Cape Girardeau, Mo. HWI 05.26.14

 

                As I tell of these memories from the HWI warehouse at Cape Girardeau, Mo. They will not necessarily be in order. When I think of something that happened I try to make a note and these notes are not in chronological order.

                At some point I was promoted to supervisor. I believe there were two main reasons for this promotion.

First, I had experience in all aspects of warehousing to include but not limited to unloading, loading, and stocking, order filling and cleaning. I also was experienced in inventory control (adding to and deleting from inventory system) along with counter sales.

Second, I was outgoing and opinionated; I said what I thought and I was often correct. I was too dumb to be afraid of what people thought or said. It was my opinion, and I didn’t mind telling others that, I thought I was good at most things.

There was a period of time when Cape had a night shift. Lonnie was responsible for the night shift and he needed a week of vacation. I was asked to fill in for him at night. The night team was a small group and the main duties were stocking.

I was in my office doing some paper work when I heard a loud crashing noise, followed by screaming. As I stepped out of my office, I looked to my left down a long aisle that went from one side of the building to the other. (Back then the Cape warehouse was only 200,000 square feet.) 

I could see a fork lift face down and a lot of merchandise all over the floor. The operator Mitch was ok, he was the person who was screaming. Everyone ran to the scene of the accident.

As I said, the fork lift was face down and the forks were slightly imbedded into the cement floor. The product was creosote in gallon cans and some was leaking onto the floor, some had splashed on the wall.

No one was hurt, so I decided to have the fork lift righted (back on its wheels). All the fork lifts were electric (battery powered) and I wanted to stop the battery acid from leaking out on the floor. This fork lift was a TW (three wheeler). We used another fork lift and a chain to stand the lift up. 

As soon as we had the fork lift back on its wheels. The team began to clean up the leaking creosote, and I went to call the manager. It wasn’t long before he arrived.

Mitch explained the accident this way. He had a pallet of creosote on his forks which weighed close to 2,000 pounds. He had stopped in front of the overstock location, where he planned to place the pallet on the top level, which was 15 feet high. He was parallel to the rack talking to another stocker. The other stocker left and Mitch began to lift the pallet. His plan was to get the pallet lifted to the 15 foot level then turn the lift facing the location and drive forward placing the pallet on the rack.

Mitch failed to tilt the forklift’s upright back, which would bring the weight of the pallet back over the lift and allow him to maneuver the pallet to the over stock location. He raised the load and as the load approached the 15 foot level, the weight of the creosote tipped the fork lift over face down on to the floor.

For many years, each time I would visit the Cape center I would go past the wall that still had stain from the creosote and remember the event.

Mitch stayed with HWI and later was promoted to a supervisor position.

 

Don Ford

 

Cape Girardeau, Mo. HWI 05.13.14

 

                The Cape center was the first expansion for HWI. Their home office and main warehouse was located in Fort Wayne In. Their ware house workers and truck drivers were union. This may seem a little odd but as I understand it their union was the meat cutters union. I don’t know the reason behind that.

Obviously, 43 years ago the computer systems were somewhat different from todays. The first computer that was in the main office was huge, and they used punch cards to control the computer. Punch cards were also used to enter data. The process was something like this;

Paper POs were placed in folders alphabetically, in a file drawer in the receiving office. Each page of a PO could have as many as 25 SKUs ^{(Stock Keeping Units)} and POs could have 15 or more pages.

Product arrived on a trailer, the unloader would verify that all the pieces were there and sign the freight waybill.

The signed freight bill was attached to the PO.

A checker would take the PO and check all the product in. The checker would make hash marks and write numbers or notes on the paper PO. When the checker verified it as being all there, a check mark was placed by the quantity ordered. If the quantity received was different from that ordered, the quantity received was written by the qty. ordered.

The checker initialed the PO.

POs were taken to the front office where the office staff would enter the data into the computer. Each line of data was actually punched into a card. When all the receipts were punched, these cards were placed in a hopper and each one went through a card reader and data was entered into the computer.

There was no way to see what was on hand (in inventory) locally, we would need to call Fort Wayne.

Each item in the center had its own home location. Originally, all the home locations at Cape had to be in the same as the home location in Fort Wayne. Since the Fort Wayne warehouse was old, small and laid out less efficiently, this system was less than optimal for Cape. 

 

Progress made at Cape.

I was the lead person in receiving and I unloader trailers just like all the other receivers. One day I decided to do something different from the normal process. I decided to unload, check and haul each shipment from my trailer that day. 

For most shipments the process was to;

1. Unload and verify piece counts, sign the freight bill,

2. Place the merchandise in an area to be checked,

3. A checker would check in the merchandise and attach a routing slip, Routing slip went with the merchandise to the stock person. when stock was put away the slip would be turned in verifying that the shipment had been put away and it was ok to enter the product into the computer).  

