FOOD FOR THOUGHT



QUARTERLY REVIEW

JUNE 2016

JOURNEY TO POINT THOMSON

WHERE SAFETY STANDARDS ARE HIGH AND WHERE AC&SS EMPLOYEES RISE

POINT THOMSON WINS AWARD

MANAGERS MEET FOR SUMMIT

AC&SS SUPPORTS IDITAROD TEAM

NEW AWARD PROGRAM

WHAT’S INSIDE

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COVER STORY JOURNEY TO POINT THOMSON

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A MESSAGE FROM DAVE GONZALEZ- CEO LOOKING FOR INNOVATIVE IDEAS DURING CHANGING TIMES

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A MESSAGE FROM TERI NIENHAUS MAKING WORKPLACE SAFETY PERSONAL

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4 CONVERSATIONS FOR FIRST TIME MANAGERS

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POINT THOMSON EMPLOYEES WIN SAFE CONTRACTOR AWARD

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EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY! AC&SS SUPPORTS RACER JASON MACKEY

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MANAGERS SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP COMMUNITY SUPPORT AC&SS PARTNERS WITH BEANS CAFE

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UPGRADES TO WEBSITE

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CAMP SPOTLIGHT SMITH BAY BRINGS NEW MEANING TO REMOTE

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GOING TO WAR A LOOK INTO THE “WAR ROOM”

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THE NORTHERN LIGHTS CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS NEW AWARD ROLLS OUT

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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT BILL FERGUSON

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MAKING CHANGES TO ADVANCE OUR OPERATIONS NEW POSITIONS CREATED AT CORPORATE OFFICE

AC&SS NEWSLETTER | www.arcticcatering.com

JOURNEY TO POINT THOMSON WHERE SAFETY IS ALWAYS NUMBER ONE

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ast stop, Point Thomson; a 55-acre pad located approximately 60 miles east of Prudhoe Bay at the edge of the Arctic Ocean. Depending on the time of year travel may require a flight from Deadhorse or a trip down a 65-mile ice road. There are 3 check points at each end of the ice road and when flying in, everyone goes through a security screening. All luggage is screened and everyone is issued a badge. The tone is set upon arrival and carried out throughout the job site; for all employees, contractors and visitors, SAFETY is first. Exxon has elevated the standards for safety and the expectations are high at Point Thomson. AC&SS has embraced the safety culture and thrived in it since the very beginning of the project. Exxon implemented a vision of “Nobody Gets Hurt!” and our employees have adopted an unwavering dedication to the directive. Employees are not only empowered to, but expected to question unsafe or potentially unsafe situations. The O&I process fosters this culture and has created a job where everyone participates and when it comes to the safety culture, everyone is equal and held to the same high standards. Part of keeping safety culture a top priority is the highly developed mentoring structure. AC&SS stepped up the Short Service Employee program, aligning with Exxon’s standards and under the direction that safety is more important than production. SSE employees are a part of the program for 6 months and are paired with a seasoned mentor.

The Safety Management team ensures that the mentors are training new employees with weekly check-in’s and documented their progress. Upon completing the training period, employees are recognized in front of their peers. The SSE program is just one part of the Point Thomson job that helps to create a special culture and camraderie among the employees, client and all the contractors. Though it has been a challenge to conform to Exxon’s strict safety requirements, the end results have made it worth it. AC&SS has been awarded the Outstanding O&I Observations and W.O.L.V.E.S. Award, for all employees at Point Thomson. Our employees have been awarded the “Heads Above the Rest”; this is an award for going above and beyond field wide safety expectations. It has also been noted that our employees have the most employee interaction and informative toolbox meetings. The elevated safety culture has made teamwork a must at Point Thomson. The teamwork developed here has yielded not only awards to our staff and company, but more importantly has resulted in ZERO food borne illnesses/incidents. It’s quite an accomplishment considering AC&SS has fed tens of thousands over the duration of the project. Continuous improvement has become a personal value of our employees and company as a whole. As the project now transitions from the construction phase to the production phase, our presence there changes too. What won’t change are the high expectations and safety culture as a top priority. As employees move from this job onto the next, they will take what they have learned to their new jobs. Habits learned and developed will be shared with more employees at more jobs and the AC&SS safety culture will continue to develop and thrive.

Tina Snodderly, Romney Scanlan, Kimberly McCloud

Menikage Akhanti, Brenda Overby, Beatrice Urtubey, Edith Sanchez, Mary Hatsady Thumbs up Point Thomson employees!

