.

Fork Lift Operator Training

“Last week, we held forklift operator training at the Aurora Hatchery conducted by our Certified Trainer, Brett Perch. All personnel required to drive the forklift for routine job tasks completed this 2 part session including a classroom assignment and practical training, which lasted the better half of the day. Congratulations to everyone who attended and a great job well done.

P.S They all passed with flying colors! :)”

– Andrew Hood

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HR/Employee Services

The Human Resources/Employee Services Team specializes in benefits and payroll, compliance and policy, employee relations, ag-recruiting, legal compliance, and company & employee overall well-being. We are located on the first floor of Life-Science Innovations on the MinnWest campus at 1800 Technology Drive. We look forward to working with you!

Please message us via email at employee.services@life-scienceinnovations.com or give us a call at

320.222.9515 or 888.320.9750 extension 2515

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Recruiting Corner

I cannot reiterate and thank you enough for your referrals!  As a reminder, our employee referral bonus is $250 and rewarded to you after six months of successful service. Our website is updated on a weekly basis, so please encourage your referrals to apply online to a specific opening at http://life-scienceinnovations.com/employment/ 

You are welcome to message me personally at michelle.falling@life-scienceinnovations.com | or just give me a call at O: (320) 222-9790  M: (320) 441-8596.  Thanks for trusting me to help you through the recruiting process!

– Michelle Falling, MN Affiliates Recruiting Specialist

 

Openings

Current status of all organizational openings.

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Welcome New Employees

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Turkey Recipes & Tips!

 Taco Stuffed Summer Squash Boats 

Ground turkey floating around with some cheese and veggies in a squash boat, sounds like fun!

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Employee Count

As of 05/16/16 we have 1720 employees