Company News and Highlights

November 14, 2016

COC and AMS Partner in Apprenticeship Program

Over the years some very innovative initiatives have been undertaken between College of the Canyons (COC) and AMS Fulfillment, and a new program is in the works. For the past two years AMS has been working in partnership with COC in an effort to provide free access to education for its employees. In this arrangement, AMS provides the classroom space, and COC provides the curriculum, instructors, materials and registration.

Ongoing COC adult education courses offered at AMS include English as a Second Language, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and Beginner Microsoft Excel classes, with General Education Diploma (GED) and Citizenship courses in the works. In addition to these adult education classes, AMS and COC have announced that they will be partnering in a new program with on-the-job training that has a proven record of success in the workplace: Apprenticeship.

In 2011, the US Department of Labor created an initiative called Apprenticeship USA to address a problem of in-demand jobs and an untrained workforce. In this program, apprentices will learn a new skill, within their community. Here’s how it works: An apprentice receives on-the-job training (OJT) as an employee with a local business which allows them to earn an income while gaining new skills. In addition, they participate in a college education program focused on that skill.

Apprenticeship is not a new idea – it has been seen as tried and true for a long time. Since the 1930s there has been a tradition of apprenticeship in the building construction industry and in craft unions. Within the plumbing, carpentry, ironworkers and elevator constructors unions, and in other skilled labor unions, apprenticeship is the way people gain employment and training.

The new Department of Labor initiative makes it clear that skilled employees are also needed in many non-union jobs, and an apprenticeship model can work well to fill the needs in those industries.

The apprenticeship program offered by COC is meant to do exactly that. Their program focuses on skills needed in the areas of Information Systems, Advanced Manufacturing and Healthcare, as there are critical employment deficits in these industries and others as well. For example, COC is preparing to offer registered apprenticeships in nearly a dozen occupations related to Advanced Manufacturing.

COC and AMS Fulfillment have been working to design a program in response to the employment needs of the company, which are Logistics and Warehousing. Through this partnership, COC is able to pursue a state-approved apprenticeship program with a projected start date of January 2017.

According to Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook, Chancellor of College of the Canyons, this apprenticeship program with AMS Fulfillment will result in several “firsts” for the company:

The first company in the Santa Clarita Valley to partner with a Community College to create an apprenticeship program;
The first company in the State of California to offer an apprenticeship program specializing in warehousing and shipping;
The first company in the United States to apply for a registered apprenticeship with the Department of Labor in the area of warehousing and shipping.

Dr. Van Hook goes on to say, “We are proud to be a partner with AMS Fulfillment in bringing needed skills to underserved populations within our community.”

AMS Fulfillment is known for creating jobs and opportunities for those in need. When asked about the apprenticeship program, Ken Wiseman, CEO of AMS, expressed the company’s goals: “At AMS we are fortunate that we can offer many entry level jobs each year to individuals seeking employment. With this new Apprentice program, we will take 13-individuals and give them a chance to take their logistics job, and turn it into a career. That’s a big opportunity, and one that is enabled through the partnership efforts of College of the Canyons, AMS Fulfillment, and both Federal and State programs that support this initiative.”

This is an example of how a corporation and a college can work together to make a difference in the lives of people regardless of their past. AMS and COC will continue to strive for excellence in serving the clients, the students and the people of Santa Clarita for years to come…stay tuned.

October 17, 2016

AMS Faces the Rising Cost of Employee Health Insurance

One of the reasons that employees are dedicated and happy working for a company is the health insurance coverage that they receive as a part of their total compensation package. Great health insurance coverage with a low deductible has been considered key to attracting and retaining great employees. Unfortunately, the low deductible is becoming a thing of the past for an increasing number of workers.

Since 2011 health insurance premiums have increased 20% on top of even greater increases in the prior years. With health insurance premiums continuously rising, employers find it difficult to provide the coverage they would like to provide.

As employers are faced with the rising premiums, many have found it necessary to pass on health care costs to the workers. The most common way is to increase deductibles and other forms of cost sharing. Knowing that an increase in the deductible can be burdensome to many of their employees, companies, while reluctant to make that change, do so when they see it as their best or only choice.

Another means of lowering the cost of premiums is to reduce the coverage. But businesses that put a high priority on attracting and retaining their employees will make other adaptations in an effort to avoid reducing coverage. Some will take on the option of lowering costs by incorporating wellness programs, doing annual health risk assessments, and finding ways of assisting employees who are managing a chronic illness.

