1. S H A R I N G T H E S T O R I E S O F C H A M P I O N S S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
3 Elysburg Plant Starts Rolling 7 Walmart Delivers With Guardian 11 New Onboarding Initiative
AdvantEDGE Expands
with Some Love
The All-New Sahara
Be a Champion for
Our Vision, Values
3. 4
S P R I N G 2 0 1 6
Great Dane trailers are now rolling off the new pro-
duction line in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. The plant
began production of dry freight van trailers for our
valued customer, Walmart, in February and will
increase the production schedule through 2016 and
2017. A second shift will be added later this year.
The addition of this full-scale operation is expected
to improve the economic health of this rural area,
which includes the communities of Shamokin, Mount
Carmel, Paxinos and Elysburg. “The people trans-
ferred from the Danville Great Dane facility and
those recently hired have proved to be dedicated to
the success of the plant,” said Kim McCauley, HR
Manager, Danville/Elysburg. “In addition, this plant
further secures the market in the Northeast for Great
Dane and related product manufacturing.”
Border International
Opens New Mexico Facility
Great Dane dealership Border International Truck and Trailer Sales
recently opened a newly built facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The grand opening for the 55,000-square-foot sales, parts and service
facility took place March 11 and was attended by New Mexico
Governor Susan Martinez, Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima and
Great Dane representatives. “We currently have Great Dane dealer-
ships in El Paso, Texas, and a Great Dane authorized parts and service
dealer in Tucson, Arizona, and are looking to expand even further,”
said Emily K. Roof, Marketing Director at Border International. “Great
Dane has an enviable reputation, and we like to think we complement
that. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support from
our Great Dane representatives.”
Human trafficking — modern day slavery where people are bought and sold
for labor or sex — is a grim problem today. Around the world an estimated
20.9 million people are slaves, and human trafficking has been reported in all 50 of
the United States. Great Dane is proud to be a Gold Level sponsor in the Truckers
Against Trafficking Freedom Drivers Project. The Freedom Drivers Project is a mobile
exhibit to educate truck drivers and the general public about human trafficking and
steps that can be taken to stop it. Besides financial support, Great Dane will support
Truckers Against Trafficking with promotion on Great Dane social media sites. Dave
Gilliland, VP, National Accounts said, “I’m proud of Great Dane’s commitment to end
this horrible practice of human trafficking.”
ELYSBURG PLANT Starts Rolling
The Spark Sales Challenge,which ran from June
through December, gave awards to the branch, dealer and the sales rep
who sold the most flatbed units. Cheers to the top performers!
BRANCH DEALER SALES REP
Al Cox Great Dane of Utah Steve Strickland
Great Dane Atlanta Great Dane Atlanta
Sales of Great Dane flatbed trailers took a new direction this winter with the addition of
Crossroads Trailer as the first-ever dealer distribution center for flatbeds. Located in Albert
Lea, Minnesota, Crossroads Trailer is a 30-year-old company with a long history with
Great Dane, having sold Great Dane products since the late 1990s.
“Great Dane is a great organization to work with. Our customers see Great Dane as a
premium product built with an emphasis on providing the highest quality in the industry,”
said Mark Habben, President of Crossroads Trailer. “Now we can offer customers a wide
array of flatbeds to meet their immediate needs.”
Distributing Flatbeds Across
the Midwest and Farther
We all know the old say-
ing, tomorrow starts today.
At Great Dane we are committed to
a better tomorrow. We exist to champion the needs
of our customers by ensuring the safe and efficient
delivery of goods, and champion the needs of our
employees by creating a dynamic environment for
employee growth. It starts with great leadership —
for our customers and our team.
On Jan. 20 more than 70 Great Dane executives
attended an Executive Leadership Summit (ELS)
held in Savannah. With the theme of “Leadership
in Action,” the two-day meeting focused on the
challenges employees will face as the marketplace
changes. The leaders discussed topics such as why
Great Dane exists, core values, safety, our culture,
customer experience and company goals.
“The market continues to change, which is why it is
important for Great Dane employees to understand
and believe in why we exist and why we do what we
do,” said President Dean Engelage. “Employees and
customers are crucial to the belief that Great Dane is
a company that provides the products, services, and
business knowledge that allow our customers to take
their businesses further.”
Bruce Temkin of Temkin Group presented two edu-
cational sessions titled, “The Secret to Customer
Experience Success” and “The Path to Employee
Engagement.”
Safety was also a key topic, and Nick Spynda of
LSCI, an award-winning OSHA compliance firm,
conducted an educational session on “Making a
Safety Culture.” He focused on why safety matters
and why a safe workplace should be paramount to
any organization.
Who We Are: | Great Dane is the transportation solutions leader—delivering innova-
tive products and exceptional service that help our customers and employees succeed.
