A MESSAGE FROM NICK HARITOS | | |
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Hello Team,
Spring is finally upon us, and all things considered it was a pretty good winter.
Snow accumulation went down, and sales went up. In a few more weeks, not only will the birds be humming but the factory will be as well with new equipment to support our continued growth. And this means more opportunity for us all.
Your efforts contribute to our success and that equates to more opportunity including our new and improved tuition reimbursement plan as well as other enhanced benefits (read on for more).
Thank you for everything you do. Enjoy the warm weather!
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After a few years away, we're happy to announce that AIS' Boost program is back and ready to go!
Watch for a kickoff email about Boost and then regular features in this publication.
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ABOUT BOOST
Boost is an employee run, company sponsored program that aims to engage AIS employees during work hours or at after hours events. Select anchor events recur from year to year with additional events added by the committee or by employee request upon approval. The goals of Boost are to:
- Foster a cooperative, friendly work environment
- Build relationships between departments and individuals, including factory and office workers
- Express the company’s appreciation to its employees
- Give back to the community
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BOOST EMPLOYEE EVENTS
Boost employee events are designed to be fun, informative, educational, and/or entertaining activities that enhance the work environment.
They may include things such as: employee appreciation day, new employee events, food / ice cream / cookie monster trucks, training on first aid / defibrillators, blood drives, professional development including classes, hands-on training, and more.
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BOOST COMMUNITY EVENTS
Boost community events are designed to provide time and / or opportunity for AIS employees to support our communities in a variety of ways including volunteering and donating.
Events will partner with organizations selected by AIS (suggestions are welcome) to benefit individuals and groups. They may be food / clothing / toy drives, clean-ups / mentoring / maintenance, fundraising, etc.
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Welcome to AIS - New Hires
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Aileene Cotto
Admin. Assist. Data Entry
acotto@ais-inc.com 978.567.5160
Prior to AIS, Aileene worked in security for the Prudential Center in Boston. She also worked for Macy’s doing data entry and customer resolutions. She was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Miami before relocating to Mass. with her Cuban-born husband Ricardo. Aileene and her husband have a four-year-old son Ezekiel who was born shortly after their arrival in the region. Aileene is an avid fan of Star Wars movies – especially Darth Vader!
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Tom Bujold
Project Manager
tbujold@ais-inc.com 508.331.0019
Tom was the regional manager for Town Sports International, a company operating fitness centers. Prior to his tenure there, Tom was a technical recruiter for Connected Systems Partners, a staffing firm in Chelmsford, Mass. He earned a BS in exercise sports science in clinical exercise physiology from Fitchburg State. He is a married father of two young girls, Genevieve and Aubrey. He is an avid skier and golfer and a sports and fitness fan.
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Quinne DeVoe
Senior Designer
qdevoe@ais-inc.com 513.255.1927
With 12 years of design experience, in both the A&D and dealer setting, Quinne brings valuable assets to the design team. Most recently, she worked at MOI, a dealer, in Washington DC. She holds a BFA in interior design from Savannah College of Art and Design. Quinne enjoys exploring new places, challenging crosswords, true crime, and time with family and friends. Her artistic passion is creating large macrame tapestries.
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Rachel Rodriguez Cortes
Data Entry
rrodriguez4@ais-inc.com
Rachel comes to the order entry from AIS' factory where she worked in quality control. Rachel was also an administrative assistant for AIS’ HR department in 2018.
She earned her associate degree in medical billing and coding from the University of Puerto Rico where she is originally from. She now resides in Fitchburg, MA with her husband and 1-year-old son Othniel. Her father, husband, and brother work at AIS. She enjoys family and friends and attending church.
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Pamela Day
Technical Assoc. Engineer
pday@ais-inc.com Extension 181
Prior to AIS, Pam was the operations coordinator for Leominster-based Machinery and Controls. She was responsible for purchasing parts, order and job costing tracking, creating manuals, and drawing parts in CAD. Pam holds an Associate Degree in professional writing from Mount Wachusett Community College. She is the proud grandmother to George who was born to her daughter, Victoria. Pam enjoys yoga and the outdoors, especially hiking.
