THE NEW PIECEWORK: Shop-Floor Control Boosts Production and Morale for Grand Forest

摘要

In the words of the classic song, "Everything old is new again." Grand Forest Inc. may seem old-fashioned - it's a small company that manufactures sewn goods in its own factory in South Carolina, paying its workers by piece rate - but its technology is cutting edge. To start with, there's its high-tech line of clothing and boots designed to protect chain saw users from head to toe. Grand Forest is function-forward rather than fashion-forward - it focuses on making its SwedePro line ever safer and more functional for both homeowners and professional loggers. (Both groups are at risk for chain-saw accidents; homeowners because they typically don't get much practice with the chain saw, and loggers because they tend to use more aggressive saws and techniques.) Carrie Bovender, the company's president and CEO, was trained as a textile manufacturing engineer and is fascinated by making apparel that serves a purpose, rather than by capturing the latest trendy look.