Why We Exist: | We champion the needs of our customers by ensuring the safe and
efficient delivery of goods, and champion the needs of our employees by creating a
dynamic environment for growth.
Our Vision: | Our vision is to be the champion for the transportation industry by putting
our leadership into action each and every day.
Our Values: | Safety, Leadership, Innovation, Integrity, Quality, Passion
“The market continues to change,
which is why it is important for
Great Dane employees to under-
stand and believe in why we exist
and why we do what we do.”
~ President Dean Engelage
COMPANY NEWS
TOMORROW STARTS TODAY.
TRUCKERS AGAINST TRAFFICKING
LEADERSHIP in
ACTION:
3
* Spark Sales Challenge 2016 *This year’s Spark Sales Challenge, which runs from January 1 - October 31,
will give even more awards. There are four challenge categories:
Freedom XP Freedom XP
MOST UNITS SOLD MOST NEW CUSTOMERS
Freedom SE & Freedom LT Freedom SE & Freedom LT
MOST UNITS SOLD MOST NEW CUSTOMERS
There will also be awards for top dealer location, top dealer salesperson,
top branch location and top branch salesperson.
“All of these winners should be proud of the accomplishments they
made in flatbed sales. Thanks to them and our dedicated sales force
and distributors, Great Dane continues to be THE flatbed company.”
~ Chris Hammond, EVP of Sales
4. Introduced at the annual Technology and Maintenance Council Meeting and
Transportation Technology Exhibition (TMC) in February in Nashville, Tennessee, this
all-new dry freight truck body excited our customers and the industry. Expanding our
product offering allows us to serve customers from the first mile to the last, by incorporat-
ing industry-leading trailer and truck body designs. The Sahara includes our exclusive body
tie-down system and is supported by the best aftermarket service and parts support
network program, Great Dane’s AdvantEDGE.
Built-in Design Quality
Traditional Great Dane engineering is leveraged into the Sahara truck body
design—and its lightweight design maximizes payload capacity. A key
feature is that the panels are riveted to the outside of the bottom rail to
prevent water intrusion. In addition, the design incorporations a mainte-
nance-free mounting system, which means there are no U-bolts.
More Great Features
The new Sahara features our exclusive body tie-down system; Grote
LongLife sealed harness with 10-year warranty; 24-in. pre-painted white
exterior composite plate with galvanized steel interior; EnduroGuard roll-
up door frame; grab handles at rear, curbside, and roadside for easy load-
ing and unloading; and a composite upper corner design with aluminum
corner connection for durability and ease of repair.
Aftermarket Support
Add to all these features the aftermarket support network through the
Great Dane AdvantEDGE program and the Sahara has no other competitor.
The all-new Sahara is available in 2 models, the CP (composite)
and the SE (sheet-and-post).
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
5
Advances in structural adhesive technology are changing the way
manufacturers are bonding metals. The new improvements provide
strong, yet durable bonds to aluminum allowing manufacturers to
replace mechanical fasteners from their assembly process.
Great Dane engineers have studied this technology in depth and
have recently implemented it on the shop floor starting with the new
“Sahara” dry freight truck body line. Tests are also being done to
evaluate it’s use in the Champion composite dry freight trailer.
There are many benefits to this process, including:
Automated wall assembly
Quieter installation than riveting
Smooth appearance for ease of decal application
Water tight seal helping to prevent leakage and corrosion
Structural Bonding in Dry Vans
Standard seams, rivets show
SEAM SEAM
Bonded seams, smooth appearance
Great Dane’s engineering and manufacturing teams have been hard at work to design and build
the industry’s best all-aluminum flatbed. And we are excited to show off this masterpiece at this
year’s Demo Days: Great Dane’s Freedom-XP Road Tour. Invite your customers to see for them-
selves as 12 FXPs plan to hit the road this spring. Locations and dates to be announced soon.
Contact Christopher Bronson, Trade Show & Events Manager
912-644-2100 • CBronson@greatdanetrailers.com for more information.
New FXP Hits the Road Soon
All-New Sahara
3 THINGS to Know About
Our All-New FXP Flatbed
Weight Conscious
Weighing-in under 9,000 lbs., the FXP is one of
the industry’s lightest all-aluminum flatbeds
Reliable & Durable
This flatbed is designed for strength and
durability while maximizing payload versatility
High Performance
Uniquely designed features to appeal to
customers’ needs
1
2
3
DRY FREIGHT TRUCK BODY DEBUTS
The all-new dry freight truck body is turning heads
6
ALL-ALUMINUM
WEIGHT CONSCIOUS | RELIABLE & DURABLE | HIGH PERFORMANCE
5. For the past several years, the truck
body engineering and sales teams
at Johnson Truck Bodies have
been working closely with Walmart to
understand their needs and design the right
multi-temp truck body to deliver groceries
and dry goods to its pick-up and delivery
customers. Last November, one of these
units was showcased at the International Association Ice Cream Distributors and Vendors
Convention in Las Vegas.