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Denise Maillet
Order Entry Representative
dmaillet@ais-inc.com Extension 228
Prior to AIS, Denise worked at Curriculum Associates in Billerica, MA, where she assisted in the marketing department for 17 years. Denise helped to produce marketing materials by proofing, making corrections, and ensuring that brand guidelines were met. Originally from Canada, Denise moved to the states at an early age and now resides in Shirley, MA. In her free time, Denise enjoys the outdoors, especially taking walks and bike riding.
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Jaclyn Pullo
Territory Manager, New York City and New Jersey
Jpullo@ais-inc.com 845.709.1261
Jaclyn was as an account manager at Dauphin HumanDesign Group, a company specializing in seating. There, she focused on key accounts in New Jersey and NYC which included dealers, A&D firms, and end users with whom she worked to support initiatives critical to project specification and execution.
Jaclyn is a foodie who enjoys cooking and trying out new restaurants. She loves to travel, read, and spend time with family and friends.
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Melinda Bergeron
Project Manager
mdbergeron@ais-inc.com 508.847.9066
In her most recent position as an IT project manager for e-commerce products at Ultra Commerce, Melinda worked to ensure continuous process and procedure improvement and to ensure that the specific needs of each project was met. She is currently studying for her project management professional certificate. Melinda enjoys exercising and traveling. She will ensure that large project timelines and deliverables are met.
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Sylvia Robbins
Customer Service Rep
srobbins@ais-inc.com
978.401.2684
Sylvia has been in customer service since she was a teenager. For the past five years, she was employed at Johnson Controls as a customer service rep and also provided data entry services. Originally from Laconia, NH, Sylvia is working on a degree in business accounting at Mount Wachusett Community College. She is a busy mom of three children, Natalie - age 10, Xander - age 4, and Audrina - age 3. They are big on being outdoors and really enjoy playing games.
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Mary Carter, Territory Manager
North & South Carolina
mcarter@ais-inc.com or 410.903.4181
Mary was a territory manager for the Global Furniture Group where she cultivated relationships with end-users and the A&D community. She is well versed in AutoCad and 2020 software. Mary created and presents a course entitled, Tips for Writing a Furniture RFP. She earned an AA in interior architecture and design and a BA in sports management. Mary lives in Charlotte where she enjoys the outdoors with her partner Barry and their yellow lab. She loves gardening, cooking and traveling.
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Bryan D. Maisonet Rodriguez
Order Entry Representative
brodriguez@ais-inc.com or extension 229
Bryan recently moved from the factory to the order entry team where he examines and correct purchase orders and reviews bids prior to converting them to live orders. He lives in Leominster with his wife and their 9-year-old daughter Brailey and 2-year-old son Keithan. Bryan is studying for a bachelor’s degree in business admin. He enjoys gaming, Marvel Comics, and all things Disney. He recently began reading books which he credits to his love of Star Wars. He is an avid music lover.
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Leonard Leblanc
IT Operations and
Infrastructure Manager
lleblanc@ais-inc.com
Leonard is responsible for the IT operations team and all related support, systems, network, and projects within the group. Leonard is an alum of AIS, having held the position of IT systems administrator in 2001. He enjoys finding and using cutting edge technological solutions to enhance business development.
Leonard has been married for 30 years and has four children, two sons and two daughters. He has served as a scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America.
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Roberto Rodriguez (L) is now overseeing the existing Casegoods lines as production manager. He is responsible for all aspects of production, quality, safety, staffing, etc. of the existing Casegoods operations.
Adam Robinson (R) has been promoted to production manager in the Casegoods Behold area in Building B where he is responsible for all aspects of production, quality, safety, and staffing for Behold.
In a newly created and critical role of production planner, Jennifer Munoz (C) manages work between both areas to ensure each department is executing their respective schedule and working to their full capacity. Jennifer will flex work between the two areas to help accommodate capacity, staffing, and machine issues and to ensure work is not duplicated.
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Justin Brzostowski
Director of Sales
New York and New Jersey
jbrzostowski@ais-inc.com
973.508.4798
Justin has been with AIS for 5 years and now oversees sales and the company’s regional growth strategy for his territory. A seasoned product specialist, he is passionate about creating efficient and thought-provoking workspaces. With more than a decade of sales experience, Justin works with sales representatives and partner dealerships to help build their brands and create connections with end users. He assists furniture dealerships by supporting prospecting, developing relationships, providing product training, recommending product solutions, and providing superior customer service.
