New Flyer delivers safety improvements through 3M international Customer Project

May 17, 2018 – New Flyer of America Inc. and New Flyer Industries Canada ULC, subsidiaries of NFI Group Inc., formerly called New Flyer Industries Inc., a transit bus and motor coach manufacturer and parts distributor in North America, is celebrating the completion of the 3M Customer Project. 

New Flyer was selected as one of two global host locations for the project in 2017. The customer project is part of 3M’s Catalyst program to develop its high potential leaders from around the globe. The science and technology company sent six members to New Flyer’s manufacturing facility in St. Cloud, Minn., to work with the onsite manufacturing team on a New Flyer project. The real-world challenge helps build leadership skills and global experience for the 3M Catalyst team, while lending global perspective to host organizations. New Flyer elected to focus the Catalyst Customer Project on identifying safety improvement opportunities.

“We were proud to be selected as one of two organizations around the world to host a 3M Catalyst team,” said Wayne Joseph, president, New Flyer of America. “It is an honour to work with a global science and safety leader such as 3M, and to further advance safety in our manufacturing space. We have no greater responsibility than the safety of our team members.”

The project commenced December 2017 in Winnipeg, Man., and concluded March 2018 in St. Cloud, Minn., where the 3M Catalyst team (comprised of members from Korea, China, Australia, France, the Middle East and the U.S.) converged to collaborate with New Flyer leaders and share best practices from the 3M Alexandria facility.

“This approach is a different way we learn about and address our customers’ needs,” said Mojdeh Poul, 3M Canada president. “Inventing products to help our customers solve their issues is just one way we create value for them. This customer-first approach positions us as a partner with subject-matter expertise and a shared interest in our customers’ success. We’re not focused on making an immediate sale, and that’s fine.”

“The goal for New Flyer was to reduce recorded safety incidents from 2.2 per 200,000 person hours to 1.1 per 200,000 person hours in the St Cloud plant,” added Eric Jensen, plant manager of the New Flyer St. Cloud facility. “3M provided recommendations for improving safety culture and we are working our way through a list of foundational elements. This includes communication, incident investigation, accountability, job hazard assessment and training – 32 items total. I am pleased to share that our current lost time rate is .56, which is under the goal we set with 3M.”