“We wanted to show this truck and demonstrate its multi-temp capabilities in extreme
conditions” says Eduardo Navarro, Account Executive and Director, Business Development.
Eduardo along with Dennis Peterson, New Truck Body Sales Manager for the West Coast,
coordinated with the ice cream exhibitors at the show to obtain, transport and donate four
pallets of ice cream to a number of local charities, including a local women’s shelter, a
food kitchen, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition to successfully deliv-
ering ice cream to these worthy causes, the ice cream deliveries with the Walmart truck
demonstrated how critical it is for food distributors to spec the right refrigerated truck body
or trailer for their specific refrigerated needs. This is yet another instance of the truck body
team “delivering” on its promise.
Great Dane employees know how to innovate. After
eight months of hard work, three Great Dane 2015
Innovation Challenge Teams presented their chal-
lenge solutions to the Innovation Advisory Board,
and it was a success!
Each team of employees was given a challenge last
June, then they worked relentlessly to tackle some
of Great Dane's most pressing areas in need of inno-
vation. On top of their day-to-day roles, teams went
above and beyond their everyday responsibilities. In
their "spare" time, team members traveled to plants,
conducted surveys, assessed processes, attended
training and collaborated on solutions.
"The innovation challenge teams put in a lot of hard
work, and their feedback on how to improve our
company is incredibly valuable," said Rick Mullininx,
EVP of Engineering and a member of the advisory
board. "I look forward to hearing more great ideas
from employees across the company as we empower
every employee to suggest ways we can innovate."
Challenge Team 1
Designed a new cost-effective and manufacturing-
friendly rear door that is thermally efficient and
ergonomic by changing the door hardware and other
features, which are now easier to build and operate.
Team Members:
• Dan McCormack
Director, Product Design, Savannah
• Laura Roan-Hays
Regional Sales Manager, Florida
• SD Jung
Director, Custom Design & Product, Savannah
• Art Hobbs
Branch Service Operations Manager, Savannah
• Ryan Dawson
General Foreman, Brazil
• Sam Osten
President, Impact Guard, Leetsdale
• Roman Fernandez
Director, GDPS, Statesboro
• Brad Windy
Design Engineer II, Savannah
Challenge Team 2
Created an online portal to enable our customers
to access information about their Great Dane
products such as sales, equipment, parts, service
and warranty.
Team Members:
• Barry Mitchell
Director, Customer Service & Warranty, Savannah
• Matt Evans
Dealer Sales Support, Savannah
• Matt Hauser
PDC Operations Manager, Terre Haute PDC
• Joey Dyer
Director, Enterprise Architecture, Savannah
• Jennifer Frady
PLM Engineer III, Savannah
• Rick Schwarz
Marketing Specialist, Savannah
Challenge Team 3
Supported the “ideation” and “creation” phases of
“whiteboard” idea challenges at all of our factories.
Team Members:
• Mark Spain
CATIA Engineer III, Huntsville
• Bruce Bradford
Production Supervisor, Statesboro
• Michelle Herndon
Quality Control Manager, Statesboro
• Tim Meyer
Design Engineer II, Savannah
• Jacob Kehl
Design Engineer II, Savannah
• Matthew Gunzburger
Test Engineer III, Savannah
• Roger Niemann
Corporate Quality Assurance Auditor, Wayne
Innovation Challenge Teams Present Solutions
GreatDaneandWalmart
DELIVER
Continuing a proud tradition of service to the
United States, Great Dane was recently enlisted
by the Army to test a Multi-Temperature
Refrigerated Container System (MTRCS).
MTRCS are used to feed soldiers on the field,
and must be able to transport frozen and chilled
semi-perishable rations. “The Army wanted to
know the thermal performance of the box with-
out running the cooling unit,” said Jay Nelson,
Testing Manager, Research & Development.
“This was a good test for our engineers, as we
did a full review of our thermal testing program.”
While this may be the first time Great Dane has
tested anything for the Army, it is not the first
time Great Dane has served its country. In WWII
Great Dane provided 12,000 trailers and also
received the Army “E for Excellence” award five
times for products used during that war. “For me,
doing this test for the Army was a source of
pride for contributing to our military effort,”
Nelson added.
GREAT DANE
ENLISTED BY ARMY
Great Dane’s innovative use of 3D modeling on the shop
floors in Brazil, Danville, and Statesboro continues to be a
topic at the COE (formerly the CATIA Operators Exchange)
PLM Experience and TechniFair conference. COE is a confer-
ence for users of CATIA and SmarTeam to collaborate on
projects and better ways to use the software. PLM
Engineering Administrator Jennifer Frady made a presenta-
tion about Great Dane’s work with 3D modeling at last year’s
conference, and has been invited back this year to provide
an update, proving once again that Great Dane is at the fore-
front of adopting new technologies.
