Northwest Food Processors and Hitachi Foundation Present DePaul Industries with Premier Food Processor Award for Advancement of Front-Line Workers

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Northwest Food Processors Association's Education Research Institute (ERI) and the Hitachi Foundation presented DePaul Industries with a 2011 Distinguished Premier Food Processor Award in front of 150 industry leaders at a general session during the 98th Annual NW Food Manufacturing & Packaging Expo and Conference held on January 19, 2012.

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As part of the Hitachi Foundation's Pioneer Employers Project, the award recognizes employers for their contributions in promoting economic opportunities for lower-income employees, specifically as a means of improving their corporate results. In DePaul Industries' case, this honor highlighted its innovative Heart of the Workforce (HOW)™ Program, which was designed to improve turnover rates for food processors and front-line employees simultaneously.

The HOW™ Program is an entry level, workforce for productivity program designed as part of the solution to a major issue facing the food processing industry: the lack of available knowledgeable seasonal and long-term skilled workers. By teaching the basics surrounding workforce readiness, workforce safety, food handling, and food safe manufacturing practices prior to employment, the HOW™ Program prepares workers for work before they get in the door—thus reducing on the job training times, increasing quality, productivity and a dedication to safety. This simple concept is one that has been shown to bring high turnover rates of 35-40% down to 20-25%—a significant change for businesses whose work ebbs and flows with seasons.

"HOW™ Program participants are more prepared to 'be there when they get there,'" said Dean Stearman, Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer at DePaul Industries and ERI Board Member. "Workforce readiness creates tremendous value for both the employers and the employees by allowing them to become involved with each others success. Best of all, this program has the capacity for scale—both within rural and urban clusters of food processors and in other industries."

For more information about the HOW™ Program, please visit www.depaulindustries.com/how.html.

About DePaul Industries:

Since 1971, DePaul Industries has focused on its vision of changing the landscape of employment of people with disabilities while growing into the Northwest's most comprehensive outsourcing specialist. DePaul helps people with disabilities to have the opportunity to work through a self-sustaining business model that generates more than 97% of revenue through the operation of three core businesses: food packaging & contract manufacturing, temporary staffing services, and security services. To date, DePaul has trained or employed in excess of 15,000 people with disabilities and paid wages and benefits of more than $200 million.

DePaul Industries' Food Packaging & Contract Manufacturing division operates a 100,000 square foot facility on Hayden Island just north of Portland, Oregon, specializing in complete turnkey services to meet total supply chain needs—from packaging design and material management, to flexible assembly and production capabilities, to distribution and logistics. DePaul's packaging division was honored as the Northwest Food Processors Association prestigious Food Processor of the Year in 2009. DePaul's staffing division also has been successful in creating employment opportunities for disabled veterans, leveraging the skills and leadership inherent to this group.

DePaul Industries was honored as one of Oregon Business magazine's "100 Best Companies" in 2012 and 2011, and has consistently been named a top staffing firm by the Portland Business Journal for the past few years. The organization has also been honored as one of Portland Business Journal's "Most Admired Companies," and was the recipient of the Oregon Ethics in Business award in 2011.

About the Hitachi Foundation:

The Hitachi Foundation is an independent nonprofit philanthropic organization established by the founder of Hitachi, Ltd. in 1985. Their mission is to forge an authentic integration of business actions and societal well-being in North America. Through 2013, the organization's strategic focus is on discovering and expanding business practices that create tangible, enduring economic opportunities for low-wealth Americans, their families, and the communities in which they reside—while also enhancing business value.

About Northwest Food Processors Association's Education Research Institute:

Incorporated in 2007, Northwest Food Processors Education Research Institute (ERI) exists to enhance the overall economic health of the Northwest food processing cluster and the communities it supports. ERI, provides research and support to the food processing industry.

SOURCE DePaul Industries