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Anthony Heim
Senior Territory Manager
The Carolinas and Tennessee
aheim@ais-inc.com
518.421.4518
With 13 years of experience in the contract furniture industry with nearly five years at AIS Anthony goes the extra mile to provide exceptional customer service. He develops the dealer distribution network in his region creating sales goals and business plans with dealerships. He also provides product training for sales and design teams, shares industry trends, designs and specifies furniture projects for dealers with unique and customized solutions. As an experienced leader, he is a key contributor to company-led initiatives including AIS’ tour experience at headquarters and an initiative to feature dealer designers.
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Help Us Find New Talent and Earn an Employee Referral Bonus!
Earn $500 for EVERY referral – there’s no limit on the amount you can earn. Employees who refer a candidate that is hired for a full-time position will receive a referral bonus of $500. Half ($250) will be paid out 30 days from the referred employee’s start date, and the second $250 will be paid when the referred employee has worked for 3 months. In order to qualify, both the referred candidate AND the AIS employee must be currently employed at AIS.
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Ryan Walsh, General Accountant
rwalsh@ais-inc.com, Extension 587
Ryan has held two previous positions at AIS. He began as a quality control inspector in the factory and most recently, he was a specials quote engineer. He has a 4-year-old daughter Lily with his girlfriend Natalie who also works at AIS.
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Joe Beauregard, Financial Analyst
jbeauregard@ais-inc.com, 978.567.5112
Joe now does sales reporting, financial planning, budgeting, corporate reporting, and dealer analyses using various software tools. He also analyzes opportunities including acquisitions and supervises entry level general accountants.
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Deb Baker, Senior Accountant | dbaker@ais-inc.com 978.567.5166
Deb will now be responsible for the accounts payable team who now report to her. She also handles all aspects of PanPac working directly with the CFO. She also reviews and analyzes financials at month end, handles all budgeting for payable cycles, and our vendor contracts.
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Sales Hero
Dynamic Designer Mike MacLean Helps Take AIS to the Next Level
Those who work in proximity to Mike MacLean, AIS’
director of design, know that often, you’ll hear him coming before you see him. Known for his infectious laugh and easy-going manner, Mike’s upbeat and can-do attitude has elevated AIS’ design service and brought a value add to the sales team who use the service as a major selling point.
Just a little more than two years into his tenure with AIS, Mike immediately had a positive impact on the dealer experience and support of the sales team that has continued to be a catalyst for the company’s continued growth.
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Perfect Attendance Rewarded
Congratulations to these staffers who did not miss a single day of work in 2022. Each were awarded a check for $1,000 for this accomplishment, Well done!
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Welcome to the World!
Congratulations Megan Knust
Congrats to Megan, a senior application specialist on the PLM team, and husband Paul, who welcomed their second son this past December. Mom and son are doing great and big brother Sawyer is thrilled to have little brother Oliver join the family.
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Leadership and Giving Back
Jeanice Bulnes of SRT Participates in Community Leadership Institute
Group raises money for disadvantages youth in the local community.
READ THE STORY
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The ASPiRE team poses for a group shot during their holiday celebration. | | |
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Special Olympian Rusty Nadeau Takes Home a Medal in Bowling
Congratulations to Rusty Nadeau of Seven Hills Worcester won a medal in bowling at the Special Olympics during the weekend of March 18 and 19.
Rusty is a part of our 2nd ASPIRE team and works with Elsa making drawers.
Awesome job Rusty!
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Factory Birthday Celebrations
Each month, the factory celebrates team members' birthdays with pizza and cake.
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New Casegood Lines Update
Installation of the new casegoods line in the factory are taking shape and expected to be up and running early in the second quarter. Utilmately, the new lines will more than double our current capacity.
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Reminder to Check Your Quarantined Messages
AIS continues to employ new and better methods of filtering email messages and eliminate junk mail (aka “spam”). However, it is still possible (and always will be) that the filter incorrectly categorizes legitimate messages as spam (aka “false positives.”) To make sure you do not miss any important messages, remember to check your quarantined folder by following these steps:
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Click this link https://security.microsoft.com/quarantine
- Log in to the Microsoft portal using your normal user ID and password.
- Respond to authentication request.
- You will be presented with a list of quarantined messages.
To release a message:
- Review the list of messages.
- If you identify a message to release, check the box to the left of the message.
- Click “Release” at the top of the list.
