Tenneco plant to remain open

anytime Andy.open to all. How big is your plant

We have seen a few taking a tour of the plant here in Paragould.How are the comments on our plant.There are several of us looking forward to having you guys that decide to come.Any one know yet how many are coming? Our management likes a little to be desired but other than that it is one of the better places to work here in this small town.

I have visited with a fella who went down and toured. He said that the town was nice and that the people were very, very nice!! that the plant was very nice also. He was impressed. there are some that are very interested in moving down. He said that the colst of living was cheaper then here. What is the average cost of homes, and how about the average rent? How big are the schools and etc.
There was a letter on the board today, saying that Paragould was ready to talk to those who wanted to move.

There are some requirements: such as the R-line folks have first chance, and they need to have circle experience within the last four years. That is about all that has been said. We really don't know much about anything that is going on. They have handed out some seperation papers, and notices that some of the lines are going down, besides the R,C,And T-lines. What have you all heard. How big is your town and how many folks do you have working in your plant. Have you all ever ran the Rancho line and such. It would behoove Paragould to offer the R-Line folks enough incentive that they would move with the line. Anyways that is all I know. We would like to know what is going on for sure, but I guess it is on a need to know basis........and right now I guess we don't need to know too much. I guess the bottom line is , that we are closing..........and more to follow. So tell us a little about your town and life over there..........we are waiting to know a little about you all. Take Care..........

Hartwell has been told that jobs are being held until Cozad employees decide what they are going to do. I'm not sure how long they have to decide. Have Cozad employees been offered jobs at Hartwell and if so what job?

We are a need to know basics also.They tell us very little about what is going on .Like I said before our management likes a little to be desired to put it nicely.We don't have lines called R,C,and T.I don't know what that is we have lines that are #'s.13,15,16,...We have 2 schools here both are big for a small town I grew up in a town that we had 18 in our graduating class but here there is a few hundred.Out on the North end of town we are building a new school that will only have a few grades .My son is grown so I don't know much about the schools.Rent here pretty much depends where you want to be. The east side is much cheaper but that is considered the bad side of town I have 2 rentals over there and one rents for 425.00 2bed/2bath the other rents for 475.00 4bed/1 bath.You can find some for in the 300.00 range but not many.The west side is much higher but the crime rate is not as bad.You could prolly google Paragould Arkansas 72450 and find out more about our real estate.Your better neighborhoods will run from 80,000 up.

I don't think you'll find rent in the Hartwell are for that cheap. With the lake and a lot of prine property around Hartwell, you'll pay closer to 800.00 for what you described. 400 will get you a trailer in a trailer park if that's what your looking for.

Would like to hear more on the lines/machines that are moving to Hartwell if any one knows along with what is moving to Paragoul and Mexico.

Those of you that plan to come to Paragould try to stay away from the East side.Like I said it is a lot cheaper over there but most of it is bad.

I'm not suggesting that you search out a trailor park. Just stating that for that $400 about the only thing you can find is a trailor. The lake has property rentals maxed out even in this recession we're in. Rental property is available but it is extremely high.

Paragould is to visit this wek

HOW ARE THINGS GOING IN HARTWELL? Is the launch still on for the GM and Ford shocks. How is the move coming for Cozad to Hartwell.?? By the way Thank you so much for the kind words and thoughts you sent our way. Through it all we have to remember that Corporate did this. And whether or not we dare think about it .....it could happen again. Thanks again, Let us know what is going on, as we are in the dark as usual!

The launches have had their ups and downs. A lot of bugs and issues to work out. I think that when Ford was in a few weeks ago to view one of the runs/changeovers, everything went OK. No major happenings or problems while they were their. I think all in all it is going to be that the more times we set up and run this product the better we will be. I think that the main concerns and issues now is with the equipment moves that will be taking place once we come back from Christmas shutdown. Just not sure how Hartwell is planning on manning a lot of these jobs without hiring people. Best wishes to all of you at Cozad. We'll keep you posted on the happenings when we return.

No news on this end at all. The people who made the move to Paragould are gone, as is the line. We have shut down one shift, on F-line, other then that , there is no news that we know of. Par for the course. Please do stay in touch. Hope everyone had a memory filled Christmas, and best of luck in the up-coming year.

I work at the Paragould plant and have seen a few of the people that have came to work with us. I have not met any of them only know who is who by when some one walks down the isle and we are told that is the supervisor or team leader other wise we haven't had the opportunity to meet any of them.We are looking forward to meeting them and trying to make them feel welcome here. The first week the machinery arrived I was told they had to stay out side and power wash every thing because it was a mess.I have not been back there to see what has be going on or how much of the line is complete.I s there any one else that is coming or has everyone been sent that is?

As far as I know everyone that is coming to Paragould, will be there by Monday Jan 4th. You are getting some very nice people, and folks that have been with that line for so many years. They know that line inside and out. I have no doubt that if you introduce yourself they will be more then glad to visit. Joyce, Perry and Sol, Mary and Buck and I have worked together for many years. We will miss all of them. The other folks I do not know personally, but have had occasion to work with on and off thru the years. As far as the equipment goes, I can understand it being oily and dirty. It is rather hard to keep "pristeen" condition of machines,when they have been running 3 shifts for over 30 years or better. Only recently have they been cut down to one shift. I do not think of it as a dettrement to any plant to have hard working machines,it didn't prevent them or the folks from putting out A-one product.
Afterall they haven't ever been moved out of plant since they were implemented. Glad to have them washed up. They deserve a bath after all the years they have been cranking out shocks.hahah. "Take the time to meet the folks"......! From what we have been told by your engineers and such, our equipment was some of the best they have seen, and alot of what we have<had> is why our quality and production was as high as it was. Esp. our MTA's. It will be a bonus for all of you. Hopefully some our innovations will be of great help to you.Please stay in touch.

Please don't take what I said about the machines having to be power washed in the wrong way .Maybe I should explain Our team leaders here are a high paid baby sitters. They do not work on the lines.As I heard they do there. They are mainly focused on cleaning.Our 5S in mainly focused on cleaning. Our team leaders also do the supervisors work for them and some of the other people in the office's jobs.Some of them get paid the big bucks to just sit at a desk and eat and talk all day. One of the men that came up there and said he was a engineers wasn't he was a superintendent and has always wanted to be a engineer but does not have the schooling for it.I am truly sorry if I offended you about the power washing thing.I know it is a long ways from home but I hope more of you will be able too join us and not loose your jobs.I just hope that every one likes it here once they have settled in.Like I have said before our management is nothing to brag about.

No offence taken "Pearls and Jeans", what so ever. I KNOW they were a mess. It was useless to try and look clean for any longer then a hour after you came to work. I think I must have a "swiffer" in my gene pool, as all I had to do was go to my machine to be a mess. I must admit, that our team leads, for the most part were working right along side of us. Our team lead on 2nd shift F-Line, worked as hard as all of us; as do all the team leads. Each line truly worked as a team unit. It was just the way it was. I hope that you can see the connection that the Cozad folks have with each other, and that maybe it can carry on. It is so nice to have a unit like that, because we do tend to spend more time with the folks we work with then we do our own families. Sad but true. Hence we brought cakes and such on birthdays or anything else worth recognizing. And every now and again we did a pot luck. It was just a way of keeping glue in the unit....Know what I mean? I would at sometime be thrilled to meet you....but I don't see it happening........but by the way ....lets_ride_ct@yahoo.com I have heard nothing but good things from the folks that have came down and found housing and visited the plant. Take care till next ...toodles! If you meet Joyce, Sol, Perry, Buck or Mary ........tell them Hi for me. esp Joyce