Executive Summary

The Treadway Tire Company operates many different plants throughout North America that manufacture and sell tires to a variety of markets. The plant located in Lima, Ohio is currently experiencing high turnover rates among line foremen and Ashley Wall, Director of Human Resources, has made it a priority to solve the problem. To deal with an increased workload, the plant runs continuous operations, requiring employees on site 24 hours a day. There are 50 line foremen at the Lima plant that supervise the hourly personnel and maintain daily operations. Out of these 50 foremen, 23 positions turned over in the current year. This, nearly 50% turnover rate, made it clear that something needed to change in order to retain workers. Line foremen deal with a variety of job duties during each 12 hour shift. They are faced with everything from personal problems to maintenance issues, all while attempting to appease the hourly workers and general managers. The stress and frustration placed on the foremen has taken its toll on employee morale and company production. The company recognizes a need for formal training to combat the problems with the foremen position, but the plant lacks the financial resources to implement this idea. As an alternative, it is recommended that the plant implement an employee mentorship and training program to help aide line foremen in their roles. Losing and replacing employees is time consuming and costly, making it imperative that they give current employees sufficient knowledge and encouragement to be successful in their positions. If the company can recognize dedicated, hard-working employees and encourage improvements, they might be able to improve morale and production while limiting costs.

Situation Overview

The Treadway Tire Company is a major tire supplier to original equipment manufacturers such as