MEMO TO RIGBY EMPLOYEES FROM STEVEN KORTE:
Moving into May, the integration measures that have been
many months in the planning are beginning to take place. On May 1, order shipping at our Crystal Lake Distribution
Center has stopped and shipping resumes this week from the
Harcourt central distribution center in Troy, MO. Through
the transition process, our Rigby DC team has worked extremely
hard to ready the transport of our materials, while continuing
to keep up with the demand of fulfilling orders from our
location. The leadership and coordination that enabled such
an endeavor has been commendable, along with the focused
follow through of our entire warehouse team.
Through mid-May final tasks at the warehouse will take
place, as equipment and racking will be moved, and the physical
transition completed. The majority of our departing DC colleagues
will leave on May 15, with managers working until the end
of the month.
Our Customer Service department has been simililarly
challenged with the daily customer calls and order entry,
while being trained in the Harcourt system and at the same
time, familiarizing the Harcourt customer service managers
about Rigby product and showing them why our customers love
Rigby. They, too, are to be commended for their efforts
amidst a very challenging workload.
Orders are now being entered at Harcourt in Orlando. Beginning
last Friday and through this Friday (5/10), four of our
customer service people will be departing (Lynda Becker,
Sue Himmelspach, Diane Pozen and Kim Abrath). The remaining
customer service staff (Ellen Flugge, Cheryl Hagge, Karen
Kopernik, and Diane Krajenta) will be with us until August
1 to finalize the transition. We are very pleased that Charlene
Lyford has and Teresa Stewart will continue working for
Reed Elsevier as team members of Heinemann Library customer
service from our Rigby office. Further, Ellie Cooper will
join ESS, and Tammy Ford will remain to coordinate a Rigby
product library that will be moved to a more central office
location.
As the Finance department shifts to Orlando-based
functions, Rigby departments have been trained and received
the information needed to move to new systems and processes. This new learning curve will impact the operations of every
department, and our finance department is ready to assist
you as needed. Everyone's patience and cooperation will
ensure a smooth transition as a new system is put in place.
Two of our finance staff have already moved on to new positions,
and by mid-July, the other payable functions will be completed
at our location, when the remaining three staff members
(Michelle Weber, Harmoni Irwin, and Lindsey Redding) will
conclude their responsibilities.
With the close of the DC and the lessened mail from customer
orders being received in Barrington, our Mailroom
functions will downsize. Plans for the new system are still
being reviewed and will be made known as they take final
shape.
IT has communicated progress made in the major integration
of systems between Rigby, Steck-Vaughn and Harcourt, and
will continue to keep you informed about pertinent information
as progress continues. Noah Willens has moved into a new
position outside of the company, and Scott Chesley continues
to contribute to the IT efforts through the month of June.
Manufacturing / Inventory anticipate a new direction
in the areas such purchasing, operations, etc. and again
you will be updated about new processes in upcoming weeks
and months. We are pleased that a further inventory restructuring
plan allows Randy Reizman to continue with Rigby as Inventory
Manager, while Connie Behrens' responsibilities concluded
last Tuesday.
Human Resources Director, Deb Halsey, and Marketing
VP, Linda Schilling, will carry on their tenure at Rigby
through the end of May and June, respectively. Their expertise
and contributions through our transition efforts are greatly
appreciated.
Professional Development saw the departure of Mary
Lou Kolnik on April 1, while Cheryl Keck will complete her
managerial assignment later in the summer.
During the process of this major integration process, the
entire Harcourt Supplemental Publishers staff has demonstrated
tremendous effort in keeping up with everyday responsibilities
and at the same time moving forward with the many changes
involved with an undertaking of this magnitude.
My sincere gratitude is extended to each of you for your
hard work and the accompanying struggles during this challenging
time. We will endeavor to maintain the philosophy and values
that have built Rigby's success, and will look for ways
to grasp and ease the transition. There is much to learn
and much work to do as we continue building Harcourt Supplemental
Publishers in the Rigby tradition of excellence.
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