We’re proud to share that Jason Hetcher, tote line operator at ASR Group’s Domino Sugar® Yonkers Refinery, has been recognized by Redzone with its 2023 Frontline MVP award! The award pays tribute to Jason’s successful use of Redzone's software to drive continuous improvement on the tote line, which resulted in a major production boost during his time on shift.
Redzone, an interactive, connected workforce solution in manufacturing, is a paperless tool that runs on iPads used by supervisors, maintenance team members and packaging line operators. It delivers real-time production and quality data that helps maximize performance on our lines, allows us to address any issues that come up more quickly and provides actionable insights that lead to continuous improvements.
Using the wealth of data provided by Redzone, Jason suggested several actions for continuous improvements at his station. The production gains that resulted from his efforts helped us supply more totes to customers and even helped us take on additional business.
Jason received the Frontline MVP award at a ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 11. He was one of just three winners among dozens of nominations from across the country. Cheering Jason on at the ceremony were Yonkers Refinery Packaging Manager Tom Oggeri; Continuous Improvement Director Chris Duncan; Corporate Packaging Engineer Tori Smith; Packaging Engineer Raphael Medina; Packaging Supervisor Dan Caval and Packaging Operator Roy Barron from our Chalmette Refinery in Louisiana, who won Redzone’s Frontline MVP Award in 2022.
“Jason knows what being part of a team is all about,” said Redzone’s Customer Success Coach, Joe Thielen, who presented Jason with the award. “He believes that if he can make someone else’s life easier, then he is going to do it. He’s a pace setter in productivity… and he has set the stage for his team. Not just that – he knows that if you start strong, you’ll stay strong… His team rightfully says that if you can only run two shifts in a day, Jason had better be one of them.”
As a result of Jason’s enthusiasm and effective use of Redzone, he was recognized by the Yonkers Refinery as its Packaging team’s MVP earlier this year. Both MVP awards have meant a lot to Jason, who says he feels humbled by the recognitions. Jason has been an enthusiastic proponent of Redzone since it first launched in Yonkers.
“Redzone gives us a voice and a platform to help convert our ideas into tangible improvements,” said Jason. “It fosters better communication and gives everyone a say, from operators to supervisors and managers, and makes us more effective as a team.”
One of Jason’s favorite features of Redzone is the “scorecard” it displays of each line’s real-time performance, which Jason says has not only helped drive friendly competition among operators but also motivates him to beat his own performance.
“If I see the line is performing at 85%, it makes me want to push even harder to get it up to 90%,” he said. “The real-time data from Redzone helps show how our hard work translates into the success of our lines and the success of the business.”
Packaging Manager Tom Oggeri is proud of Jason and says his well-deserved recognition has been an inspiration for the rest of the Yonkers Packaging team.
“The frontline MVP award is a testament to Jason’s talent, hard work and drive for continuous improvement,” said Tom. “It’s really quite a statement that ASR Group employees have won the MVP award two years in a row. Given the dedication, determination and creative problem solving I see each day from our operators, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more recognitions from Redzone in the future.”
