Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

20 Safe Years Recognized At IP Yard In Whelen Springs

Employees at the Whelen Springs lumber yard, owned and operated by International Paper, were rewarded for 20 years of safety Friday.

A ceremony was held, July 9, at the facility in recognition of the plant having gone 20 years without any time lost because of an accident to a worker.

Twenty-six team members were honored for their work in achieving this milestone.

According to the company, a lost-time incident is one resulting in an employee missing a scheduled day of work due to an injury. This accomplishment represents more than one million man hours of working safely.

"Twenty years without a lost-time safety incident is a monumental achievement, and I offer my thanks to all our employees and my warm appreciation to the families who support them," Joe Nelson, manager of operations at the mill, said.

"This record is the result of the team we have here and its willingness to do what it takes to work safely and be a productive facility."

"This outstanding safety record supports all three of the company's key drivers people, customers and operational excellence -- to win," Art McGowen, vice president of wood products, said.

"Having every team member working safely and looking out for their co-workers enables us to focus on serving customers and producing superior products.

"Twenty years with no lost-time incidents shows customers and the community we're committed to a safe workplace."

The Whelen Springs mill produces high grade southern yellow pine lumber. It is exported directly to Spain, France, Italy, the Canary Islands, Greece and other parts of Europe. This clear grade lumber is used to produce high quality produces found in many homes and offices, and the industrial grades are used throughout the building trades industry.