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LOOKING FOR INNOVATIVE IDEAS DURING CHANGING TIMES DAVE GONZALES-CEO

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he Chinese have a saying “may you live in interesting times”. It has been about a year since I joined the AC&SS/KAS team as your CEO, and it has been very interesting … every day. Let me start by relaying that our company is financially strong and we will weather this energy recession. There are issues we are managing and disappointments that we are mitigating, but I am highly confident we will not only survive, we will come out stronger on the other side. Let me explain. For some time I have been moving fast and hard at looking at our business and making changes. This is because I was concerned there was another shoe to drop in how our clients operate and this shoe was going to impact us. The shoe is now dropping. I have worked for very large publicly owned companies and I have seen how in tough times the focus is always short term … next month, next quarter or next year and they generally forget that over the prior five years they made billions and billions. In my experience these companies are as agile and subtle as a supertanker and make decisions to achieve short term goals while largely ignoring long term consequences. This sort of posture is foreign to a company of our size that is privately held but we need to understand this is where our clients are right now and therefore this is where we are. The shoe comes in many forms; mothballing projects; reducing contractors; reducing what contractors are paid; it might be delaying projects, and it is often delaying decisions because they do not understand what the future looks like and rather than make a bad decision -they make no decision.

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We have experienced all of these “shoes” and while disappointing as it is, this is our reality in 2016 and I would expect into early 2017. To manage this new environment, we have initiated a series of philosophic and operating changes. The common menu, procurement process, logistic changes, freight consolidation, new financial tools, vendor changes, process changes and management realignment … all represent tactics in an overall strategy to survive and thrive the “shoes”. If you worked on the Anchorage team you might have a negative reaction every time in a meeting I ask WHY? Why do we do this? Why is this the best way? Why can’t we change? Can we do it faster, cheaper and better another way? You see, I believe oil will never be $100 dollars again in my lifetime but there will always be a viable petroleum business. Up to 2015 we like many others have operated our business as if oil would always be over $100 a barrel. Every team members opportunity is to adapt to his new economic reality. If you look at the history of industry change, the result of an economic disruption like we are in has always been a reshuffling of the contractor pool. Contractor death and consolidation is always the outcome and there are always clear winners and companies whose names will be forgotten. Your management team is working to make sure we not only survive but come out the backside of this price recession stronger, bigger and more competitive. We are actively identifying managers, sending team members to off site training, developing in-house training and investing in new tools and systems to make us better.

AC&SS NEWSLETTER | www.arcticcatering.com

I need your help! Don’t think for a minute that we in management have all the ideas. We need to maintain our quality service and products while making sure everything we do is the best way. Please note I did not say the cheapest – at least for now our clients are interested in value and not the lowest price. We are starting a feedback process, directly to me. This feedback will be an email address ideas@arctic. catering.com. I ask all of you for your ideas that can help our company be innovative and successful. If we move forward with your idea or a new business opportunity I’m willing to share something back your direction. I am interested in any process change, new business opportunity or anything that can make us better. So, here is your chance. I ask for all ideas even the bad or crazy ones. I promise to consider all emails and I will reach back out to you to discuss and share our determination. Thanks for everything you do and keep in touch.

MAKING WORKPLACE SAFETY PERSONAL TERI NIENHAUS, ALASKA PRESIDENT

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We work in one of the most unforgiving and remote environments in the world that happens to be on an active gas field. I reflect on these facts each time I travel to the North Slope. I commit to making a conscience effort to alert myself to the hazards around me, and appreciate how our teammates will identify those hazards to me that I may not be aware of.

he other day while watching my grandchildren playing their favorite sport, it occurred to me that managing workplace safety is much like playing hockey. It takes skill and discipline to move the puck down the ice. You have to have your head up and be aware of any defensemen trying to take you out of play. You also have to have your team’s back and insure your goalie is well covered during an unplanned break-away so you don’t get scored on.

I challenge each of you think every day why workplace safety matters to you individually? HSE matters to me because I want to return to see my grandchildren win the Stanley Cup, even if it’s just in the back yard.

Building our safety culture requires a team effort. When we identify workplace hazards or recognize risks to others, we are taking responsibility for our personal safety and the safety of our teammates. Just like in hockey where attempts to advance the puck down the ice by passing generally occurs incrementally in fits and stops, it’s the unpredictable that always displaces the skater from reaching his goal. Our goal is to evolve Arctic Catering & Support Services to a healthy safety culture where we have each other’s backs.

Alton and Easton Buckmeier

AC&SS OPERATIONS UPDATE

A LOOK BACK AT THE 2015/16 WINTER SEASON Every year as the days get shorter and weather get colder AC&SS prepares for what is typically the busiest time of the year. From roughly early December to early May,AC&SS serves clients who work a fast and furious season that requires ice roads and frozen tundra. The 2015-2016 season was no different; all departments worked together for a successful season! 10 camps spread over 200 miles 3 drilling projects, 3 support camps, 2 seismic operations 700 beds 1 ice runway 20 additional employees

AC&SS NEWSLETTER | www.arcticcatering.com

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4 CONVERSATION FOR FIRST TIME MANAGERS

SETTING THE TONE FOR FOR YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE WITH THESE CONVERSATIONS

Great leaders aren’t followed because of their position power. It is because they have earned the trust and respect of their employees. So how do you go about earning trust and respect when you are a first-time manager? Simple: you talk to your employees, but that can be easier said than done. There are four essential conversations you should have with your employees: goal setting, praising, redirecting and wrapping-up. Whether the purpose is to set goals, praise, redirect or bring closure to a task, it’s important for managers to communicate openly with their direct reports. 1. The goal-setting conversation- All performance starts with clear goals. If your employees don’t know where they are going, how will they ever get there? In the goal-setting conversation, managers work side by side with each of their direct reports, coming to agreement on what needs to be accomplished by what date. At the end of your conversation, the direct report knows what good performance looks like, why each goal is necessary, and how it will positively affect the individual, team, and company when accomplished.

