Turner Machine Leading U.S. Manufacturing Industry In Employee Satisfaction

"We're really encouraged when over 90 percent
of our employees say they feel loyal to the team
and want to still be working here in a year."

New survey results show company’s culture leads to more fulfilled workers 

SMYRNA, TENN. (PRWEB) MARCH 16, 2015

Turner Machine, a custom machine builder and machine shop, today announced the results of its participation in the “Best Place To Work” survey managed by Quantum Workplace, the leading national authority on employee engagement. Across the board, the company scored higher than the industry average in employee engagement, but especially excelled in categories such as job and company satisfaction, personal development and growth.

The survey’s numbers reveal that 93 percent of the company’s employees are satisfied with their jobs, which is 19 percent higher than the average satisfaction rate of the 13,166 manufacturing companies surveyed, and 10 percent above the average of the 7,942 medium-sized companies in the survey.

Turner Machine consistently scored higher than the manufacturing industry average by the following percentages in the categories below:

• Teamwork: +11.6% 
• Retention Risk: +7.8% 
• Alignment with Goals: + 9.8% 
• Trust with Coworkers: +9.4% 
• Individual Contribution: +12.5% 
• Manager Effectiveness: +6.7% 
• Trust in Leaders: +10.0% 
• Feeling Valued: +16.6% 

Such success is indicative of the company’s relentless pursuit of a family-like company culture.

“Culture is everything here at Turner Machine,” said Jeff Turner, founder and CEO. “We make it a priority to invest in our employees both personally and professionally. While there is always room for improvement, we’re really encouraged when over 90 percent of our employees say they feel loyal to the team and want to still be working here in a year.”

In the comment section of the survey, several employees echoed the sentiment that the company’s culture is what sets it apart from other employers and is a strong factor in their satisfaction with their jobs and the company.

Turner Machine fosters company culture through several initiatives, including the “Best First Day Ever,” company picnics, meetings to set overall goals, financial planning programs, and guest speakers with expertise in personal and professional development.

 ###

 Turner Machine Company, Inc. is a full-service machine shop that specializes in building custom machines. The company, founded by Jeff Turner, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November. Currently, Turner Machine employs around 50 people. It is located 15 miles southeast of Nashville, Tenn., in Smyrna. For more information about Turner Machine Company, visit http://www.turnermc.com/.

Source article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/03/prweb12584239.htm

Turner Machine Awards Employees With Tickets to Nashville Sounds Home Opener This Weekend

Part of a prize for quarter-long contest

SMYRNA,TENN. (PRWEB)
APRIL 16, 2015

"We believe the better you know yourself, the better
you can communicate with colleagues and customers
and that leads to a better workplace."

Capping off a quarter-long contest among employees, Turner Machine, a Middle Tennessee custom machine builder and machine shop, awarded the winning team with tickets to the Nashville Sounds home opener next weekend, including a rented club suite and buffet.
The contest was based on Turner Machine’s Q1 theme of “Who Are You?,” where all employees learned about DiSC personality profiles, including their own and that of their colleagues. The DiSC personality profile, widely used in business, describes someone’s personality as an unequal combination of four personalities types: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness. Knowledge of someone’s DiSC profiles can make it easier to communicate and work with that person.

The first month of the quarter was spent learning about the behavior assessment tool, why it’s important and the characteristics of the four behavior traits. Then, the employees were split into four teams with a mix of DiSC profiles in each. They competed against each other in contests, such as "name the employee profile" and "pin-the-tail on the profile," throughout the remainder of the quarter.

“Spending the quarter learning about DiSC profiles really helped us learn more about ourselves,” said Jeff Turner, CEO of Turner Machine. “We believe the better you know yourself, the better you can communicate with colleagues and customers and that leads to a better work place.”

Last week, the points were tallied with the red team being deemed the winner. Those employees will be allowed to bring a friend or spouse with them to the Nashville Sounds opener on Saturday, April 18th at the new First Tennessee Park located by Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.

Turner Machine plans to conduct on-going conversations about DiSC profiles throughout the year in an effort to continuously improve communication among employees and customers.

The DiSC Personality Profile is based on the work of renowned psychologist Dr. William Marston. Many companies have used the DiSC profile, which provides insight and understanding in how an individual communicates, as a way to help improve work productivity, teamwork and communication.

###

 Turner Machine Company, Inc. is a full-service machine shop that specializes in building custom machines. The company, founded by Jeff Turner, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November. Currently, Turner Machine employs around 50 people. It is located 15 miles southeast of Nashville, Tenn., in Smyrna. For more information about Turner Machine Company visit http://www.turnermc.com/ .

