d awards for Outstanding Sales Performance in 2000 to six dealers from different states in March 2001. They were A-Z Bus Sales in California, Mid-State Truck Service in Wisconsin, Soderholm Sales in Hawaii, Arcola Bus Sales in New Jersey, Western Bus Sales in Oregon, and Midwest Transit in Illinois. These are called Circle of Excellence awards. This is in appreciation for sales performance. Collins is located in Hutchinson, Kansas. In December 2000, they did a large plant expansion and since labor is tight in Hutchinson, Collins invested heavily in plant equipment to get productivity increases without increasing labor. A warranty is given on paint finish on their buses as long as the original owner has the bus. Blue Bird, Inc. is considered an innovator in its field. It has the leading edge on new product development in an ever-changing transportation industry. It has set standards for alternative fuels, next generation transportation power, new alloys, new product safety design, and other emerging technology.Job opportunities were listed on Blue Birds web site. A Senior Planner and a Programmer/Analyst are two that were mentioned. They work a four-day workweek, forty hours Monday through Thursday. Experience in material requirement planning, E-business application, inventory reduction, vendor delivery, lean manufacturing experience and Just in Time (JIT), as well as supervisory experience are among the requirements for the Senior Planner job. The jobs offered have competitive salaries commensurate with experience and excellent fringe benefits. Navistar International is very concerned about the health and safety of its employees. They have opened clinics in several of their plants. In an engine plant in Melrose Park, Illinois, the clinic gives free prostate exams. Three cases of prostate cancer were found in 1999 early enough to start immediate treatment. In their largest assembly plant in Springfield, Ohio, they have ...