SET GOALS PRAISE REDIRECT

2. The praising conversation- After clear goals have been created and set, it’s important for managers to give employees feedback on their performance with day-to-day coaching. This calls into play the next two types of conversations of a first-time manager needs to master.. 3. The redirecting conversation- The second performance management conversation is the redirecting conversation. This conversation is used when someone’s performance isn’t going as well as it should. As soon as a manager becomes aware of a problem, it’s important to address the situation. Redirecting should not be a one-way discussion – listening is a critical first step. It’s an opportunity for the direct report to discuss their performance problem with their manager in a supportive environment. It’s not about punishment; it’s about helping the person get back on track.

4. The wrapping-up conversation-The wrapping-up conversation happens at the completion of a task or project. It’s a chance to celebrate someone’s accomplishment and have them share what they learned along the way. Some managers may be tempted to put off this conversation or may dismiss it as unnecessary, but it’s a great way for a manager and direct report to take a deep breath, debrief, and celebrate together, and get some closure on what has been accomplished. The overall goal with these four skills is for managers and direct reports to increase the frequency and quality of their conversations. Whether the purpose is to set goals, praise, redirect, or bring closure to a task or project, it’s important for not only first-time managers, but also seasoned leaders to communicate openly with their direct reports. It builds trust, creates a nurturing environment, engages employees and improves the bottom line.

WRAP UP

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AC&SS NEWSLETTER | www.arcticcatering.com.com

CONGRATULATIONS POINT THOMSON EMPLOYEES! KAS EMPLOYEES AT POINT THOMSON CELEBRATE THE SAFE CONTRACTOR OF THE MONTH AWARD

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ongratulations Point Thomson employees! AC&SS was awarded the “Safe Contractor of the Month” Award. The employees here have made safety a priority and for the second time have been recognized. This award acknowledges excellent performance in safety, security, health and environment. Employees were recognized for quality daily job site meetings, continuous Short Service Employee mentoring program and immediate reporting of incidents/misses, including thorough investigations. Additionally, our outstanding Behavioral Base Safety process and field wide safety presentations contributed to this award.

Angelica Urtubey, Diel Vrlaku, Ira Carson, Elsie Krivenko, Polycarvo Nglrailild

AC&SS Employees were recognized with an announcement and photo taken with the traveling trophy. A banner was also displayed in the main dining facility! There are approximately 750 workers at Point Thomson and 24 contractors. All 106 AC&SS employees made this award possible by taking an active role in our safety processes, every shift, every day.

WAY TO GO! The Safe Contractor of the Month award was put in place to recognize contractors on the Point Thomson Project for exceptional Safety, Security, and Health (SSH) performance. The award combines the Observation and Interaction (O&I) cards and near misses reported, which are counted and normalized per 200,000 hours. Next the Job Safety Analysis (JSA), PreTask Safety Planning (PTSP), and Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) are reviewed and the quality of each is assessed for scoring. All the leading indicator scores are tallied and hurts are reviewed for each contractor (minor hurts are not counted). While the counts are important, the focus is quality usage and attention to details.

AC&SS NEWSLETTER | www.arcticcatering.com



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EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY! AC&SS SUPPORTS RACER JASON MACKEY

The first weekend of March can mean only one thing in Alaska, the start of “The Last Great Race”; otherwise known as the Iditarod! This year, AC&SS supported musher Jason Mackey and his team of sled dogs, making the 2016 race even more exciting and special! Mackey finished in 34th place, in 10 days, 3 hours and 52 minutes.

We can all learn something from how these specialized teams work, we know what it’s like to work under difficult circumstances. Like these teams, AC&SS crews must learn to work together, while also being responsible for our own job responsibilities. We must trust each other and our lead ers. Through continuous training and a willingness to learn, our job sites can work as a strong team with the same goals in mind!

Mackey is a true Alaskan, born and raised. He began mushing in 1983, participating in the Junior Iditarod and Junior World Championships. He grew up with sled dogs and a strong family connection to the 43-year-old race. This event is an important part of Alaska culture and history as much as it a part of Mackey’s life. The race was created as a way to honor the historic trail that was used through the years to deliver freight and mail and the importance of sled dogs during the settlement in Alaska. The word Iditarod means “distant place” in the Athabaskan language. The name certainly is appropriate, considering the race is about 1,200 miles from Wasilla to Nome. Distance isn’t the only challenge, as the trail can be dangerous and unforgiving. Mushers make their way through tundra, frozen waters and steep vertical climbs. Between cold temperatures, wind, snow and even freezing rain, the ever changing weather tests the competitors. Mushers and their dog sled teams must both physically and mentally fit and work as a team. Dog teams are usually made up of 12-16 highly intelligent dogs and are most commonly from a husky breed. Usually, 4-6 of these dogs are considered “specialists”, 2 are “lead dogs” and the “ballast” dogs run at the rear of the pack. The combination of dogs makes up a team, who must work together; both in their specialized roles and as a team as a whole. Dogs must train as aggressively as their human counterparts. Successful teams know each other and mushers come to trust their dogs. This year, following the race was even more special to AC&SS employees. Employees were not only able to cheer for a team and follow their journey, but also able to participate in the ceremonial start in Anchorage and help with handling the dogs. It was an exciting 10 days for everyone!