Knowing that the rising cost of health insurance has put so many businesses in a quandary, we requested an interview with two executives of AMS Fulfillment, Louise Aldrich, VP of Finance and Betty Lou Wiseman, Executive VP of Client Services. Like any other company AMS is paying higher premiums, but unlike many others, this company has not wavered on the commitment to provide affordable health insurance to all of their employees.

Betty Lou Wiseman began by offering the following: “Since 2005, AMS has maintained a Cafeteria Section 125 plan. This plan allows employees to pay their contribution for medical premiums with pre-tax dollars. Using pre-tax dollars further reduces the cost of employees’ medical, dental and vision insurance. On average employees will save 28 cents on every dollar they spend.”

Louise Aldrich went on to explain that AMS considers dental and vision coverage very important for employees as it pays for services that are extremely costly without insurance. Louise said, “AMS recently added a Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA’s) plan where employees may set aside, on a pre-tax basis, a set amount of money per year. These FSA savings may be used for paying eligible medical, dependent care, or transportation expenses.”

Betty Lou and Louise made it very clear that because of the company’s strong commitment to employees, AMS has held firm with their employee contribution percentages, even though, throughout the years, the cost to AMS has been steadily increasing. Every year AMS tasks their insurance brokers to provide the lowest, most competitive rates available in the marketplace while preserving coverage. With a steadfast commitment to employees, and management that is creative in problem solving, AMS does stand out as a very good company to work for.

“Our employees are the reason for our success,” Betty Lou said. “In the fulfillment business, employees are the greatest asset. We consider it vital to keep our commitment to employees by providing quality health insurance at the lowest possible cost to their pocketbook.”

October 10, 2016

AMS Employees Thanked for Outstanding Service

Congratulations to the AMS Employees of the Month for September 2016! We are very pleased and proud to recognize Jessica G., Juan G., Araceli S., Ruben R., Bobby A., and Esperanza E.

AMS Fulfillment is located in Valencia, CA, City of Santa Clarita. We are a large fulfillment company with several facilities and several hundred employees. Every month the supervisors at our facilities nominate individuals who are doing an outstanding job for the clients. One might think that with multiple facilities it would be hard to notice individuals and their achievements. But in the fulfillment industry, employees are much more than human resources… they are the reason for a company’s growth and success. These nominations and supervisor comments demonstrate that the individual being recognized has not only been noticed, but has gone above and beyond!

It’s our pleasure to recognize the following Employees of the Month for September, 2016:

Jessica G., Account Support (August 2015)
HQ Office: 29010 Commerce Center Drive

Jessica has been working on the Customer Service team for a short time but produces work like she has been in the department forever. She works well with her team and is truly a team player. She is like a sponge absorbing the different tasks that are put on her plate, and she makes sure all of her work is done before leaving at the end of the day. Jessica is someone who came up through the ranks of the company, first working in the warehouse on a program. In that position she became the communication conduit for many of the employees in the warehouse as they recognized her ability to communicate. I am so happy that she responded to the job posting. She is truly someone who will continue to move up here at AMS.

Juan G., General Warehouse (April 2015)
HQ Warehouse: 29010 Commerce Center Drive

Juan is a team player! He’s always available and willing to help out even if that means coming in on weekends. He has a strong work ethic and it’s time for him to be recognized. Juan keeps on top of his job and makes his work area clean.

Araceli S., Shipping Clerk (July 2015)
IND1: 28220 Industry Drive

Araceli completes every task she is given. She comes in to work with a good attitude and when someone has a question or if they need help with something she always tries her best to answer their question or help where they need help.

Ruben R., Receiving Lead (December 2007)
SCO3: 27801 Avenue Scott

Ruben has been a great lead for the receiving department. He is an organizer and plans for shipments ahead of time with excellent results, always helping the team members become more efficient. He is ready to help in any project you put him on, and he gets along with everyone.

Bobby A., Receiving Lead (August 2015)
WIT2: 28624 Witherspoon Parkway

Bobby is a diligent worker with great attention to detail. He has been exemplary in his work ethic and ability to lead and train his team. He always brings ideas to the table and is willing to help others. Bobby is a valuable asset to AMS.

Esperanza E., Supervisor (June 2014)
WIL: 28936 Ave Williams

Esperanza is a phenomenal employee. She goes above and beyond to get the job done and gives 110% effort in every job or task. She takes on a lot more responsibility with no problem, providing great customer service to all drivers and deliveries. Esperanza is always willing to teach and mentor employees in order to help them succeed.