Source Article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/04/prweb12652518.htm

Turner Machine Leads Manufacturing Industry in Employing Retail Tool to Better Gauge Customer Satisfaction

Manufacturer celebrated newly released NPS results.

"We wanted to find a way to see how we measured up,
and hopefully this new data will give us an edge over the
competition when bidding for new jobs."

SMYRNA, TENN.
(PRWEB) APRIL 06, 2015

Turner Machine, a custom machine builder and machine shop, is leading the manufacturing industry in employing a business-to-consumer retail tool to a business to business industry. The Smyrna manufacturer implemented the Net Promoter Score (NPS) at the beginning of the year as a new way to benchmark customer satisfaction and loyalty.

“Our competitors range in size from smaller manufacturers, similar to us, to bigger industry leaders,” said Jeff Turner, CEO of Turner Machine. “We wanted to find a way to see how we measured up, and hopefully this new data will give us an edge over the competition when bidding for new jobs.”

Several globally recognized companies such as Google, Amazon and Southwest Airlines use NPS as a way measure how their customers view their performance. And according to Bain and Company analytics, companies with higher NPS, grow at more than twice the rate of its competitors.

To measure results, the Smyrna manufacturer provides customers with a two-question survey. The first question: How likely is it that you would recommend our company/product/ service to a friend or colleague? Customers respond on a 0-to-10 point rating scale and the numbers are broken down into the following categories:

• Promoters (score 9-10): loyal enthusiast who will supply repeat business and refer others, fueling growth 
• Passives (score 7-8): satisfied customers who could be swayed by competitors 
• Detractors (score 0-6): unhappy customers who could damage your brand through negative reviews and word-of-mouth 

The NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. Because scores can be as low as -100, a score above 0 is considered good, while a score of 50 or more is considered to be excellent. Some of the highest scoring companies in the nation are Apple at 70, Amazon at 69 and Southwest Airlines at 66. Turner Machine’s Q1 score was 63.

The second question in the survey: What is the primary reason for the score you just gave? Some of the responses included commitment to get quality work done in a timely manner, customer service, reliability, willingness to work with the customer and dependability. At least one customer, who gave a 10 rating, immediately followed up with a second purchase order. 

By employing NPS, Turner Machine is actively working to not only provide a quality product, but quality customer service, as well. The answers from the survey allow the team to identify their strengths and areas that need improvement. 

“For years we have struggled trying to find a benchmark for customer satisfaction,” said Turner. “Now that we have NPS, we can use those scores to continually improve and grow our company and hopefully, beat the competition.” 

Turner Machine will also use the data to present to potential customers during the bidding process to bolster its chance of securing jobs over the competition. 

### 

Turner Machine Company, Inc. is a full-service machine shop that specializes in building custom machines. The company, founded by Jeff Turner, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November. Currently, Turner Machine employs around 50 people. It is located 15 miles southeast of Nashville, Tenn., in Smyrna. For more information about Turner Machine Company visit http://www.turnermc.com/

Source Article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/04/prweb12626634.htm

Turner Machine Rolls Out First Module in Turner University Program

"I like to think of Turner University as the
 biscuit maker at Cracker Barrel."

First of eight learning courses for employees as part of company culture
Turner Machine, a custom machine shop and machine builder, rolled out its first of eight learning modules this week as part of its new “Turner University” learning program for its employees and new hires.

The first module is on Report Card program training, the software that tracks time spent on projects and their budgets. The module includes a six-minute video demonstration on how to use the software, as well as hands on training.

“When rolling out Turner University we thought it was important to start with Report Card training,” said Jeff Turner, CEO of Turner Machine. “Since our software underwent a major change, we believe it’s important to ensure all employees are trained on the new system first because it affects budgets and our bottom line.”


Until recently, the Smyrna manufacturer struggled with staying abreast of tracking the progression of projects in accordance with the budget. After hiring FocusPoint to fix multiple disjointed tracking programs, Turner Machine now has an effective method to keep track of time and money.

“Turner University” was developed as a way to fulfill one of the company’s core values: Passion to Build People. Having the staff participate in the same training ensures the company is aligned and that each employee receives the same orientation every time.

“I like to think of Turner University as the biscuit maker at Cracker Barrel. Each baker in each restaurant has the same recipe,” said Turner, “so no matter which location you visit, you will receive the same product. But, what if someone “tweaks” the recipe a bit? You may still get a good product, but it won’t be the same. Similarly, we want all Turner Machine employees to be on the same page. In doing so, not only will our company be more cohesive, but our customers will benefit from our united front.”