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MANAGERS SUMMIT 2016 PARTICIPANTS FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP Are you the head buffalo or the lead goose?

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he theme of the February Manager’s Summit asked this question of the AC&SS attendees. Dave Gonzales, CEO explains that being the head buffalo may be good for the ego but it’s not a good leadership style for you or the company. A lead goose utilizes the skills and abilities of his team. If you are the lead buffalo then your organization becomes buffalo and your managers become lead buffalo in their areas. If the lead buffalo goes off a cliff, then the herd follows. If a lead goose tires at the helm, he is good to fall back and let the goose next in line takes the lead and allows for the team to continue on. Gonzales asked managers to ask themselves “what am I doing or not doing today as the leader that makes me the head buffalo instead of the lead goose?” There is no one recipe for leadership or becoming a leader. You need to write your own personal cookbook. Start by building six things into your recipe:

Manages gather at the Anchorage office

1. Lose the victim mentality 2. Help your employees feel powerful 3. Help them utilize their intelligence and expertise 4. Transfer ownership 5. Create a culture of expectation and accountability 6. Stop rescuing As a leader, it’s important to understand that you have to take responsibility and your people will follow. Help employees feel powerful. They need to be given the control and ability to do whatever it takes to get the job done. And then they need to take responsibility to get it done. Create the environment for ownership where each person wants to be responsible for his or her own performance.

Board of Directors Member Rick MacMillan speaks on AC&SS values and history

Stop rescuing – A head buffalo is a rescuer. Restrain yourself from helping people out of their responsibilities. They need to own the job and all that it involves. Following are 14 observations that make a great lead goose

Continued on page 10

Managers met February 15-16, 2016

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MANAGERS SUMMIT CONTINUED 1. Coach 2. Learn 3. Remove obstacles 4. Share the vision 5. Give direction, focus and priorities 6. Show them how to listen to the voice of the customer 7. Get them to always think customer value 8. Help them measure how well they are doing 9. Communicate and listen

10. Anticipate problems and prevent them – not solve them 11. Deal with difficult/unpleasant issues by joining the “polar bear management club” -Just jump in – splash around – get it over with 12. Make sure that you and everyone else is doing the right thing – not just doing things right 13. Make sure that you have the right people in the right places 14. Learn to leave your comfort zone behind – “anything worth doing is worth doing poorly – at least in the beginning”.

And the Award goes to....





Leadership Award Doug Schneider

Since Doug’s departure from Alpine he has transformed Arctic Catering’s credibility with ENI at NOC and SID into a respected and creditable contractor with this very demanding and unforgiving client. Doug, using his vast years of experience enables him to be solutions oriented in providing proactive and respected camp management capabilities.

Innovation Award Alpine Housekeeping Staff

Challenged by the client to come up with cost savings ideas – the housekeeping staff made recommendations to use a different but compliant laundry soap that resulted in a $100,000 savings



Community Service Award Ambwa Agebush

For her selflessness and determination to feed hungry children in her home land of Ethiopia. Ambwa saved every extra dollar that she could to return to Ethiopia, to feed the local children school lunches and returning to the US with local basketweavers art to be sold to continue funding the school lunch project.



Above and Beyond Award Erich Muth

Eric has a genuine passion for making camp life fun and better than just work, eat and sleep. He does this very professionally and involves his team to join him in delivering great camp morale.



Rookie of the Year Award Shad Ward



Take a Bow Award Harry Andrew



As a new head cook Camp Manager, Shad has demonstrated strong leadership skills by adapting to the Arctic Catering way of doing things and improving upon them.

Harry has a very gentle nature but subtle way of enforcing the rules and maintains a very professional attitude when working with his staff. Harry was the Catering lead cook and then would relieve the remote manager Kathleen Janin for her R&R. He does fantastic work and is great at solving difficult problems.

AC&SS NEWSLETTER | www.arcticcatering.com



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COMMUNITY SUPPORT

AC&SS PARTNERS WITH BEAN CAFE Partners in Community Lisa Sauder and Teri Nienhaus collaborated together to execute the re-opening of Bean’s Café which was closed due to an incident that involved blood borne pathogens that were unintentionally spread throughout the facility by a volunteer that was cleaning up from a resident whom had a medical incident. The volunteer used a mop and bucket to clean up blood and unknowingly spread the pathogens throughout the facility.