4. A hauler ^{(person on a fork lift)} would take the product to the stocking department,

5. Stock person would put merchandise away and turn in the routing slip.

 

I was successful in my attempt to unload, check and haul each shipment. I was doing something different and that made me happy. The manager came by and I had to brag about what I had just done. He said he liked that idea and asked if I could do it on another trailer load. I responded with no problem but it takes a little longer than just unloading.

After proving that most of the product could be unloaded, checked and hauled it became a time saving process that we all used.

Back in those days a driver stayed with the load and helped unload. We were not charged for the driver’s time at the dock, and the drivers would rather be helping us unload than somewhere else possibly working harder.

 

Thanks for reading, I will have more stories later.

 

Don Ford

 

 

Cape Girardeau, Mo. HWI 05.12.14

 

Continuing on memory lane at the Hardware Wholesalers Inc. (HWI) Cape Girardeau, Mo. Warehouse.

                The first PA ^{(Public Address)} system was kind of unusual for a warehouse. The system we had was the type used in some schools. Announcements were made from a central point at the front office. Most of the staff did not know but the PA system had two way speakers. You could make an announcement to a particular area and if the person making the announcement flipped the right switch they could hear comments from anyone near the speaker.

                As I said most of the staff did not know this. I made an announcement to the Bin section starting bench and packing area, to clean up the area as soon as you complete your last order.

                A lady name Judy was near the speaker and said, “what if I don’t want to”. I replied, “Do it anyway”. I heard her ask another staff member, “Can they hear us in the office?” Being the north end of a south bound horse I answered her saying, “Yes we can hear you”.  Later I was told by the manager not to do that anymore.

 

                I would say we had fun and did things that would get you disciplined today. The following is one of those things.

                In those days HWI had totes or hampers that were made of heavy duty corrugated. We actually sealed the tote top on using a lead seal that was crimped on with a special tool. Totes were not supposed to be too heavy but occasionally there would be a tote that would weigh 100 pounds or more.

Each tote had a serial number and we had to record each number. These numbers were also listed by route and provided to the returns person. We learned later that they never did anything with the serial numbers it was just a waste of our time.

                One day someone decided to play a joke on someone in shipping. They nailed an empty tote to the shipping cart, put the top on it, sealed it shut and it was on a cart with other merchandise. The shipper began to remove the merchandise from the cart and he got to that tote and it would not move. He tried a couple times but could not budge it. Finally he went to get his lead person because the tote was too heavy. Evidently the lead person was in on the joke and told him what had happened. All the other shippers thought it was funny.

                You would get a disciplinary action if you did that now.

 

Talking about shipping and practical jokes in shipping:

                Another joke that would likely get you a disciplinary action in today’s world, but we thought it was funny. In the warehouse there were large cartons, when I say large I mean 4 foot by 4 foot by 4 foot.

There was this short fellow that worked in shipping and he decided to put one of these large cartons on a shipping cart. He climbed inside and pulled the top on the carton. The cart was set to divert off in the shipping area. One of the shippers lined the carts up to be loaded and the shipper pulled it inside the trailer. When the fellow inside the carton felt them begin to move the carton he jumped up and scared the shippers. Almost everyone thought it was funny except for the two guys who were the victims of the joke. 

 

                There was a fellow in the warehouse that was what we called, “goosey”. If someone walked up behind him and touched his rear end he would scream, “woo woo woo wooo”.

Well those guys that worked around him knew about this and they would try to catch him when he would get on the intercom to make an announcement. Just as he started to make an announcement to the entire building someone would grab his rear and he would shout, “woo woo woo wooo” to the entire center.

I guess that would be harassment now days.

 

Don Ford

 

More later

 

 

Cape Girardeau, Mo. HWI 05.11.14

 

The Cape center was the first venture away from Fort Wayne and I must say we had a lot of fun during the opening and operations of the center.

All centers have carts used in the order filling process. The bin sections have carts that are pushed by one person through narrow aisles. Totes and or cartons are placed on these carts, the order filler places merchandise into the totes or cartons and the cart is used to move merchandise from the filling location to either a conveyor or a shipping cart. The conveyor or shipping cart is then used to move the orders to shipping. 

The other order filling sections with larger merchandise, use a large cart that weighs about 400 pounds empty. In most centers these carts are known as, “shipping carts”. When the order is complete the product is left on the cart and it is taken to shipping.

The above explanation was an effort to get to this story.

In the olden days at the Cape center, (when I say olden days I mean in the early 70s) the order fillers pushed and pulled the shipping carts by hand.

We had an order filler in the bulk and lumber area whose name was Ralph. Ralph worked alone in this area and had a unique way of filling orders. Ralph would place one knee on the cart and push with the other foot. In other words he was riding the cart from one order filling location to another.

Over the years these shipping carts at Cape became known as, “Ralph Carts”. I believe the Cape center was the only center that had a nick name for these carts.

 

Another cart story from the early Cape center.

