Mike Tucker

By Mike Tucker, Mickey President 

According to The Old Farmer?s Almanac, the ?dog days of summer? are traditionally the 40 days from July 3 through August 11 that coincide with the early morning rising of Sirius, the ?Dog Star,? part of the constellation Canis Major (?Greater Dog?).

With all due respect to astronomers everywhere, the ?dog days of summer? are really hot here in High Point, NC. During that 40-day summer span, the average high temps run between 87 and 89 degrees. When you?re working in a heavy manufacturing environment, it can feel substantially hotter. Yet, smack in the middle of the summer heat wave, we managed 30 straight days without a lost-time accident, bringing our current safety streak to 51 days at press time. As usual, we celebrated the streak with a biscuit breakfast for the entire Mickey team.

Mickey teammates enjoy their biscuit breakfast.

Then, on July 23, the Red Cross Blood Drive trailer pulled into our manufacturing campus in High Point, and 49 Mickey team members rolled up their sleeves to donate blood. In all, our people donated 48 units of blood which, the Red Cross estimates, will potentially save 144 lives. The turnout was so overwhelming that the Red Cross scheduled a second session at a future date. It may take place on a cooler day, but it won?t matter.

And finally, congratulations to the entire Mickey team for the efforts that earned our company MVP status within the NTEA — the Association for the Work Truck Industry. The ?Member Verification Program? recognizes industry leaders based on defined business standards and conformity to applicable government regulations. Please read more about this prestigious honor in this issue of THE SPIRIT.

The dog days of summer? At Mickey, they have more bark than bite!