Remember, there’s a reason the message is being quarantined so review the message details before releasing it. When in doubt, do not release it.
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Remember to check your junk mail periodically. | |
Outlook's Junk Mail Settings
We've switched to a new email marketing company, Constant Contact for the Insider and dealer communications. Some users may have adjusted settings to allow Outlook to filter email. If so, please be sure to adjust your junk mail settings to that it allows emails from email group marketing+ais-inc.com@ccsend.com.
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HERE'S HOW TO FIX IT
To prevent specific emails from being marked as junk (and sent to your junk mail folder), please follow these directions.
- Open Outlook
- Scroll down until you see junk mail
- Open the folder, if there is email that you want to let through to your inbox, do this:
- Right click on the message – go to junk, a menu will appear, select one of the two following options:
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Never Block Sender | This will prevent any email from that person from going to the junk mail folder
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Never Block Domain | This will prevent any email from any user at a trusted company from going to the junk mail folder.
NOTE: This folder is separate from the outside “Quarantine” as noted above.
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It's always a good idea to check quarantine and junk folders regularly to ensure you're not missing emails that you need. | | |
Using Microsoft Teams
for Collaboration
Most of the office staff already use Microsoft Teams for meetings, but did you know that you can use Teams for everyday collaboration? Collaborate from anywhere you can connect to the internet to:
- Call coworkers (both voice and video calls),
- Chat with coworkers via screen messages,
- Participate in meetings
- Collaborate with people in the Haworth organization,
- Load it on your smartphone or tablet to take it on the go.
IT encourages everyone to use Teams to its full capacity as they will be expanding its use in several ways this year.
Please note: If your computer is still running Windows 7, you will need to access Teams on the Office 365 website. IT is working on upgrading everyone.
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Have You Added Your Signature to Your Mobile Device?
Many of us are on the move and send emails from our cell phones. Yet, quite a few have not added their signature leaving some looking for contact information.
Here's how to add it:
Open the Outlook app on your phone and click on the settings gear icon (You may have to swipe right to access the settings.).
Under settings (in the mail section), click on signature.
Add the signature that you use for desktop emails from AIS to this mobile account. Be sure to include your name, title, and mobile and work numbers in your signature.
Tap the checkmark to save the settings.
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Keep Your Outlook Schedules Up-to-Date
To assist others as they schedule meetings, please use your Outlook calendars and keep them up-to-date. When booking a meeting, remember to use the scheduling assistant (located in the menu bar and shown below in the second image) to see participants' availability.
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Tips to Prevent Being Scammed |
- Scammers pretend to be from a familiar organization or agency, and may include email attachments with official-looking logos, seals, signatures, or pictures of credentials.
- Scammers mention a problem or a prize. They may say your information was compromised or ask for personal information - don't fall for it.
- Scammers pressure you to act immediately. They may threaten you with arrest or legal action.
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Scammers tell you to pay using a gift card, prepaid debit card, wire or money transfer, cryptocurrency, mail cash or transfer money to an account.
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IT Team Aims to Manage Spam | |
The IT department has introduced a new email scanning tool to help alleviate spam.
Some messages will now include tags in the subject line to help you prioritize viewing:
- [BULK] - marketing messages sent by a brand to multiple recipients at once.
- [MARKETING] - promotional messages to a list of subscribers collected through giving them an offer.
These tags are a visual queue regarding the type of content. If you receive a tagged message which you feel should not be tagged, please contact the IT Helpdesk for assistance.
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SHENANNIGANS
Brett Gets Creative
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Brett Stortz, territory manager for Illinois and Wisconsin found a new use for our 'PET' sling with his 'pet' pup trying it out.
Looks like a perfect fit!
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AIS Office Workers, Collaborative Team Take a Break to Enjoy Cara Brisinski from 'The Voice' in the Second Floor Breakroom | | |
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REMINDER
Memorial Day is Monday, May 29
AIS is closed on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, 2023 in recognition of the holiday. We hope you enjoy the day with family, friends, and fun.
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Sunrise from the roof at headquarters taken in February
by Jay Macchione, BOM and configurations manager.
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AIS Answers Call for "Bigs"
Today, more than ever before, there is a great need for positive role models to mentor, guide, and shape a child’s future. Through mentorship, you can help empower a child and inspire them to muscle through challenging times. We all need such a mentor from time to time, please consider such service.