Great Dane 3D Modeling
Featured at COE Conference
INNOVATIONS
Walmart expands its home delivery with the composite “Guardian” line
7 8
6. 10
Have you visited Grove Point Plantation lately? Grove Point Plantation is
Great Dane’s historic marsh-front property in Georgia exclusively available to
entertain customers. The plantation has undergone a transformation over the
past year, including the addition of a new property management team led by
Heather and Tim Filgate.
Royal Truck and Trailer CEO Carl Bumgardner and his family recently checked
out this gem of a property. “The food was better than that found in many five
star restaurants, and the interior, grounds and cottages were delightful and
inviting,” Carl said. “Heather and Tim have really made the place blossom
and it makes you wish you were staying there.” Carl plans to return with
customers. “I’m looking forward to going back,” he said.
Now is the perfect time to plan your next customer visit! Branch and dealer
sales representatives can find more information on CONNECT (click Marketing
on the top navigation), at www.grovepointplantation.com, or by contacting
Heather Filgate, heather@grovepointplantation.com, 912-665-3754.
Grove Point Plantation Blossoms
The new action-driven Let’s Go advertising campaign was unveiled at
the TMC Annual Meeting & Exhibition in March. Let’s Go is a positive,
actionable promise — the promise being that Great Dane is the compa-
ny that brings you the products, services and business knowledge you
need to take your business further. “This ad campaign is all about posi-
tivity and a ‘can do’ attitude,” said Cyndi Rogers, Director of Marketing
Communications. The Let’s Go message will be incorporated in all exter-
nal and internal communications, including digital and print advertising.
“Let’s Go” Ad Campaign Begins
Great Dane is strengthening its Emergency Road Service (ERS) offering
by partnering with Love’s Travel Stops to provide roadside assistance to
AdantEDGE members. Tony Neven, Aftermarket Service Manager, said,
“With the addition of Love’s Travel Stops’ vast network of locations,
Great Dane AdvantEDGE now has over 500 mobile service trucks in over
350 locations nationwide to service our fleet customers.” Randy Gosson,
National Accounts Sales Manager, added, “Great Dane has chosen to
partner with Love’s Travel Stops because of its high integrity for quality
and customer service, as well as its locations matching our fleet
customers’ shipping lanes.”
Expanding ERS With Some Love
Arnold Transportation
(DBA Parker Transport)
D & N Leasing, Inc.
Experior Transport
OM Trading, Inc.
(DBA OM Produce)
Tansco/McLane
Schneider National
New AdvantEDGE Enrollees
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Central Freight Lines, Inc.
A famous soccer player and a live jazz band were
some of the major attractions at the last 2015
Road Tour stop in Monterrey, Mexico, thanks to
the hard work of representatives from Great
Dane’s Mexican dealer Zapata and 10 suppliers.
More than 100 people came to see some of Great
Dane’s latest equipment, including the innovative
ETL reefer, the redesigned, all-aluminum Freedom
XP flatbed, and the Champion CP dry freight van.
Soccer great Hugo Ayala from Tigres UANL stole
the show with his fancy footwork, helping Great
Dane meet its “goal” of celebrating its partner-
ship with customers, suppliers and dealers. “This
was a wonderful way to finish Great Dane’s first
international Road Tour,” said Chris Hammond,
EVP of Sales. “The Road Tour allowed our prod-
ucts and management teams to meet with cus-
tomers and sales forces in areas across the U.S.
and in Mexico and Canada. The turnout was
tremendous, making the Road Tour a huge success.”
Customer relations was the order of the day at the International Food
Distribution Association Conference held Oct. 27-29 in Phoenix, where Great
Dane and Johnson Truck Bodies representatives met with valued customers.
“We have attended IFDA for a number of years and enjoy reconnecting with
great customers as well as meeting new folks,” said Chris Hammond, EVP of
Sales. “This year’s show was one of our best because of the hard work of our
great team.”
The booth showcased specially configured foodservice equipment, including a
multi-temp Everest CL refrigerated trailer, as well as Guardian and Alpine Series
refrigerated truck bodies. A special thank you to all Statesboro, Brazil and Rice
Lake plant employees who helped make this show a success.
Serving Customers at IFDA
*SAVE THE DATE » May 12-14
N A S H V I L L E , T N
INDUSTRY EVENTS
Mexico Road Tour Celebrates Partnerships
Aftermarket Parts and
Service Conference:
Great Dane continues its support for Women In
Trucking (WIT) as a Gold Level Partner. WIT’s mission
is to encourage the employment of women in the
trucking industry, promote their accomplishments,
and minimize obstacles faced by women working in
the trucking industry.