Cape had trash carts that when filled could be placed on the tow line and set to divert off at the trash dumpster. The trash compactor was located in the back corner of receiving and it was my responsibility to see that the trash was dumped. Most of us did not like the job of dumping the trash even though it was not hard work, as the unit would lift the trash cart, dump the trash into the compactor and the compactor would crush anything that was dumped in. 

Personally I viewed this work as being beneath me. I wasn’t a garbage man. I had real problems with dumping the trash and I did not like to assign the work to anyone else.

For some reason I decided to dump the trash every day. I don’t remember what caused me to do this but after about a week of dumping the trash I decided it wasn’t a bad job, I didn’t mind doing the work myself, and I no longer minded assigning someone else to do the job.

That was a long way of getting to this story.

Dawson Young was a stock person in one of the order filling areas. His section was centrally located and close to shipping. Others would take his trash cart and then when he needed it, he could not find it. First he painted the section number on the cart thinking that others would leave it alone. That did not help. 

Dawson in an effort to stop others from taking his trash cart, had chained it to a rack. Now he did not chain it so it could not be moved at all, instead he put a 25 foot chain on the cart.

As luck would have it, the warehouse manager needed a trash cart and decided to take Dawson’s cart. He took hold of the handle and began to walk away pulling the cart. When the cart reached the end of the chain it stopped abruptly. The manager later described it as, “almost pulling his arm out of socket”.

 

Since we are talking about the manager;

This manager’s name was Jim Murphy ^{(I said this manager as there were at least 6 managers that I remember at Cape)}. Jim would walk or ride through the warehouse checking on the work being done. 

The manager and supervisor had three wheeled battery powered scooters to ride. The scooter was ridden standing and had just enough room for their feet.

This particular time, Jim was walking through the overstock rack next to the bin section, I was walking with him. We were discussing something when Jim fell face down on the cement floor. He didn’t have time to catch himself or at least he didn’t seem to make an effort. Jim had stepped one foot into a plastic band that someone had removed from a carton and dropped on the floor, when the other foot got tangled in the band he fell. The only thing hurt was his pride.

 

Don Ford

 

 

More stories later.

Cape Girardeau, Missouri HWI 050914

Cape Girardeau, Missouri     HWI 050914

                ^{The first couple entries I titled as part 1 and part 2.  I have decided to add some additional entries and not use the part #, instead I will place the date that I began to write the note. It is easier for me.}

                It now seems amazing that we were able to effect the HWI start up at Cape as well as we did. Most of the employees had never worked in a warehouse setting. The three management personnel were not a team. In truth, the office manager and supervisor (being married) worked (conspired) as a team against the manager. The manager wasn’t a people person.

                I was a well-trained warehouse person but I sure wasn’t trained as a lead person or supervisor. I knew warehousing and I did not mind instructing others. In other words I would take charge and at times I acted like the north end of a south bound horse.

                I was presented with a homemade sign. The sign, hand painted and was on an old scrap piece of walnut. Dawson Young made the sign and gave it to me. I put the sign on the wall and it was in each of my offices. It is still displayed on the manager’s office wall in the Waco Center.  The sign reads, “Rudeness is the little man’s imitation of power”. I should note; the word imitation was spelled with two “m”.

                The building was finally completed and we had offices, break rooms and toilets. The receiving office was divided into my office and then the receiving office. Wow, I now had my own office.

                The new fork lifts were delivered, serviced and ready for use. The receiving team and the stocking team were assembled for our forklift safety and operation training. Pete was showing us the controls and the basics of safety. The fork lifts were the type were the operator would sit down to operate. They would lift a pallet 15 feet and that was how high the racks were.

                We were standing in a semi-circle around the front of the lift. Pete activated the control to raise the forks. The forks without a pallet were raised to a height of about 6 feet. Pete then explained that we should never walk under raised forks, with or without a load. At that moment the forks fell like a ton of lead to the floor. The forks falling, and the loud noise when they hit the cement, got everyone’s attention.

                The forks falling was an accident. The fork lift had a defect and was repaired. I must say it got our attention and I don’t think any of those present during the train session ever walked under raised forks.

                Any staff that operated a fork lift had to quickly learn to maneuver through and around the tow line carts. It should be understood that the tow line had the power to push a forklift and if it caught the lift at its side could have turned it over. 

                The receiving operators would take a pallet from the trailer he was unloading and while the tow line was moving drive in between the carts. As the tow line pulled the carts the operator would place the pallet on the cart and maneuver away from the cart without ever hitting the following cart. 

                The tow line carts could be set to divert from the main tow line into a side spur. This way the receiving staff could send a cart to a particular stocking section. This seemed like a good process but it had some problems.

                If there was anything left on a spur and if carts were set to divert to that spur, the carts would push anything in its way, out of the way. The tow line was left running over lunch and there was a couple carts that were left on a spur. During lunch other carts diverted to that spur and the carts pushed each other into a rack. A portion of the rack was literally knocked down. We learned tow not allow anything to be set on the spurs and to shut the tow line off during lunch.

 

Don Ford