At this point we need an outside third party opinion”. Within hours AC&SS had Heather Throckmorton, HSE Manager and John Anker, Food Safety Technician respond. Both Heather and John are Health Safety and Environmental Certified Specialists. Heather and John were instrumental in providing an assessment and documented protocols to get the facility reopened. AC&SS is now a Community Partner with Bean’s Café by sponsoring all blood borne pathogen, hazardous material, hazardous communication and CPR training to the volunteer staff at Beans.

Bean’s Café feeds the hungry and the homeless three meals a day and provides referral services to other programs that help the most vulnerable in our community. Bean’s also serves as a homeless shelter at night. Having Beans Café closed was simply not an option said Teri Nienhaus. “I have known Lisa Sauder, through many social events and fund raisers and we became fast friends.” I texted Lisa with two questions ---“Lisa what do you need to get reopened? Anything Arctic Catering can do to help”? Lisa immediately text me back. “Do you have an environmental scientist that can come give us an opinion on exactly what needs to be done, develop a protocol and help identify appropriate contractors? It’s been a nightmare.

Beans Café Executive Director Lisa Sauder and AC&SS Alaska President Teri Nienhaus

IN MEMORIAM

REMEMBERING MUSTAFA QUERESHI AC&SS is saddened to announce the loss of long time employee Mustafa Quereshi, affectionately known as “Moose”. Moose began his career as a head cook at the North Star Camp in 2002. Soon after, he was promoted to the Camp Manager where he worked until 2006, at which time he transferred to Wyoming where he managed the Ensign US Drilling camp facility, which ultimately led into the EnCana Work Force Facility in the Jonah Field. At the time of his passing, he was managing the Kuukpik Hotel. His contribution at the EnCana project in particular was significant. He played a critical role during the entire project, from the ground up all the way to its closure in 2015. The job required a certain temperament and a dynamic skill set, which Mustafa brought to the job. He was able to make the workplace fun, even during the most trying times. Moose will be remembered for his calm, quiet demeanor and his clever sense of humor. He was a loyal Green Bay Packers fan and loved to fish and be outdoors. Employees are welcome to make donations to his sister’s Free HIV Clinic in Zimbabwe in his name. Mustafa’s sister worked with Doctors Without Borders in Africa as a nurse; at which time she established a free clinic.

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Sharifah Qureshi Memorial Fund First National Bank c/o Rose Lara 1625 10th Street, Monroe, WI. 53566

UPGRADES TO WEBSITE

GO ONLINE AND CHECK OUT THE CHANGES! The Arctic Catering and Support Services websites has changed! Check out the newest improvements at arcticcatering.com. Click on the “Careers” section for job openings, our employment process and frequently asked questions. You can also watch videos staring our very employees talking about what it’s like to work at Arctic Catering and Support Services!

BLUE RIBBON CARROT CAKE

Soon the website will offer an “Employee Center”. Here you will be able to see company updates; such as corporate events and employee resources, internal job postings and our recipe box. Keep checking back as changes will be ongoing and take advantage of the improvements!

CONTRIBUTED BY JAN MADSON

2 C All Purpose Flour

3 Eggs

1/2 t Allspice

2 C Granulated Sugar

2 T Vanilla Extract

1/2 t Nutmeg

2 t Baking Soda

2 C t 2 t Cinnamon

1 C Shredded Coconut

1 C Corn Oil

1 C Dried Cranberries or Raisins

Cream Cheese Frosting 2# powdered sugar Juice from 1 lemon 8 oz softened cream cheese 1 cube softened salted butter 1 T vanilla extract

CARROT CAKE Mix all ingredients together Spray and flour 9x13 or 2 round cake pans Bake at 350 degrees in center rack This cake will slightly pull away from the edges when done --- or test as you would any other cake CREAM CHEESE FROSTING With electric mixer, blend together cream cheese,butter, vanilla and lemon juice Add powdered sugar in batches beating until smooth after each addition

AC&SS NEWSLETTER | www.arcticcatering.com.com

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CAMP SPOTLIGHT SMITH BAY BRINGS NEW MEANING TO REMOTE!

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elcome to the Smith Bay Project!

Located 30 miles from suitably named Point Lonely, resides the Smith Bay Project. There are three camps, the Yukon, Kuskokwim, and the Galena. Fourteen on site employees serve around 200 residents, including camp manager Eric Stream and head cook John Lothermer. Our client, Caelus worked on two wells on the sea ice over the winter. Every winter an ice runway is built next to the camp to fly in crew members and perishable groceries. Non perishables go on a truck from Deadhorse for 60 miles, after that they take a 48 hour journey on rollogans for the remaining 130 miles. It’s no surprise that the logistics of moving people and supplies is the biggest challenge at this camp! Teamwork, communication and organization are crucial to the success of this remote winter job!

Richard Benning, John Lothemer, Jeffrey Kincaid, Bessie Elkins, Glenda Smith

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AC&SS NEWSLETTER | www.arcticcatering.com

GOING TO WAR!