Because of Great Dane's commitment to WIT's
mission, it is offering a membership to the first 36
Great Dane female employees interested in joining
this worthwhile organization.
Email kweber@greatdanetrailers.com to inquire
about your membership.
Become a Member of
Women In Trucking Today
9
EXPO TRANSPORTE
Last November Great Dane exhibited an 80,000
GVWR, high base rail composite dry freight trailer
at the Expo Transporte show in Guadalajara, Mexico.
This trailer was manufactured in Jonesboro, Arkansas,
and built specifically for the Mexican market.
Expo Transporte is the largest transportation show
in Mexico and Corporacion Zapata, Great Dane’s
dealer for Mexico, once again hosted a large event
featuring a full-blown lunch and show for almost
1,000 attendees. “Expo Transporte is a unique
opportunity for Great Dane to show customers we
have a growing presence in this important market,”
said John Schmidt, Dealer Sales Director
for Latin America.
Great Dane employees with special guest Terry Bradshaw.
Supported by
7. Building quality products is key to our success. Our plants hire new employ-
ees to respond to the demands for more trailers and truck bodies. Soon new
hires will benefit from Great Dane’s onboarding initiative.
The program will begin with a week-long orientation to introduce and educate
new employees about Great Dane and its products, as well as allow them to
participate in e-learning applications with assessments, view more than 45 tool
training videos, play part in our gamification fun, and get in-depth, hands-on
training. New hires will also work one-on-one or in small groups with a dedicat-
ed mentor who will help them develop their knowledge and tool-and-process
skills until they are qualified for their job. This program will properly train all
new hires to ensure we are safely building the highest quality trailers.
“Hiring and engaging the right employees is crucial if Great Dane is to continue
to thrive,” said Brandi Roberge, Talent Engagement Specialist. “The Great Dane
onboarding initiative will help us do exactly that.”
After months of research and feedback from VPs to shop floor employees, and
through a recent whiteboard idea generation challenge, Great Dane determined
the need for a formalized training program. This onboarding initiative will kick
off this spring in Terre Haute as the pilot location. “We are excited to be the
pilot location for this initiative,” said Charles Bates, Human Resources Manager,
Terre Haute. “This program will positively change the onboarding experience for
all of our future employees.”
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Bo Adkins
Bo Adkins has joined Great Dane
as a Regional Sales Manager
handling the Springdale,
Arkansas, Little Rock, Arkansas,
and Memphis, Tennessee, areas.
Adkins grew up in a Great Dane
family. His father Chris Adkins
was a former Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Prior to Great Dane, Adkins worked at Adkins
International Trailer Inc. “I’m very excited to be a part
of Great Dane and am thankful for this opportunity,”
Adkins remarked.
Mark DeBella
Mark DeBella has joined the
Aftermarket sales team as
Regional Sales Manager cover-
ing the western region. DeBella
has more than 12 years of experi-
ence in the transportation indus-
try and was most recently a
Senior Regional Sales Manager for Truck-Lite. “We
are pleased to have Mark as an addition to our
team,” said Dave Higbee, Aftermarket Parts Sales
Manager. “I’m certain that with his experience he
will be a great addition to our group.”
NEW HIRES
Mayo Rude
Mayo Rude has been named
Director of Truck Bodies, report-
ing to Chris Hammond, EVP of
Sales. Rude has been with
Johnson Truck Bodies for 10
years and in this position will
head up the sales effort for
Great Dane’s truck bodies. “My sales staff has a lot
of veterans from Johnson Truck Bodies, so I look for-
ward to leveraging their expertise with new prod-
ucts,” Rude said. Hammond added, “Mayo has had
years of experience leading Johnson Truck Bodies’
sales force, so it is a natural fit for him to take the
truck body division of Great Dane to the next level.”
Omar Abbed
Omar Abbed has been promoted
to Regional Sales Manager, over-
seeing the Indianapolis, Indiana,
and Bolingbrook, Illinois, regions.
Abbed joined Great Dane in 2015
as a Branch Regional Operations
Manager and has over 16 years
of sales and operational leadership experience within
the transportation, staffing and automotive industry.
Brooke Reeve
You could say Brooke Reeve
has Great Dane in his blood.
Coming from a family with
multiple generations of
involvement in Great Dane,
Reeve worked for Great Dane
for almost 50 years, most
recently as a sale representative at the Atlanta
branch. “Working at Great Dane was all Brooke
wanted to do,” said Chris Hammond, EVP of
Sales. “His love for the company and its products
was obvious to his customers, and played a key
role in his success.”
John Paul Blankenbehler
John Paul Blankenbehler,
Fabrication Machine
Operator, retired at the
Kewanee plant in December
after 31 years of service.
