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

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2021-09-14
- Length: 35m
- Episode: 66
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-09-14-why-the-employee-bathroom-is-the-key-to-leadership-w-mark-whitten
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-774476bd-5cac-408d-9f5a-42f2137bfb93

## Summary

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.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-09-14-why-the-employee-bathroom-is-the-key-to-leadership-w-mark-whitten#t=0) Introduction: Mark Whitten and Spartanburg Steel Products
- [3:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-09-14-why-the-employee-bathroom-is-the-key-to-leadership-w-mark-whitten#t=181) SSP 2.0 Strategy and Leadership Goals
- [5:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-09-14-why-the-employee-bathroom-is-the-key-to-leadership-w-mark-whitten#t=352) Leading by Example and Shop Floor Engagement
- [12:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-09-14-why-the-employee-bathroom-is-the-key-to-leadership-w-mark-whitten#t=754) Recovering a Lost $40 Million Bid Through Transparency
- [20:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-09-14-why-the-employee-bathroom-is-the-key-to-leadership-w-mark-whitten#t=1232) Employee Bathrooms as a Cultural Indicator
- [24:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-09-14-why-the-employee-bathroom-is-the-key-to-leadership-w-mark-whitten#t=1457) Engaging Hearts and Minds and Attracting Gen Z

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Spartanburg Steel Products (company)
- Freightliner Heavy Trucks (company)
- Cameo Automotive (company)
- General Motors (company)
- Suzuki (company)
- Magna International (company)
- Martinrea International (company)
- BMW (company)
- Volvo (company)
- United Steelworkers (company)
- Funnel Cloud (tool)
- Guerrilla 76 (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Greatest Hits: Top 3 Leadership Lessons from Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-05-11-greatest-hits-top-3-leadership-lessons-from-manufacturing-happy-hour) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [From SWAT to Spindles: How Johnny Goode Led MSP Manufacturing's Lights-Out Transformation, Ep #28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2025-11-14-from-swat-to-spindles-how-johnny-goode-led-msp-manufacturings-lights-out-transfo) (Lights Out)
- [Creating a Strong Safety Culture with Joe Geng](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-01-20-creating-a-strong-safety-culture-with-joe-geng) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [How to Lead with Grit and Grace Featuring Ashleigh Walters](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-03-01-how-to-lead-with-grit-and-grace-featuring-ashleigh-walters) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [014C - "The Final P: People" with Larry Mager](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2022-01-05-014c-the-final-p-people-with-larry-mager) (Let's Combinate)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-09-14-why-the-employee-bathroom-is-the-key-to-leadership-w-mark-whitten. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Manufacturing Executive.