Seven other modules will be rolled out this quarter, including: Orientation, Employee Handbook, How of Wow, Huddle training, Align training, EEO Anti-Discrimination training and 30-60-90 Day Plans by Department. Turner Machine also plans to roll out department-specific classes later this year to better prepare an employee to be successful at his or her specific job.

###

Turner Machine Company, Inc. is a full-service machine shop that specializes in building custom machines. The company, founded by Jeff Turner, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November. Currently, Turner Machine employs around 50 people. It is located 15 miles southeast of Nashville, Tenn., in Smyrna. For more information about Turner Machine Company visit http://www.turnermc.com/


Source Article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/05/prweb12737384.htm

Turner Machine Unveils New Culture Initiatives To Support Women Employees

Attracting female talent to an understaffed industry Turner Machine, a custom machine builder and machine shop, recently unveiled two new company initiatives to specifically support the company’s women employees.

Among the initiatives are a new workout program and weekly ladies-only lunches championed by office manger, Joy Wildes. After all eight women employees chose health goals during the company’s last quarterly meeting, Wildes, along with Jeff Turner, CEO of Turner Machine, developed an exercise program.

In an industry facing a 2-million worker shortfall over the decade, according to new research from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, supporting women employees in the male-dominated machining industry is not just the right thing to do, it’s also one important way to help prepare for this coming dearth of qualified workers, Turner said.

“One of our top priorities at Turner Machine is to foster a great company culture—for everyone," said Turner. “Women are manufacturing's largest pool of untapped talent, so if we can appeal to potential female job candidates through initiatives like a fitness program, that makes us more competitive, and ultimately makes us a better company.”

The group meets two nights a week after work for an hour-long workout session. The women rotate between several fitness routines including cardio, abs and Pilates. So far, the group has lost a total of 30 pounds, which may not seem like a lot, but added to the inches lost and the amount of team building taking place, the ladies consider this a big win.

“Reaching your goals can be difficult without a support system, so that’s why we created the Turner fitness program,” said Wildes. “Being in a male-dominated industry, this program really gives the women a chance to bond, while also improving our health. And the best part is we have the support of all the men in the company, as well.”

The weekly ladies-only lunches provide an outlet to discuss important matters in a safe environment. These new women-focused initiatives are a part of Turner Machine’s larger push to develop a robust company culture so that it is successful in recruiting top talent during a time when it is hard to find.

While women represent nearly half (47 percent) of the total U.S. labor force, according to Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, they comprise less than a third of the manufacturing industry. Attracting more women to the industry could significantly reduce the skills gap.

###
Turner Machine Company, Inc. is a full-service machine shop that specializes in building custom machines. The company, founded by Jeff Turner, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November. Currently, Turner Machine employs around 50 people. It is located 15 miles southeast of Nashville, Tenn., in Smyrna. For more information about Turner Machine Company visit http://www.turnermc.com/

Source Link: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/05/prweb12697243.htm

Small Middle Tennessee Manufacturer Finds That Work With Global Manufacturer Leads To Something More Valuable Than Money

Turner Machine, a custom machine builder and machine shop, recently completed multiple projects for car manufacturing giant Toyota. As one of only three domestic manufacturers selected for the projects, Turner Machine designed and manufactured seven machines that will be used as part of the fender assembly process in three Toyota plants in San Antonio, Texas; Baja, California; and Georgetown, Kentucky.

Now, Turner Machine is employing the lessons learned from working with Toyota to better serve its other clients. Since conducting business with Toyota, Turner Machine has streamlined its project management through a new PowerPoint file system used to track and resolve issues that arise throughout the duration of the project. For example, if a problem emerged in the design phase, Turner Machine input the design in a PowerPoint along with notes and sent it to Toyota, who then responded using the same PowerPoint. Because it proved to be an exceedingly effective method for tracking and resolving issues, Turner Machine is now using the new system with other clients.

“Working with Toyota has been a great learning experience for the Turner team,” said Jonathan O’Neal, senior project manager at Turner Machine. “Using their standardized methods for project execution challenged us to examine our methods and procedures and see things from a different perspective. It’s a great example of how a small company can benefit from working with a large one, which goes beyond money.”

Because communication with Toyota was complicated at times due to multiple departments and chain of command, Turner Machine learned to be more proactive on the front-end of the process to reduce the likelihood of issues on the back-end. This not only saved time, but also money, since it is more expensive to make changes late in a project’s lifecycle.