Fabrication General Foreman
Al Salisbury said, “John
Paul’s attendance was exemplary. He was always
here and willing to try new things. He left us
every weekend saying “Don’t do anything I
wouldn’t do.”
Steve Brackett
Steve Brackett recently
retired as Materials Planner
in the Kewanee plant, after
21 years of service. “Steve
was the one everyone went
to when they had a question.
He was a true professional
and a dedicated family man who still found time
to play the occasional game of golf,” said Lynette
Lempke, Human Resource Manager, Kewanee.
“He was instrumental in organizing the Kewanee
Plant Golf Playday for 20 years, and somehow
always ended up on the winning team.”
PROMOTIONS RETIREMENTS
In January Mark Habben was named president of Crossroads Trailer, a Great Dane
dealer in Minnesota. Thirty years ago, Habben’s father was one of the founders
of Crossroads Trailer, and is the only remaining founder still active in the business.
Habben started “pushing a broom” at Crossroads Trailer in high school and has
worked there for many years, mostly in the sales department. “I’m honored and
thrilled to have an opportunity to grow and sustain the company I love,” Habben
said. “I think what makes Crossroads Trailer such a great place are the employees,
the customers and the suppliers like Great Dane.”
NEW CROSSROADS TRAILER PRESIDENT
JimSnyder (39 years Safety Supervisor) top left, TerryGiltz (40 years Trailer Spotter on yard) top right,
MarkParr (38 years Rework Specialist), RickPugh (39 years Quality Control Specialist and Welding
School Instructor). Photo taken on Eel River, Clay County, Indiana.
Circa 1978 | Decades of a Great Dane Pack
EMPLOYEE NEWS
11 12
As part of the new Great Dane onboarding initiative, some manufacturing
facilities are in the process of receiving a dedicated learning trailer
designed especially for hosting training meetings, orientations, and tools
training, which includes hands-on demonstration stations where new
hires can practice their tool skills.
LEARNING TRAILERS
NEW GREAT DANE ONBOARDING
Welcome to the Pack
Interactive
Online
Courses
Coming Soon
To meet Great Dane’s diverse train-
ing needs, the Training and Development department is creating interactive
online courses that will be included in the new Learning Management System
(LMS). These courses are designed to simulate hands-on work environments
and allow employees to interact with information in a way that enables and
encourages learning and skill development. “Our goal is to equip our employees
with the knowledge they need to succeed at Great Dane,” said Madelaine
Whalen, e-Learning Specialist. To learn more about the LMS or when these
courses will be available, please contact Madelaine Whalen by email at
MWhalen@greatdanetrailers.com.
Funny Characters. Serious Messages.
Meet Champ & Chump, the quintessential best and worst
employees. Follow these two lovable characters as they
navigate workplace situations. Check out how they
handle taking care of their tools in this cartoon.
Always remember, be a Champ!
CHAMP regularly returns his tools
when he finishes using them.
CHUMP selfishly hoards his tools and buries
them in the backyard at the end of the day.
8. Autism Speaks. Great Dane Listens.
April 2nd is Light It Up Blue Day, a day to shine light on understanding autism,
celebrating the unique talents and skills of people with autism, and bringing
attention to the needs of
people with autism. Since
last April, Great Dane
employees at the Danville
manufacturing plant have
joined with the local
Hampton Inn and the
Autism Speaks organization
to raise money for this pur-
pose. The fundraising is
spearheaded by Quality
Auditor Jeff Baranoski and
accounting’s Kim Strouse, each of who has been touched personally by autism.
Raffles and T-shirt sales helped Danville employees reach a goal of $1,500 in
contributions. When autism speaks, Great Dane employees listen. This year,
both Danville and Elysburg Plants will participate in Autism Awareness month.
We can’t wait to see this year’s results!
Stick it to Hunger Challenge:
12,500 Meals Raised
Terre Haute held its first “Stick it to Hunger” Food Drive in October. The 1st
Shift battled the 2nd/3rd Shifts to see who could donate more food to the Terre
Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank. The plant was able to raise 15,082 pounds
of food, which equals
12,500 meals for the
community.
Although the 1st Shift
eked out a win against
the 2nd/3rd shift, the
fact that the plant
exceeded its goal of
10,000 pounds of food
meant that all shifts
enjoyed the winning
prize of free pizza.
Kewanee Shows Families
A “Bouncing” Good Time
Kewanee employees and their families enjoyed bounce houses, a petting zoo, a
dunk tank and other fun activities at the Kewanee Family Fun Day on Aug. 1.
A cook-out lunch was served and plenty of candy, pop, popcorn and other
snacks were available throughout the day. “This is Great Dane’s way of thank-
ing employees for all their hard work,” said Lynette Lempke, Human Resource
Manager. “Everyone who came said they had a great day and are looking for-
ward to next summer’s event.”
