events

ESL Provides New Resources

Erika Thorson

ESL Resources

 

ESL’s mission is to, “continuously provide our customers with innovative solutions.”  As we strive to provide better solutions we also aim to provide better resources.  ESL recently updated our technological resources to help serve our customers. The hope is it will not only educate, but also make finding the right “innovative” solution easier.

We built an App for that!

On the path to providing better tools, we created a new and improved online Catalog Manager. You know how catalogs can read like lengthy instruction manuals? Well, we decided to simplify the information and look to make finding what you need easier. ESL’s product offerings are now presented in an easy to locate format. Not only is the new catalog much more legible and direct on your desktop, but also more conducive to smartphones and tablets for customers on the go.

And speaking of smartphones and tablets…. We built an App for that!

We are pleased to introduce the new “ESL Power APP,” available for both IOS and Android devices. You can quickly and easily measure both kW output needed and Wire Size Bend Radius in either one swipe of the slider or a press of the button. The equations are based on the National Electrical Code (NEC) and the Insulated Cable Engineers Association (ICEA) minimum bend radius requirements. The “ESL Power APP” is the easier equation. You can download our app from Google Play or the iTunes App store.

These are just a couple of things ESL has done to make your experience with us a positive one. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our own avenues of information and resources to help simplify your day-to-day tasks.

Still need more help on finding the right solution? Our Customer Service Reps are here to assist.  Click here to request more info.

ESL Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity

Patrick Evans

On Saturday March 11th, ESL Power Systems, Inc. partnered with Habitat for Humanity, Riverside to contribute to their A Brush With Kindness program. A Brush With Kindness aims to help renovate the homes of local families in need. It focuses on exterior home preservation services such as painting, landscaping, and exterior minor repair services for homeowners who qualify for assistance. We were humbled by our employee turnout and the enthusiasm they displayed while volunteering their time.

On Saturday morning, twenty ESL employees and their family members received safety instructions and direction on how to paint our designated house. We then began unloading the supply truck and, without hesitation, set up our work areas and started tackling different sections of the house. Some of us cleaned walls, some organized supplies, some painted high, some painted low, and some held ladders but everyone was active and working as a team. We were scheduled to paint from 8am until noon but had the entire house painted by 11am. In the hour we had to spare we cleaned and pack up our supplies, helped another group with their house and talked to the home owners while we showed them their refurbished home for the first time. Seeing the looks of joy on the homeowner’s faces was well worth the time and effort.

ESL’s first experience volunteering with Habitat for Humanity ended up being the perfect way to give back to our community while building company morale in the process. Our volunteer team was so excited to help that it made the morning fly by.  It just goes to show how much can get done when people focus on a common goal.

To learn more about Habitat for Humanity visit: http://www.habitatriverside.org/.
To read about additional ESL volunteer activities visit:  https://blog.eslpwr.com/esl-family-of-companies-walks-for-jdrf/

ESL Highlighted as Finalist for Upcoming Spirit of the Entrepreneur Award

Erika Thorson

spirit

Founded in 2003, The Spirit of the Entrepreneur Award recognizes the Inland Empire’s top entrepreneurial business leaders and was designed to recognize these leaders’ accomplishments and celebrate their success stories. The Spirit of the Entrepreneur Award has honored more than 200 finalists and bestowed the award to 70 entrepreneurs since its inception. According to Corona Business News, The Spirit’s black tie awards ceremony is becoming known as the top business event in the Inland Empire bosting approximately 800 attendees for this year’s event on November 15th at the Riverside Convention Center.

This year, ESL’s President Michael Hellmers is honored to be amongst the Inland Empire’s elite as one of the (5) Corona based finalists. For a successful nomination candidates must have demonstrated innovation, leadership, performance, character, entrepreneurial mindset and vision. According to IECE, the Spirit of the Entrepreneur recipient must be an individual who truly possesses the entrepreneurial mindset and is constantly pushing to improve their businesses, always striving to advance their ventures and facilitate progress in the industries in which they work.

As a two-time finalist, Michael Hellmers and ESL feel privileged to be nominated amongst such great entrepreneurs. As our company strives to reach new levels of success and aims to contribute to the betterment of the community, we take great pride in being recognized with such a diverse and remarkable group of entrepreneurs.

Our JOURNEY into Lean Six Sigma after 10 months

Pete Mehalechko

Lean Six SigmaIn February, at the beginning of our adventure, we described what Lean Six Sigma is, and the need for implementation at ESL Power Systems. ESL constantly seeks to identify ways to improve. To recap, even the best companies have waste (things that don’t add value to the product) and variation in processes that cost a company money. Our goal is to focus on getting the customer what they want, when they want it, “right the first time.”

OUR ROAD MAP

The first step in our journey was to educate and help everyone on board understand the path we were heading down. This very important first step allowed employees, from company owners to shop assemblers, comprehend the concept of continuous improvement and got everyone moving in the same direction.

TOOLS ALONG THE WAY

The first tool we put in place was 5S. The goal of 5S is to organize the workplace for efficiency and effectiveness by identifying and storing the items used, maintaining the area and items, and sustaining the new order. The 5S steps are Sort, Set-in-Order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. At ESL, I’m happy to say that we are well along the 5S road!
Another tool being used is the “value stream map.” This “map” helps navigate our processes and seeks to eliminate waste. Along the same lines, we have implemented software called LeanKit, which assists in visualizing our work as it flows through our company, providing a big-picture understanding of our procedures.

NAVIGATIONAL PLANS

Moving forward, ESL’s executive committee has completed what we call the “3SL.” This is a 3 year plan for the organization that spells out a clear “true north;” ensuring everyone in the company knows what our plans are for the future. This transparency of goals ensures the company as a whole is heading in the right direction. The 3SL contains (3) elements:

  • 10 key metrics tracked
  • Goals for each metric
  • Specific projects to get us to our goal

This has become the most important document in the company.

We have made much progress over the last several months, and we must work hard to continually improve our products and processes to remain competitive in an ever changing market. We feel positive we will be successful and through our continuous improvement program create additional value for our customers in the future.