Along similar lines, Turner Machine is also putting in place a new project specification system, similar to Toyota’s, in which clients will now supply the company with extremely detailed specifications and timing requirements at the onset of each project. Doing so will prevent loss of time, money and materials.

Among the feedback from Toyota, Turner Machine was praised for its facilities and in-house capabilities, as well as its hospitality and willingness to react swiftly to any issues that arose during the final stages of the projects.

Source Article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/03/prweb12601818.htm

Local Manufacturer to Participate in NCAA Athlete Internship Program

Turner Machine hires Vanderbilt football player as part of trial program 

"We understand the difficulty student-athletes face
trying to gain hands-on work experience, and are
thrilled to be able to provide a student
with that experience."

SMYRNA, TENN., (PRWEB) JUNE 11, 2015

In conjunction with a program designed to help student- athletes gain real-life work experience, Turner Machine, a Middle Tennessee custom machine builder and machine shop, has offered a Vanderbilt student-athlete a summer internship with the company. The program was developed by a Vanderbilt graduate to help student- athletes gain real-life work experience.

Gaining work experience can be difficult for student- athletes, who spend the majority of their high school and college years focused on athletics. Between sports and academics, few student- athletes have time for internships, making it difficult to find employment following graduation.

In response to this, Arnie Malham, founder of cj Advertising and Alan Young, former Vanderbilt defensive end and CEO of Armor Concepts LLC, worked to design a student- athlete internship program. Vanderbilt is currently the only university to participate in the program, which is in a trial period. About 60 companies have teamed up with the university to provide approximately 70 Vanderbilt athletes with an opportunity to participate in the six to eight week internship program.

At Turner Machine, the student, a Vanderbilt junior studying engineering science, will gain experience in all aspects of the business. He will work with the sales team on a custom automation project, attend design review meetings and learn about the engineering process by shadowing mechanical engineers.

“We're very excited to partner with Vanderbilt University and the NCAA for this internship program,” said Teresa Williams, inside sales coordinator at Turner Machine. “We understand the difficulty student- athletes face trying to gain hands-on work experience, and we are thrilled to be able to provide a student with that experience.”

While Turner Machine has worked with summer interns previously, the company has no formal internship program. It looks to develop a formalized program in the future and also hopes to continue its participation in the NCAA internship program.

 ###

 Turner Machine Company, Inc. is a full-service machine shop that specializes in building custom machines. The company, founded by Jeff Turner, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November. Currently, Turner Machine employs around 50 people. It is located 15 miles southeast of Nashville, Tenn., in Smyrna. For more information about Turner Machine Company visit http://www.turnermc.com/ .

Source link: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/06/prweb12780307.htm

Turner Machine Prepares for Open House On May 14 and 15

Manufacturer hires temporary staff to assist in preparations

SMYRNA, TENN., (PRWEB) MAY 11, 2015

Preparations are underway at Turner Machine, a custom machine builder and machine shop in Smyrna, Tennessee, for the company’s annual Open House this week.

In addition to cleaning and prepping the entire 144,000-square foot facility, the manufacturer has hired temporary staff members to help make 3,500 phone calls and mail 2,500 invitations to current, former and potential new customers. Turner Machine is even reaching out to prospective job candidates through social media and local technical colleges to invite them to the open house, as well.

The purpose of the event is to not only attract new customers and employees, but to also educate current and former clientele about Turner Machine’s capabilities.

“We've found that while people know we are a manufacturer, they don't always know all of our capabilities, and it is the range of our capabilities that sets us apart from the crowd,” said Jeff Turner, CEO of Turner Machine. “Some shops just build the parts for the machines and others build machines, but they require drawings from the customer. Here, we can do it all. If a customer brings us an idea, we can take it from concept to completion.”

During the open house, guests will be given a tour of the facility, an explanation of the manufacturer’s services and then served a lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers straight from the grill. Guests can also participate in drawings where four small drones will be given away. Also, a photographer will be available to take headshots.

“We are really looking forward to the open house,” said Joel Powers, Operations Manager at Turner Machine. “We didn't want it to be stuffy or too rigid, so we are going to fire up the grill for lunch, and we will also have our hot rod cars on display for guests to enjoy.”

At the end of the event, guests will receive a swag bag complete with a Turner Machine 20th anniversary mug, bumper stickers and pens.