Savannah Bridge Run
More than 100 Great Dane runners braved unseasonably cold weather and
donned specially made “Get Those Puppies Moving” T-shirts to take part in the
Savannah Bridge Run on Dec. 5. “It was a really cold morning, but the
event was a lot of fun! It was great to participate in the Savannah Bridge Run
with Great Dane co-workers from various departments,” said Katelyn Weber,
Marketing Support Specialist. Proceeds of the race benefit Lewis Cancer and
Research Pavilion at Saint Joseph’s/Candler.
Savannah
Shows Heart
Savannah employees once again
opened their hearts to put joy in
the hearts of others during the
annual Giving Tree collection in
December. More than 40 gifts and
a spa day for mom were donated
to a family of six facing difficult times
due to a child diagnosed with leukemia.
“It brings tears to my eyes and warms
my heart to work with such sweet, kind-
hearted giving people,” Jennifer Frady,
Giving Tree Coordinator and PLM
Engineering Administrator, said of her
fellow Great Dane employees.
Brazil on the BallBrazil employees kept their eyes on the ball
at two recent events.
Fall Golf Outing | About 75 employees and
family members enjoyed a day of golf on
Sept. 13. “The golf event is a wonderful
chance for employees to be able to interact
with fellow employees and enjoy some time
together in a non-work environment,” said
Caine Gardner, HR Clerk.
Bowling for Tots | “Despite the threat of a
power outage, attendees were able to enjoy
bowling, pizza and fun,” said Caine Gardner,
HR Clerk, of this Dec. 13 fundraising event.
More importantly, $11,500 was raised for
the local Toys for Tots Foundation.
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
IN THE PINK~
~AND GREEN
Pink and green were the colors of the day when 34 members of Team Great Dane participated in the 5K
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Oct. 10 in Little Rock, Arkansas. All team members sported special
green T-shirts made for the event, and some also wore pink wigs, shirts, and even a tutu! “Everyone had
a great time and the special team T-shirts got shout-outs from several of the announcers there,” said
Lorna Hazeslip, Sales Coordinator at North Little Rock. “We were especially pleased that we were joined
by 10-year breast cancer survivor Shirlee Johnson, mother of former employee Lisa Taylor.”
Thanks to the generosity of Great Dane
and the hard work of the Statesboro
plant, the Georgia Southern University
Eagles football team now has a new
53-foot equipment trailer. Great Dane,
which employs many GSU graduates,
was approached by the university in
mid 2014 because the football team
had outgrown their small truck body
and had no way to attend away games,
especially as far away as West Virginia,
Idaho, and Louisiana. Great Dane was
able to help by locating a 2011 model
year trailer at the test lab in Savannah
that was no longer being used. Once
transferred to Statesboro, factory
employees worked diligently to upgrade
the trailer with improvements such as
wall-to-wall diamondette aluminum
top floor and a hydraulic liftgate. Great
Dane also worked with its vendors to
obtain donations of other components.
Kevin Black, Plant Manager, said, “Our
journey is parallel to the GSU football
program in that we continue to build
and strengthen our dominance at
new levels.”
ON EAGLES’ WHEELS
The Hammond for Hope
Tournament Draws 250 Golfers
Few golf tournaments are so popular that they require the use of two golf
courses, but that was the case last September at the 31st Hammond for Hope
Foundation golf tournament. More than 250 golfers, including Great Dane
employees, suppliers and dealers participated in this fundraiser for the
Savannah Speech and Hearing’s Sound Start School. A dinner and silent auc-
tion took place at the Grove Point Plantation on Sept. 27, followed by the tour-
nament the next day at the Club at Savannah Harbor and the Savannah Golf
Club. Great Dane is proud to be part of this very worthwhile event.
13 14
Quenching a Need
The Savannah office joined forces with
Chemical South Transport to provide bottled
water and supplies to victims of the South
Carolina flood in October. Great Dane lent a
trailer to Chemical South Transport, and employ-
ees brought in water, while Chemical South
Transport donated supplies and delivered the
provisions. “This was a quick turnaround event
because we wanted the victims to have these
necessities as quickly as possible,” said
Michael Willis, Human Resource Generalist
Savannah/Retail. “As usual, Great Dane
employees delivered.”
9. The Ocala 11th Annual Driver Rodeo was held on
April 12 and the Riviera Beach 15th Annual Driver
Rodeo was held on April 26. Eddie Dominquez,
Miami sales representative, attended the Riviera
Beach rodeo and served as one of the judges.
CBI's Driver Safety Rodeo is an annual competition
where their drivers test their safety skills on an
obstacle course and compete for a chance to repre-
sent Cheney Brothers at the IFDA Truck Driving
Championship in the fall. “The drivers take the
rodeos very seriously but also have a great time,”
said Eddie. “There is a lot of entertainment that
keeps the crowd going and the food is awesome!
