This is the fifth consecutive year UGN, Inc. has been named as one of the Best Places to Work in Illinois. We are honored to be ranked in the top five for the large group category, our highest ranking to date.
2023 Best Places to Work News Release
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="3.22"][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.7.0" custom_padding="76px|||||" hover_enabled="0" sticky_enabled="0" custom_margin="-132px|auto||auto||"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.7.0" custom_padding="|||" hover_enabled="0" custom_padding__hover="|||" sticky_enabled="0"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.27.4"]Tinley Park, Ill. (May 17, 2021) — Leading automotive parts manufacturer, UGN, Inc., has been named as one of the 2021 Best Places to Work in Illinois. This is the third consecutive year UGN, Inc. has been named as one of the Best Places to Work in Illinois, and this marks the second year the company has placed in the top ten in the large company grouping. The awards program began in 2006 and is sponsored by HR Source and promoted by The Daily Herald Business Ledger.
Peter Anthony, UGN, Inc. President and CEO commented, “As a company, we work hard to cultivate a culture of Respect, Trust and Communication. I thank each and every one of our Team Members for their hard work and commitment to UGN as we navigated unprecedented circumstances over the past year. We are honored to win the Best Places to Work in Illinois award for the third year in a row and to place in the top ten for 2021.”
This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Illinois, benefiting the state's economy, workforce and businesses. The 2021 Best Places to Work in Illinois list is made up of companies in the small employer category (15-99 U.S. employees), medium employer category (100-499 U.S. employees), and large employer category (500 or more U.S. employees). UGN, Inc. has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Illinois in the large category.
Companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the Best Places to Work in Illinois. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in Illinois and also analyzed the data and used their expertise to determine the final rankings.
UGN, Inc. was recognized and honored at the Best Places to Work in Illinois awards virtual ceremony coordinated by The Daily Herald Business Ledger on Thursday, May 13.
If you are interested in joining the growing UGN team, please visit UGN Careers.
For more information on the Best Places to Work in Illinois program, visit www.BestPlacestoWorkinIL.com.
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Tinley Park, Ill. (August 24, 2020) — Leading automotive parts manufacturer, UGN, Inc., has been named as one of the 2020 Best Places to Work in Illinois. This is the second consecutive year UGN, Inc. has been named as one of the Best Places to Work in Illinois, and this marks the first year the company has placed in the top ten in the large company grouping.
The annual awards program began in 2006 and is promoted by The Daily Herald Business Ledger in partnership with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, MRA-The Management Association, the Small Business Advocacy Council, and Best Companies Group.
This statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best places of employment in Illinois; organizations that benefit the state's economy, workforce, and businesses.
“As a company, we work hard to cultivate a culture of Respect, Trust and Communication,” says Peter Anthony, UGN President and CEO. “I am very proud of the team and the commitment they bring to UGN each day. We are honored to win the Best Places to Work in Illinois award for the second year in a row.”
Companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the Best Places to Work in Illinois. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25 percent of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of a team member survey to measure their experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75 percent of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings.
UGN was recognized and honored at the Best Places to Work in Illinois virtual awards ceremony coordinated by The Daily Herald Business Ledger that was held on August 20, 2020.
If you are interested in joining the growing UGN team, please visit UGN Careers.
For more information on the Best Places to Work in Illinois program, visit www.BestPlacestoWorkinIL.com.
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"I applied and they called and gave me a job. And I said, 'Okay I'll try it.' Never worked in manufacturing before in my life," she said.
The self-described quick-learner did well enough to earn a promotion within a few months.
"(I) was a team lead probably for about four or five months, and then a coordinator job came open," Wolfe said.
Now, she is a coordinator and supervises a group of workers on her shift. Wolfe works at UGN, Inc. The Tinley Park, Illinois-based manufacturer of acoustic interior carpet and thermal products for a number of Japanese automakers with North American manufacturing plants. The Monroe facility opened in 2015 and has already expanded.
Read more at WCPO.com....
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Tinley Park, Ill. (April 22, 2019) — Leading automotive parts manufacturer, UGN, Inc., has been named as one of the 2019 Best Places to Work in Illinois.
The annual awards program began in 2006 and is promoted by The Daily Herald Business Ledger in partnership with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, MRA-The Management Association, the Small Business Advocacy Council, and Best Companies Group.
This statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best places of employment in Illinois; organizations that benefit the state's economy, workforce, and businesses.
“As a company we work hard to cultivate a culture that empowers our team members so they can focus on a career path in an environment that feels like a family,” says Peter Anthony, UGN president and CEO. “An award like this is one of the best honors we can receive.”
Companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the Best Places to Work in Illinois. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25 percent of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of a team member survey to measure their experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75 percent of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking.
“Our team members make up the DNA of UGN,” says Anthony. “Their support of each other and shared sense of commitment is what allows us to reach our company goals AND be a place people enjoy coming to each day.”