The open house is May 14th and 15th from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

###

Turner Machine Company, Inc. is a full-service machine shop that specializes in building custom machines. The company, founded by Jeff Turner, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November. Currently, Turner Machine employs around 50 people. It is located 15 miles southeast of Nashville, Tenn., in Smyrna. For more information about Turner Machine Company visit http://www.turnermc.com/ .

Source article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/05/prweb12712704.htm

Planning Ahead: How Turner Machine is Preparing Future Generations For Opportunities In the Manufacturing Industry

Manufacturer meets with students in Mechatronics program
SMYRNA, TENN. (PRWEB) APRIL 24, 2015

"Right now, we are up against a skills gap that is
 not only hurting our business, but the industry
as a whole, so we started reaching out to schools
to vet potential talent and raise awareness
about our industry."

On Monday April 20th, Turner Machine, a custom machine builder and machine shop in Smyrna, Tennessee, hosted a field trip with the Mechatronics program at Oakland High School in Murfreesboro as a way to engage students in the manufacturing process.

The class, which includes both juniors and seniors, toured Turner Machine’s facility, learned about 3-D design software and observed how the individual machines they use in class come together to form a larger, more complex machine used in the professional world. After the tour, the students were treated to lunch before the company’s talent developer discussed how to apply to Turner Machine and the myriad of career paths within the company.

“Right now, we are up against a skills gap that is not only hurting our business, but the industry as a whole, so we started reaching out to schools to vet potential talent and raise awareness about our industry,” said Jeff Turner, CEO of Turner Machine. “It’s been great working with Oakland’s Mechatronics program because, in addition to helping them learn more about manufacturing, we’ve already had several students interested in a position with us.”

Before leaving Turner Machine, a handful of students completed a job application with the company and several others expressed interest in applying online.

By working with Oakland’s Mechatronics program, Turner Machine is actively working to combat two recent studies that could spell bad news for the manufacturing industry.

In a new report by the Manufacturing Institute in partnership with Deloitte, researchers found the United States will need to add nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs over the next 10 years, but 2 million of those jobs will go unfilled because of a skills shortage.

Further, a second survey finds that while the public would choose a manufacturing plant be built in their region over other employers, they were “unwilling to encourage their children to pursue careers in manufacturing.”

In an effort to beat such statistics, Turner Machine plans to make the Mechatronics class tour an annual event. Then, next Thursday, April 30th, the manufacturer will continue its recruiting efforts during a job fair at La Vergne High School.

###

 Turner Machine Company, Inc. is a full-service machine shop that specializes in building custom machines. The company, founded by Jeff Turner, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November. Currently, Turner Machine employs around 50 people. It is located 15 miles southeast of Nashville, Tenn., in Smyrna. For more information about Turner Machine Company visit http://www.turnermc.com/.

Source article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/04/prweb12678890.htm

Turner Machine Saves Husbands Embarrassment on Valentine's Day

CEO of machine company buys dozens of roses to hand out to male employees to give to their wives.

Turner Machine

On the day before Valentine's Day, a business executive with Turner Machine, a custom machine builder and full-service machine shop, drove around the shop on a golf cart handing out 50 dozen roses to employees – most of whom are men – for Valentine’s Day.

This was the fourth year in a row that Jeff Turner, CEO of Turner Machine, has been handing out roses to any employee who wants them. The purpose is to not only build a better work environment, but to make sure Turner’s employees have roses to give their significant others, whether they forgot to pick some up or just ran out of time because of working overtime.

 “Mr. Turner really works hard to foster a better culture at Turner Machine. He really wants his employees to view the company like family,” said Joel Powers, Operations Manager at Turner Machine. “This really is just the tip of the iceberg of the things that Mr. Turner does for his employees and I know all the men really appreciate the rose distribution.”

Friday morning, Compliance Officer, Larry Hooper, drove a golf cart busting with roses around the shop, accompanied by Powers, who delivered the flowers to the men from the shotgun seat. Not to worry, the female employees were not forgotten. Each of them received a dozen roses in a color of her choice.

The Valentine’s Day flower distribution is just one of several things Turner does for his employees throughout the year. For example, he has offered financial seminars to his employees, complete with child care, to help them become more money-savvy.

 ###

Turner Machine Company, Inc. is a full-service machine shop that specializes in building custom machines. The company, founded by Jeff Turner, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November. Currently, Turner Machine employs around 50 people. It is located 15 miles southeast of Nashville, Tenn., in Smyrna. For more information about Turner Machine Company visit

Source article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/02/prweb12526987.htm