From the first day of operation our company has nurtured a family environment, taking note of and caring about the individual employees, their well-being, and their job satisfaction. So it is with the spirit of Family we offer a sincere Thank You! No matter which department or which task our outstanding employees are honored for, we know they are the reason that AMS succeeds so well and continues to grow.

September 15, 2016

AMS Now Offers Clerk Mentoring!

AMS Fulfillment has nurtured a corporate culture that gives priority not only to client success, but to employee satisfaction as well. The wisdom of the ‘AMS Family’ culture is apparent in that satisfied and well-trained employees perform at a higher level. Everyone benefits, including AMS clients.

For the past few years AMS has offered education programs for employees, making it convenient for them to learn at a college level right on the AMS campus, at no charge. Now AMS has added to this educational benefit a Clerk Mentoring Program for those who wish to advance within the company.

AMS Clerks perform a number of tasks related to receiving, inventory, shipping, and returns. Returns clerks are responsible for processing daily returns of product as they count, sort, check-in and control defective inventory. Inventory clerks coordinate inventory in accordance with operating procedures. Receiving Clerks count, sort, and weigh all inbound shipments, verifying the receipt in accordance with procedures of AMS and of the clients. and Shipping Clerks process orders from the pick pack team through the item verification and selection of shipping process. As you can see, the AMS Clerks shoulder a lot of responsibility and serve very vital functions.

According to Scott Tsunoda, Talent Acquisition and Development Manager at AMS, the company has established the Clerk Mentoring Program in order to identify high performing clerks and offer them the opportunity to step into leadership roles, mentoring general warehouse employees who wish to be hired as clerks when positions become available.

When asked for more details, Tsunoda said, “Mentors offer guidance, but they do not take on the role of supervisor. Their role is to help in the learning experience. We have a number of programs that encourage employees to advance their skills and contribute their ideas as to how the company can improve. Many good ideas have come from our employees, and we have enjoyed significant benefits from the educational opportunities we offer to those who work here.”

Tsunoda went on to talk more about the benefits of mentoring and the relationships that develop. He pointed out that mentoring increases the transfer of knowledge as opposed to simple training, it develops skills in the mentor as they learn how to teach, it increases teamwork, and improves employee retention.

AMS is delighted to add Clerk Mentoring to already existing educational programs and on-the-job training in cooperation with Santa Clarita’s College of the Canyons. AMS employees can attend college classes in their very own classroom, the “Advance My Skills Learning Center,” on the AMS campus. Some of the classes offered include English as a Second Language, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Course, and Beginner Microsoft Excel classes. AMS has plans to offer GED and Citizenship courses as well.

More information on AMS educational opportunities can be found in these articles: On the Job Training: a Big Win for All, and AMS Fulfillment Invests in Employees.

September 15, 2016

AMS Thanks August Employees of the Month!

Congratulations to the AMS Employees of the Month for August 2016! We are very pleased and proud to recognize Ruth M., Teresa G., Mayra A., Erika L., Jeremy C., and Jose D.

AMS is a large fulfillment company with a number of facilities and several hundred employees. All of our facilities are in Valencia, CA, city of Santa Clarita. One might think that in such an expansive environment it’s hard to notice individuals and their achievements. But in the fulfillment industry, employees are much more than human resources… they are the reason for a company’s growth and success. From the beginning and to this day we value a family environment that takes note of and cares about the individual employees, their well-being, and their job satisfaction.

Each month the supervisors in our various facilities nominate an employee who has provided outstanding service to the AMS Clients. The nominations and supervisor comments demonstrate that the individual being recognized has gone above and beyond, and deserves Special Thanks!

It’s our pleasure to recognize the following Employees of the Month:

Ruth M., Account Manager (December 2011)
HQ Administration: 29010 Commerce Center Drive

Ruth has been doing an amazing job for AMS. She is always available if anyone needs help, not just offering help to members of her team but to anyone. She consistently takes a proactive approach with fulfillment operations and clients. As an Account Manager she is the one making sure that the clients are taken care of each day. She is a team player and always stays busy. Her dedication to what she does is noticeable and clients love working with her.

Teresa G., Clerk (March 2015)
HQ Warehouse: 29010 Commerce Center Drive

Teresa is a wonderful worker and very dedicated to her job. She never complains, is respectful to everyone, is an excellent team player, and always goes the extra mile to get her job done. She’s a great example person, helping her peers and client services, answering emails and working successfully with all departments. Teresa is the backbone of the returns department: our ‘go to’ person, helpful and knowledgeable. She takes on many responsibilities and if I run into a problem, Teresa is the first person I would ask because of her extensive knowledge.