UGN will be recognized and honored at the Best Places to Work in Illinois awards ceremony coordinated by The Daily Herald Business Ledger on Thursday, May 9.
If you are interested in joining the growing UGN team, please visit UGN Careers, or follow the UGN Life page on LinkedIn for a look into the organization’s culture.
For more information on the Best Places to Work in Illinois program, visit www.BestPlacestoWorkinIL.com.
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About UGN, Inc.
Founded in 1986 as a partnership between Nihon Tokushu Toryo Co. Ltd., (Nittoku) and Autoneum Holding AG, UGN, Inc., is the preferred producer of high-quality acoustic, interior trim, and thermal management products, and a recognized leader in customer satisfaction for the Japanese transplant automotive industry in North America.
UGN, with more than $450 million in revenue, has six locations in the United States—Novi, Michigan; Jackson, Tennessee; Monroe, Ohio; Somerset, Kentucky; Tinley Park, Illinois; and Valparaiso, Indiana; as well as a location in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico—specializing in manufacturing, research, development, testing, and service support.
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From the Somerset Commonwealth Journal:
October 16, 2018 (Somerset, Kentucky) -- UGN, Inc. in Somerset is pleased to announce that Shawn Cruse has been promoted to the role of Plant Manager.
“Shawn was acting as the interim Plant Manager, having recently stepped up from his role as Manufacturing Services Manager,” says Don Nelson, Chief Operating Officer at UGN, Inc.
“We will continue to support Somerset on site as Shawn transitions into his new role reporting into David Passmore, Executive Director of Operations. With the capability and strength of the Somerset Leadership Team, I know that this will be a great opportunity for Shawn and the Somerset Plant,” Nelson adds.
Shawn Cruse’s promotion comes in the wake of another move. Chris Hicks recently transitioned to UGN in Monroe, Ohio, to manage the facility there.
“Taking the role in Monroe is a great career move for me as we expand that location, but I admit the hardest thing for me was leaving the Somerset Team,” says Chris Hicks.
“That plant was my family. Most of the team had been promoted up from within the organization over the years. I enjoyed watching them grow into the leaders that they have become.
“With my move to Monroe, along with some other changes, we were able to transfer our Continuous Improvement Manager to Monroe to help me, promote Jason [Irvine] to Somerset’s Continuous Improvement Manager, promote Stevie [McWhorter] to Human Resources Manager, and Shawn [Cruse] to the role of Plant Manager. Somerset is in capable hands!
“We delivered some great things over the past few years, and one that I am most proud of is the role that I played in growing the KY Fame program in Somerset. Several years ago, it seemed like we always had vacancies for technical and electrical talent but we could not find anyone. With the introduction of KY Fame, we always have a team member ready to step in. We are even to the point we plan this year to export some of our KY Fame graduates to outside Kentucky to our other locations. I know that Shawn and Stevie will continue to build that partnership.
“Shawn and I will continue to connect every week as he builds upon the foundation that we put in place,” Hicks reports. “I am excited to visit him a year from now and see just how far he and the team have taken things.”
Shawn’s prior work experience includes over two decades in the automotive manufacturing industry, including most recently as General Manager at Toyoda Gosei Kentucky in Lebanon, KY. He received his Bachelors of Science in Environmental Health Science from Eastern Kentucky University.
“In my short tenure at UGN Somerset, I have been amazed at the level of teamwork within the plant from top to bottom and within the overall organization,” Shawn Cruse says.
“This commitment to helping each other was communicated to me from Chris and Dave when I interviewed, but to actually see it in action has been amazing. The potential that this level of teamwork might exist here in Somerset was one of the key reasons I accepted the offer to come here. I have been working in the automotive industry for 22 years now and I have never seen this level cooperation across so many people within an organization. I have been equally impressed with how gracious and friendly everyone has been toward me since the day I started. The opportunity to be a part of this team has truly been a blessing and I can only see positive opportunities for our future in Somerset. I am excited beyond words and look forward to leading an amazing team.”
Out of the gate, Shawn Cruse, Stevie McWhorter, and others from the Somerset team will be meeting with Cumberlands Workforce Development Board during their Plant Managers Alliance meeting to continue discussing the role UGN Somerset plays in the community.
Most notably, Shawn and Stevie will be pitching a future panel discussion around women in manufacturing:
Walk the Line: Why Women Should Consider Manufacturing as the Next Great Career Move
(For more information, please contact Shawn Cruse, Stevie McWhorter, and/or Kevin Bohan)
Please join us in congratulating Shawn Cruse in his promotion, along with Jason Irvine, Chris Hicks, and Stevie McWhorter.
There are exciting times ahead for UGN, Inc. in Somerset.
Shawn’s Contact Information:
scruse@ugn.com
(606) 678-7821 desk
(606) 872-8565 cell
September 2018 - "Focusing on your company's culture." A great article in HR.com from UGN Alumnus/former team member Gary Felsten.