This is my ninth year going to rodeos and I always
enjoy them.”
The Ocala 11th Annual Driver Rodeo was held on
April 12 and the Riviera Beach 15th Annual Driver
Rodeo was held on April 26. Eddie Dominquez,
Miami sales representative, attended the Riviera
Beach rodeo and served as one of the judges.
CBI's Driver Safety Rodeo is an annual competition
where their drivers test their safety skills on an
obstacle course and compete for a chance to repre-
sent Cheney Brothers at the IFDA Truck Driving
Championship in the fall. “The drivers take the
rodeos very seriously but also have a great time,”
said Eddie. “There is a lot of entertainment that
keeps the crowd going and the food is awesome!
This is my ninth year going to rodeos and I always
enjoy them.”
The Ocala 11th Annual Driver Rodeo was held on
April 12 and the Riviera Beach 15th Annual Driver
Rodeo was held on April 26. Eddie Dominquez,
Miami sales representative, attended the Riviera
Beach rodeo and served as
one of the
judges.
CBI's Driver Safety Rodeo is an annual competition
where their drivers test their safety skills on an
obstacle course and compete for a chance to repre-
sent Cheney Brothers at the IFDA Truck Driving
Championship in the fall. “The drivers take the
rodeos very seriously but also have a great time,”
said Eddie. “There is a lot of entertainment that
keeps the crowd going and the food is awesome!
This is my ninth year going to rodeos and I always
enjoy them.”
The Ocala 11th Annual Driver Rodeo was held on
April 12 and the Riviera Beach 15th Annual Driver
Rodeo was held on April 26. Eddie Dominquez,
Miami sales representative, attended the Riviera
Beach rodeo and served as one of the judges.
CBI's Driver Safety Rodeo is an annual competition
where their drivers test their safety skills on an
obstacle course and compete for a chance to repre-
sent Cheney Brothers at the IFDA Truck Driving
Great Dane is pleased to offer scholarships to high school
seniors graduating in 2016 who are children of employees
with at least two years’ service, or employees of a
Great Dane Dealer.
Scholarships will be awarded in late summer 2016:
APPLY ONLINE:
Great Dane Employees:
www.surveymonkey.com/r/GDScholarship
Scholarships are awarded based on several categories, including grade
point average (GPA) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores or American
College Testing Program (ACT) scores.
APPLY BY EMAIL: Complete the application, save it and email to:
scholarships@greatdanetrailers.com
APPLY BY MAIL: Mail transcripts and test scores (SAT or ACT) to:
Great Dane • Attention: Scholarships Committee • Human Resources Department •
222 N. LaSalle Street Suite #920 • Chicago, IL 60601
Healthy You is Great Dane's wellness program, which is designed to support
employees and their spouses in developing healthy habits for a lifetime.
It’s free, confidential and makes it easy to work toward better health while
earning rewards.
5 REASONS you should take advantage of this program:
GET SUPPORT and help others through Healthy You’s social
website. Make connections, join teams, challenge others and
share goals.
ACCESS ASSESSMENTS, trackers and other tools
through your computer, smart phone or tablet.
PARTICIPATE IN WELLNESS ACTIVITIES that help you learn
about your current health and encourage you to become more
conscious of lifestyle choices that affect your health.
USE THE PIN-PROTECTED “My Health” TOOL
to track and manage all health information
in one confidential place.
CASH REWARDS! Improving your health is a great
reward in itself, but incentives can help
to motivate and make the journey more fun.
Earn money in your Health Savings Account
or Wellness Account or spend it as you
like in the Rewards Mall.
Save Money with Healthy You
Get Social. Have Fun. Get Healthy. Live Well.
1
2
3
4
5
Get started today! https://cci.healthper.com
Your login will be the last four digits of your Social Security number and the first
letter of your first name and the first four letters of your last name. For example,
John Smith’s login, if his Social Security number is 123-45-6789, would be
6789JSMIT.
Your initial password will be your birth date in MMDDYYYY format. You will be
prompted to change your password when you log in for the first time. You will
also be prompted to provide an email address.
(1)
4-YEARSCHOLARSHIP
$1,000PER YEAR
(3)
2-YEARSCHOLARSHIPS
$1,000PER YEAR
(3)
2-YEARSCHOLARSHIPS
$1,000PER YEAR
(3)
2-YEARSCHOLARSHIPS
$1,000PER YEAR
(2)
SCHOLARSHIPS
$1,000ONE-TIME AWARDS
(2)
SCHOLARSHIPS
$1,000ONE-TIME AWARDS
AND
Scholarships Available for 2016 Seniors
Dealer Employees:
www.surveymonkey.com/r/GDdealer