Mayra A., Lead (July 2011)
IND1: 28220 Industry Drive

Mayra has a great attitude and capacity to work under pressure, handling a number of tasks. She is always working hard in order to complete her tasks on time, which is very important in our industry. We really appreciate having Mayra on the team.

Erika L., Lead (November 2011)
SCO3: 27801 Avenue Scott

Erika has been a fantastic addition to my shipping team since she obtained the rank of shipping lead. She has inspired our team to reach new goals set before them as well as being a leader by coming to work on the weekends and always working overtime when needed. She has also taken over two clients when her supervisor is not in, without an issue. Shipping lead seems to be Second Nature to her.

Jeremy C., Assistant Operations Manager (November 2015)
WIT1: 28624 Witherspoon Parkway

Jeremy has been extremely busy, twenty times more than normal, and has done a phenomenal job keeping up with the workload (incoming/outgoing). He meets all of his deadlines. In addition he has put in long hours to make sure he stays on top of it. Great effort and attention to detail!

Jose D., Lead (July 2007)
WIL1: 28936 Avenue Williams

Jose has demonstrated that he is completely capable in helping with a number of different clients. He has helped tremendously at the WIL1 facility. Jose is always willing to help others and goes the extra mile on what he is doing. He likes teaching others and also gives ideas if he sees something that can be done better. We very much enjoy working with Jose.

Whether these outstanding employees are part of the management team, client services, technology, accounting, fulfillment operations, facilities, the warehouse team, taking inventory, answering the phone, training people, making decisions, doing payroll… they are the reason that AMS succeeds so well and continues to grow.

Employees of the Month recognition is meant to be a sincere Thank You from the AMS Fulfillment Family!

August 16, 2016

AMS Thanks Employees of the Month – July 2016

Congratulations to the AMS Fulfillment Employees of the Month for July 2016! We are very pleased and proud to recognize Angie B., Mariana M., Natalio M., Jackeline G., Zachary D. and Colli F.

Every month the supervisors in our various facilities nominate a team member who has provided outstanding service to the AMS clients. The nominations and comments demonstrate that the individual being recognized deserves to be thanked and appreciated for not only doing a job well, but for caring enough to go above and beyond. Nominations are listed according to the facility that the employee represents. All of the AMS facilities are located in Valencia, CA, city of Santa Clarita.

It is a pleasure to recognize the following Employees:

Angie B., Account Manager (October 2012)
HQ Office: 29010 Commerce Center Drive

Angie is always on time and ready to work. She has an amazing attitude toward work and is real go-getter, always willing to help operations in any way that she can. Angie is a great example of what account managers should strive to be like.

Mariana M., Shipping Lead (September 2002)
HQ Warehouse: 29010 Commerce Center Drive

Mariana is an excellent employee, willing to take on responsibility in the shipping area. She is also a great communicator and good person. Mariana is professional in any job that she does, and she works very hard and very fast.

Natalio M., Janitorial (October 2004)
IND1: 28220 Industry Drive

Natalio is a really great worker. He is always helpful and maintains a clean warehouse. He is always checking with people to see if he can help and asks the question, “Do you feel the warehouse is a clean safe environment?” He takes care of all of our recycling needs, and he cares about our warehouse.

Jackeline G., General Warehouse (March 2014)
SCO3: 27801 Avenue Scott

Jackie is one of the hardest working employees in SCO3. She is cross-trained in every department, such as receiving, returns, scanning and shipping. She never minds helping out in any department that needs help. Jackie is very dedicated to doing a good job and is always wanting to improve her skills by enrolling in any of the classes that are offered by AMS, such as ESL and Excel. She was awarded top student the first round of the ESL class. Jackie is truly a pleasure to have on our team.

Zachary D., General Warehouse (June 2016)
WIT2: 28624 Witherspoon Parkway

Zachary is very helpful; always there when you need help. He is a team player, always assisting with any task that is asked of him. He has very good people skills and is helpful to the fullest. Zachary is a hard worker.

Colli F., Coordinator (July 2015)
WIL: 28936 Ave Williams

Colli is always on time and is willing to help others when he finishes his tasks. He is a hard worker, who is careful and accurate when picking and dealing with multiple sku’s.

The AMS employees are much more to us than human resources… together we are the AMS family. We are a large company with many employees, and one might think in such an environment it’s hard to notice and give credit to individuals. But we have chosen a different route in growing to this size: from the beginning and to this day we value a close environment that takes note of and cares about the people who work here, their wellbeing, and their job satisfaction.

