Why the Employee Bathroom Is the Key to Leadership w/ Mark Whitten

The Manufacturing Executive · 14 Sept 2021 · 35m · Episode 66

What this episode covers

Mark Whitten, President & CEO of Spartanburg Steel Products (SSP), explains how he transformed the company’s culture and operations through his 'SSP 2.0' strategy, which emphasizes leading by example and engaging employees' hearts and minds. He details how visiting the shop floor and cleaning alongside staff helped rebuild trust after losing a $40 million bid due to poor facility conditions, a lesson that led to renewed business from that customer. Whitten also discusses the challenges of attracting Gen Z to manufacturing and the importance of dignity in the workplace, using employee bathrooms as a key indicator of organizational health.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Spartanburg Steel Products, Freightliner Heavy Trucks, Cameo Automotive, General Motors, Suzuki, Magna International, Martinrea International, BMW, Volvo, United Steelworkers, Guerrilla 76
Tools
Funnel Cloud

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