Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Week 2021

UPI celebrated yet another Annual Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) week in February. It started off a few years ago when some employees heard about The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation which has a mission to make kindness the norm in our schools, workplaces, homes and communities. The mission directly relates to one of the […]

UPI Chicago Region Office: “We moved!”

After 5 years of working in a double wide trailer next to busy I-80, the Chicago Region has finally found a building to call their own. The new building is located in the Village of Newark, about 20 miles northeast of their prior location in Morris, IL. The steel pole building is 9600 square feet […]

Rick’s Message – May 2021

My ongoing safety moment: STOP WORK is more than a phrase, it is everyone’s responsibility. A simple or significant pause during the workday to make sure everyone is on the right page is within everyone’s right and I will always support your decision to do so. No matter what! As you plan your day, how […]

LEAN Fabrication Shop

The Fabrication Shop has begun implementing the LEAN Principle to create a more productive and efficient work environment. By eliminating unnecessary equipment and unused material, we have opened up new areas within the shop to store and organize daily used items for quicker access. While the process has just begun within the shop, we plan […]

Rick’s Message – January 2021

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and is rejuvenated for the excitement of the new year! We remain very optimistic for the new year. Pricing opportunities continue to keep us busy and confident we will have a successful year. We recently celebrated Safety and Quality day and it remains our primary focus to get […]

Generous Hearts Through Challenging Times – UPI Holiday Giving 2020

Despite all the challenges 2020 brought, there were some very bright spots this past holiday season and we thank those that joined us in giving back. Across our regions, we were able to support our local dedicated front-line healthcare workers and many individuals and families in need. The spirit of giving within the UPI family […]

Operations Snapshot: October

I’d like to start my operations update by talking about Safety. UPI went 22 months without a recordable incident. We need to get back to zero again. I believe safety is a choice that everyone needs to make for themselves, and a commitment we each make to each other. Don’t take shortcuts. If you have […]

Safety Corner: Commitment to Zero

COMPLACENCY AND FINISHING THE YEAR SAFELY It’s no secret that we’re not having the success we saw last year when it comes to safety. It’s been a reality check and we will work hard to get better. We need to get better. Please place an even higher emphasis on safety as we finish the year. […]

Community Giving: COVID-19 Support, Courage Kenny, Steer Donation

Steer Donation For the 7th year in a row UPI Superintendent Rich Oswskey attended the Douglas County Beef Improvement Association’s annual Youth Livestock Auction and purchased a steer that was raised for the auction by a local youth association member. Youths ages 8-21 raise livestock to be sold at auction and they work with their […]

Safety Culture is Our Focus

Safety Opportunity Program Our Safety Opportunity Program is a hybrid safety observation and hazard identification program. It encourages employees to identify behavior-based safety observations and hazardous conditions and to correct the situation. Safety Opportunities are documented on our Safety Opportunity form. They are then sent to the Safety Department where they are reviewed, assigned points […]