AC&SS ROLLS OUT IMPROVED TESTING

A LOOK INTO THE AC&SS “WAR ROOM”

NEW FIT FOR DUTY TESTING

Arctic Catering and Support Services will implement a fitness for d duty program with Beacon starting May 9, 2016. Arctic Catering & Support Services is committed to providing a safe workplace and to protecting the health and safety of all our employees. In order to provide a safe working environment, employees must be able to perform their job duties in a safe, secure, productive, and effective manner, and remain able to do so throughout the entire time they are working. Employees who are not fit for duty may present a safety hazard to themselves, or others. Working with Beacon we have created a detailed validation of the jobs our employees perform. With their medical expertise we can ensure that the employees we hire have the capacity to perform the essential functions of their job safely. We have performed a detailed assessment of each job’s physical and mental requirements, which we then translated into a specific, customized testing program overseen by Beacon’s team of occupational health experts. With this combination of analysis & examination, we will be able to put the right person in the right job at the right time. By following a thoughtful and consistent fitness for duty process, compliance with regulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), as well as the guidelines of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), can be ensured

Ean Aucoin,Jan Madson, Matt Graham, Eileen Simmons, Rachael Knecht, Sulu Harrison and Christina Rhett attend the morning managers meeting

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ay in and day out, our senior management team starts the day by going to war at 8:15 a.m. each morning. Alaska President Teri Nienhaus explains “with the new office space, we were able to create a room that allows for us to have a line of sight to every employee in the field. This is critically important due to the fluid changes that occur on a day to day basis in the operational field for a company of our size .” The room is housed in the Alaska headquarter building. Three of the four walls are lined with white boards that have each of Arctic Catering’s operational man camps outlined on the boards. Mounted on magnets each employees name is housed under the appropriate camp. A large round table is centered in the room that is host to Change of Status forms, markers and magnets. Each morning Operations, HR, Payroll and HSE managers converge upon the War Room to address issues that have occurred in the past 24 hours said Teri Nienhaus. “Having Operations, HSE, HR and Payroll at the table each morning gets critical issues discussed and decisions made by all stakeholders quickly and efficiently. These issues can range from staffing a new camp to employee transfers, terminations and promotions. Last fall we started using email distribution lists to streamline staffing requests and changes of status requests from the field. Each request received in the last 24 hours is brought to the 8:15 a.m. meeting where upstream and downstream impacts are discussed. Once a decision has been made, the War Room boards are updated and status changes signed off on eliminating the paper-chasing of the past.”

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THE NORTHERN LIGHTS CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

CONGRATULATIONS!

COST SAVING AT ALPINE

Arctic Catering is proud to announce the roll out of a new recognition program, called the Northern Lights Circle of Excellence Award. It will recognize employees who demonstrate outstanding performance in the following categories. • • • • • • • •

Efficiency Cost-effectiveness Customer service Problem solving Teamwork Special contributions Exceptional leadership or for other criteria that the Northern Lights Recognition Committee merits consideration for an award.

HOW DO I NOMINATE? Employee are encouraged to provide nominations to the attention of the Human Resources Manager via email, regular mail or hand delivery. Nominations are welcome at any time. They must be in writing, up to 2 pages. All active employees, including temporary and seasonal positions, who are in good standing with no disciplinary or Personnel Action Notices within the past year are eligible to be nominated. WHAT DO THE WINNERS RECEIVE? Each award recipient shall receive acceptance into the Northern Lights Circle of Excellence Club symbolized with a personalized Arctic Catering & Support Services jacket with the Northern Lights Circle of Excellence logo. Annually the current year award recipient’s names will be held in a drawing for two round trip tickets anywhere Alaska Airlines ARE THERE ANY EXLUSIONS? Awards related to the following items are NOT eligible for the Suggestions Awards Program: • • • • • • • •

Deal with matters that are considered to be part of an employee’s normal job responsibilities. Improving or correcting conditions which exist only because established procedures are not being followed. Duplicate a nomination previously suggested. Propose ideas which are already under consideration. Deal with personal personnel issues, salary and/or benefits increase requests, promotions requests, and paid time off requests. Involve procedures which have been in existence for at least six months. Submitted by an employee whose primary duties involve development or evaluation of cost-saving ideas. Area not submitted within one years after implementation.

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Hats off to our innovative housekeeping crew at Alpine! Challenged by our client to come up with cost saving suggestions, AC&SS

employees

came

up

with an idea that resulted in a $100,000 savings just by changing the laundry detergent!

