Best Places to Work 2007: General Mills

Visitors to Joplin’s General Mills plant will notice a long string of flags lining most of the walls. On those flags is the slogan “People First,” and, to hear some of the employees of the plant tell it, that’s the company’s philosophy.

“I’ve been here 12 years, and it’s the people that have made me stay,” said Mark McGowen, a team leader at the Joplin branch. “It’s like family.”

With more than 480 employees, that’s a pretty large family, but Mike Coble, a team leader who was hired as employee No. 98 at the plant, said he attributes the family feeling to the company’s leadership.

“Our plant manager is always out on the floor and genuinely cares about people,” Coble said. “Any time you see him, he’ll ask how you’re doing and how your family is doing.”

Megan Kittisopikul, a human resources representative who joined the company in July, said the friendliness Coble alludes to really stands out at work.

“Everybody says ‘hi,’” she said. “And we hold each other accountable to that standard. It really is a great place to work.”

Camri Jacobson, human resources manager, said that standard among all of the employees reflects a dedication to good communication and employee ownership. She said the Joplin plant is the fifth General Mills site where she’s worked, and it’s also one of the best at communicating, whether through its inter-employee newsletter, its open-floor policy or its focus on making every employee involved in safety and accountability.

“Safety is a priority,” Jacobson said. “Joplin’s record is 9.3 million hours logged with no loss of time due to injury.”

Though General Mills specializes in a wide variety of food products, the Joplin branch focuses specifically on dough processing for the General Mills brand.

Employees work in three shifts, with flex time available. “You have the option to choose an eight-hour shift or a 12-hour shift,” Coble said. “I get to work Monday through Thursday and have Friday, Saturday and Sunday off.”

New employees start with three weeks of paid vacation, and personal time and sabbaticals are encouraged by upper management.

“If you need time off, we want you to have time off,” Jacobson said, noting that other companies – both locally and nationwide – have approached General Mills for consultations about creating a similar atmosphere.

Jacobson and McGowen are both proud to be part of a company that is a model for benefits in the industry, but the real draw for McGowen, comes back to people.

McGowen said he’s also proud of those things, but said people are what keep him at General Mills. “The benefits are fantastic, but it’s the people that make you stick around,” he said.

General Mills (Joplin)

Founded: 1989

Address: 3007 Stephens Blvd., Joplin, MO 64804

Phone: (417) 782-0300

Web: www.generalmills.com

Employees: 480

Services: Dough processing for General Mills products