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Project details:
- Four stations including task and side seating
- AIS' Dan Roberts, field service manager and U.S. Air Force veteran, oversaw installation
- Jim Hicks of ROI Industries (Fitchburg) donated installation services
- Eastern Carrier (Leominster) donated delivery services
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Veterans Helping Veterans
This past February, AIS donated furniture to the Fitchburg Veteran’s Center in Mass.
Here's what Michele Marino, the city's veterans commissioner, had to say.
I was ecstatic to see the set up when I came in this morning! It’s absolutely perfect! The Veteran organizations are so happy with the office space, and to finally have a proper work area to be able to conduct their business in an organized and professional manner.
The space will also provide the Veteran organizations with a place to hold monthly meetings, and more importantly a place to be able to help their fellow Veterans whom might be in need of assistance. .
You and AIS have helped make it possible for all of the Fitchburg Veterans Organizations to finally have a home under one roof. The organizations that will be utilizing the cubicles are the Fitchburg Veterans Council, the American Legion Post 10, the Fitchburg Marine Corps League, and the Fitchburg Disabled American Veterans Chapter 30.
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Calibrate Stack on Reception | | |
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Highlighting AIS’ Accomplishments
Over the years, AIS has amassed awards, letters of appreciation, and recognitions, for products, manufacturing expertise, charitable giving, community involvement, and more. Our L Shelves offer the perfect platform to exhibit and share the work of which we are so proud. The wall is located on the second floor near the kitchen and IT department.
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THE HIGHLIGHTS
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Shingo Prize | Excellence in Lean Manufacturing
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NeoCon | Numerous awards for innovation
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Inc. Magazine | Best in Business, Silver Medalist in Manufacturing
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Boston Business Journal | Corporate Citizen Award
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MassEcon | Corporate Hero Award
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Rising Stars Wall
Photos of AIS' rising stars, taken at the employee appreciation day, have been mounted in the factory breakroom right off the main tour route. Next time you're out that way, take a look! Congrats to all those who were recognized.
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CSR, Order Entry Departments Expand
We're Growing!
With the company's growth comes the expansion of staffing and departments. Recently, installation of new customer service and order entry workstations were installed to accommodate additional staffers.
Pictured are Dan Roberts from field services and Erin Carr from product line management reviewing progress of the installation.
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HINTS, TIPS, TOOLS, BENEFITS | |
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G:\Corporate Brand Materials
Corporate branded PowerPoint templates, digital letterhead, the AIS brand guide and a press release template can be found on the G:drive for company-wide teams to use.
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New Tuition Assistance Policy
Effective Feb. 15, 2023 a revised tuition assistance policy has gone into effect.
Reimbursement supports employees with furthering their post-secondary education by assisting with the cost of approved coursework for accredited degree programs.
Download the Policy
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Benefits Update
When you contribute to AIS' 401K plan, the company will match your contribution at 25% of the first 6% of your contribution.
In 2023, the IRS limits increased to $22,500 with the catch-up contribution increasing to $7,500.
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AIS hosted the Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce for a business after hours event in early March welcoming businesses from the region for a tour of the factory and AIS showrooms. | |
National Sales Meeting Wraps up a Successful Year
The event, taking place over two days on January 19 and 20, included a day-long meeting with presentations from teams across the company to celebrate successful product launches, recognize sales achievers, and provide a glimpse of what’s in store for 2023.
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New York City Showroom is Newly Refreshed | |
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This beautiful 7,334 square-foot showroom showcases AIS’ newest and most popular AIS products and finishes. Visitors experience our refreshed lobby showcasing new Chatham Cove and Volker Cubes with elegantly applied seating alliance upholstery, colorful paints, and our standard finishes.
Share these and more unique product applications with your customers! Host a meeting or presentation in our updated conference room with our Calibrate Conference Table in our popular Neo Walnut laminate, sleek express Auburn seating, and new L-shelves with amounted monitor, and guest accommodations.
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SSL Provides Product for EA Gaming Room
Check out the cool PowerBeam install that School Specialty assisted with. Hats of to Adrian Leal and the team for the EA gaming room typicals they developed.
READ THE STORY
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Engineering Student Interns Assist Factory Personnel | | |
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Student from WPI's engineering program assembled for a photo at the conclusion of the project that they worked on with factory leadership. | | | | |