NEW COMPANY POLICIES

STAY CURRENT WHEN POLICIES CHANGE Take time to become familiar with the new AC&SS Policies. These new policies were distributed via email and hand delivered to camp managers and supervisors to pass to employees.           • Nepotism Policy, No. HR 16 • Sexual Harassment and Discrimination and Report Procedure Policy, No. HR 17 • Internal Job Posting Policy, No. HR 18 • Employee Performance Policy, No. HR 19 • Personal Appearance & Grooming (Corporate Employees Only) Policy, No. HR 20 • Tuition Assistance Policy, No. HR 21 •  Paid Time Off (Corporate Employees Only) Policy, No. HR 22 • Ethics and Conduct Policy, No. HR 23

AC&SS NEWSLETTER | www.arcticcatering.com

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

BILL FERGUSON

“If you don’t like change, then Point Thomson isn’t the place for you” has become the unofficial motto at Point Thomson and Bill Ferguson would know, he’s been a part of the Point Thomson project for 10 years. From working with just 3 employees and a satellite phone from his home to 8 camps serving around 340, Ferguson has seen a lot of change. But Bill Ferguson is used to change, after working for AC&SS since 2002 he has seen his fair share of challenges and changes. From catering lead at Alpine for four years to camp manager at Pioneer and ENI, Ferguson has mastered logistical and communication challenges along with client and operational demands. Through his entire employment at AC&SS Ferguson has gone above and beyond what is expected. He has the ability to get the job done with little resources and often little time. Operations manager, Ean Aucoin recalls a time when Ferguson was able to get a camp with structural and mechanical issues operational and serving 400 on a tight deadline. “I remember walking into the camp after it had only been open for a few days and it was like a finely tuned machine, it seemed like it had been running for years.” Not only does Bill set up jobs for success, but manages to deliver top notch service to the client while building a strong team at the same time! Ferguson has worked with many employees during his time at AC&SS, all of whom have brought different levels of experience and skill sets; all while working in remote locations. Those challenges haven’t stopped him from taking the time to be not only a supervisor, but a true leader to employees; which isn’t always easy under the difficult circumstances all remote jobs possess. Arctic Catering and Support Services employee Erich Muth attributes his success with the company in part to working under Ferguson. Muth recalls Ferguson as a manager who leads by example, is thoughtful and always consistent. “Working for Bill you always knew what to expect.” Says Muth. It’s that kind of transparency that Ferguson brings to a job that creates an environment for employees to thrive and be successful.

Now as Point Thomson transitions again from the construction phase into production project Ferguson will face change once again. The camps have grown and moved all while following stringent safety protocols. The safety culture at Point Thomson is second to none. In fact, under Fergusons leadership AC&SS was awarded the “Safe Contractor of the Month” award, not once but twice! Though Ferguson doesn’t want the accolades and is first credit the entire team for all the success at Point Thomson. “It wasn’t the Bill Ferguson show out there, I give the credit to all the loyal employees. I have a huge amount of respect for them.” Point Thomson offers up many challenges that make it a difficult place to be safe weather, including long periods of fog and what seems like constant wind. Ferguson’s previous experience prepared him for this job, which he says without a question has been the most challenging. To that, Ferguson makes a point to recognize that over the course of this project the entire team stepped up and did what was necessary to be successful. Logistically, it’s a very difficult location to get to, making travel and deliveries complicated. It is also known to have unpredictable including long periods of fog and what seems like constant wind. Ferguson’s previous experience prepared him for this job, which he says without a question has been the most challenging. To that, Ferguson makes a point to recognize that over the course of this project the entire team stepped up and did what was necessary to be successful. Employees like Bill Ferguson don’t come along every day. It’s the rare individual who handles the challenges of working in this industry and even more rare, are the individuals who come back season after season and job after job.



CONGRATULATIONS!

MOVE IT, TRACK IT, EARN IT! EMPLOYEES EARNED $100!

AC&SS employees had the opportunity to earn a $100 Visa Gift card by participating in the Every Move Activity Challenge through the Premera Wellness Program. By tracking steps and movements with using Fit Bit employees earned points. Employees who earned enough points were rewarded with the gift card!

Rebecca Bastien Valerie Blaydes Deborah Branson Daren Bretey Jolar Castillo Becky Connally Justin Courtney Jarod Allen Friars Ricardo Gobaleza Kimberley Gurley Bobby Miller Gordon Orth John Peterson

Michael Ralston Christina Rhett Cynthia Rowell Ronald Sexton Eileen Simmons Jeremiah Tauefa Carl Thomas Jacob Tibbe Julianna Tibbe Dawn Turcotte

AC&SS NEWSLETTER | www.arcticcatering.com

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MAKING CHANGES TO ADVANCE OUR OPERATIONS NEW POSITIONS AT CORPORATE OFFICE

AC&SS is pleased to announce the creation of three new positions; the Procurement Assistant, Talent Development Manager and the Warehouse position. The procurement and warehouse positions have been developed in particular to streamline operations related to each department. Additionally, the talent development position was established to develop middle management and front line supervisors. These new roles have all been created to benefit the overall business initiative at AC&SS

Our new procurement assistant Rebecca Bastien will be responsible for operating the AC&SS procurement system. Bastien will work with operations on menu, ordering, receiving and inspection issues. On a regular basis, she will also work with the accounting department regarding cost and invoice issues and concerns. Additionally, she will work continuously with our suppliers to improve delivery services and quality. Rebecca’s many years of service at AC&SS and well-rounded knowledge of the business makes her a great fit for this new and necessary position!

AC&SS has developed a procurement department to advance our operations; in doing that, we needed a well-functioning warehouse with an organized, efficient, knowledgeable and dynamic crew. That’s where Montel Massenburg comes in! As a true warehouse professional, Montel will plan and oversee all warehouse operations and provide necessary security. He will maintain records, inventory and prepare reports. This demanding position requires health and safety, food safety regulations knowledge and the proper use and maintenance of the warehouse equipment. In addition, Montel will work with the corporate office, our field operations, vendors and suppliers. Montel will work to ensure accuracy and to meet schedules and deadlines in this face paced and critical area of our operations. We welcome Montel aboard! Joe Pizars will be working in a new warehouse position in Anchorage. Joe brings with him slope experience and most recently was working in the Anchorage office in security. In the warehouse, Joe will receive, organize and monitor storage and distribution of all items received either from suppliers or vendors, ensuring a smooth and consistent operation. He will also provide inventories and process reports, among other things! This position will connect our corporate and remote operations and will help both run smoothly and efficiently. Joe is a great fit for this position, bringing together his remote and office experience! He’s got the right attitude for this evolving job and AC&SS is excited to see him step into this new role!

Doug Schneider will be working with our middle management staff and frontline supervisors as the new Talent Development Manager. In this position Schneider will mentor and coach camp managers, head cooks and other high potential employees to obtain the necessary skills to be successful managers. He will develop and oversee training programs. While spending time in the camp, Schneider will create plans to develop managers to attain those skill sets and work with future managers to create plans to prepare them. This innovative position needed someone with a great deal of experience in both operations and with excellent leadership skills; Doug Schneider was a natural choice!

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AC&SS NEWSLETTER | www.arcticcatering.com

....AND OUR HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM WELCOMES A NEW MANAGER

Meet Rachael Knecht, AC&SS’s Human Resources Manager. Rachael joined the team in March of 2016, bringing with her experience in HR, payroll and benefits. Additionally, she is a certified Human Resources professional, being a PHR is a great asset to the management team and company as a whole. In this position, Rachael will focus her attention on not only the activities of the HR department, but will develop and administer plans, policies and procedures for all company personnel. She will maintain the company handbook, will oversee benefits administration and supervise recruitment efforts of all employees. Additionally, Rachael will conduct new employee orientations, investigate incidents, council employees and much, much more in this dynamic and ever changing role! Rachael is a great fit for this position and AC&SS is thrilled to have her on our Human Re-

PEOPLE ARE TALKING! POSITIVE EMPLOYEE REVIEWS FROM THE FIELD MAKE THEIR WAY AROUND THE COMPANY

Chef hats off to Lincoln Russell, our head cook at Marsh Creek. With the ability to manage a wide range of personalities and demands, Lincoln has handled whatever is thrown his way with flexibility and professionalism. His cooking skills are top notch and he keeps a meticulously clean work space.

Way to go Lisa Mackey! As housekeeper at the King Eider camp, Lisa impressed coworkers and clients alike! Conserving products and resources, leading by example and acting as a leader all with a positive attitude and pleasant approach has people talking!

DELL MEMBER PURCHASE PROGRAM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DISCOUNTED PRICES

AC&SS is happy to announce the Dell member purchase program. Members get the best perks and prices including up to 30% off select Windows PCs, tablets, Dell electronics and accessories. Members also enjoy access to exclusive offers and presale events throughout the year and free enrollment in Dell Advantage Rewards to earn 5% back and free second business day shipping. With your member access, you can also save an extra 20% off the entire store! Be on the look out for special promotions through out the year.

GO TO:

www.dell.com/mpp/arcticcatering WITH MEMBER ID: GS136102563 AC&SS NEWSLETTER | www.arcticcatering.com

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ONLINE STORE OPEN!

BE SUN SMART THE RULES OF SPF

CLICK AND SHOP AC&SS LOGO APPAREL The Arctic Catering & Support Services store front is now open for business to purchase your own Arctic Catering logo wear.    

1 OUNCE

APPLY ONE OUNCE OF SUNSCREEN

2 HOURS

REAPPLY EVERY 2 HOURS

Follow the link below into your browser to see the products which include full zip hooded sweatshirts, pullover hooded sweatshirts, T-shirts, polo shirts, vests, jackets, hats and more.  Samples for sizing are being shipped to each camp commissary.    For the Anchorage office samples, please see Jan Madson, AC&SS Office Manager.   

3 AREAS

COVER ALL EXPOSED SKIN



What is SPF? Sun Protection Factor measures how long sunscreen works to protect skin damage from UVB rays. The most intense sun rays are between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., even in the winter months!

Don’t forget to protect your eyes too! Proper sunglasses should absorb and block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB light and should be big enough to sheild the eyes, eye lids and surrounding areas.

Clothing will be embroidered with our five color logo on the left chest.  Camp specific logo wear is in the works and will be added to the website soon.   If you or our clients have any logo suggestions specific to your camp, please email them to Matt Graham, Operations Manager at [email protected].   

http://www.companycasuals.com/arcticcatering/start.jsp

Do we have your correct contact information? Staying connected is how we can best communicate with you! Please let us know of any phone, email or address changes that may effect our communication.

Editor-in-Chief Marissa Martz [email protected]

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907.562.5588

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