Our employees are the reason for our success. Employees of the Month recognition is meant to be a sincere Thank You from the AMS Fulfillment Family!

June 10, 2016

AMS Family Recognizes Employees of the Month

Congratulations to the AMS Employees of the Month for May 2016! We are very pleased and proud to recognize Sergio S., Silvia S., Lorenzo G., Jonathan E., Silvia M. and Cynthia M.

AMS is a large fulfillment company with a lot of employees, and one might think in such an environment it’s hard to notice and give credit to individuals. But we have chosen a different route in growing to this size: from the beginning and to this day we value a close environment that takes note of and cares about the individual employees, their wellbeing, and their job satisfaction. That’s why it’s such a pleasure to recognize “Employees of the Month”. Our people are much more to us than human resources… we are the AMS family.

We have a number of facilities, and every month we receive nominations from each facility. All facilities are in Valencia, CA. The nominations and comments demonstrate that the individual being recognized has done an outstanding job during the month, and deserves to thanked and appreciated for not only doing a job well, but for caring enough to go above and beyond.

Sergio S., Assistant Account Manager, (July 2015)
HQ Office: 29010 Commerce Center Drive

Sergio is a dedicated hard worker who has performed very well. He is such a great guy with a great attitude. Sergio has shown incredible growth, he is a fast learner, takes ownership of his tasks and is a team player always willing to help. He has expressed interest in growing within AMS and he shows it with his hard work and dedication, taking on responsibility and working well with the entire team. “It is great to have him as part of our team.” “Thanks for all your hard work Sergio!”

Silvia S., Shipping Lead (January 2004)
HQ Warehouse: 29010 Commerce Center Drive

Silvia is a very hard working person and is always at work every day. She is a very dedicated employee, always on point, and knows everything there is to know about the client she’s serving. She takes on a large workload and still finds ways to help others as much as she can. She always stays busy and is cross-trained on multiple clients. Silvia has a strong sense of pride in the job she has done for AMS for more than 10 years. She is very reliable and we can count on her to question things, making sure the job is done smoothly and correctly.

Lorenzo G., Supervisor (April 2015)
IND1: 28220 Industry Drive

Lorenzo always is at work on time with a good vibe and smile on his face. Nothing can affect his mood and he is always willing to help everybody. He is one of the youngest supervisors at AMS, and he has shown himself to be capable in handling the responsibilities given to him. He’s learning and improving daily and is someone you can truly count on.

Jonathan E., General Warehouse (February 2016)
SCO3: 27801 Avenue Scott

Jonathan has dedicated himself to the position of Lead Operations and has become very good at it. He always has a great attention to detail and is always here on time. Jonathan is a great worker and has learned fast, doing a great job for the client’s team. His amount of work in a very short period of time is impressive. “Jonathan is our fastest B2C Picker.” He is here always on time, gets along well with his co-workers and is willing to work at other buildings and in other departments.

Silvia M., Clerk Level 1 (December 2015)
WIT2: 28624 Witherspoon Parkway

Silvia is always greeting others with a smile and is eager to help in any way. During our safety walks she always asks how the walk went and wants to assist in any way. Silvia is a team player and wants to perform at the highest level as she works to continue to learn the business and excel to the best of her ability. Sylvia is deserving of this nomination because she is a very hard worker, excellent with instructions and goes the extra mile.

Cynthia M., Receiving Clerk (May 2015)
Will: 28936 Ave Williams

Cynthia is doing a great job shipping orders, communicating with Client Service and Data Entry. If she doesn’t know how to do something or how to process an order she always asks. When she finds the answer she always passes the information to other employees so that they know for future reference. She always has a good attitude and never complains if things change. Cynthia has a good relationship and respect for other employees at all times. “She always says Good Morning with a smile.”

Employees of the Month recognition is meant to be a sincere Thank You from the AMS Fulfillment Family! Whether part of the management team, client services, technology, accounting, fulfillment operations, facilities, the warehouse team, taking inventory, answering the phone, training people, making decisions, doing payroll… you are the reason for our success and we Thank You!

June 9, 2016

On the Job Training: A Big Win for All

On the job training is a wonderful solution!

One of the greatest frustrations for people engaged in a job search, is the ‘experience required’ stipulation. Talented, energetic people who want nothing more than a chance to prove themselves are turned down simply because they haven’t done the job before, or even because they haven’t been able to find work for a while. It often seems unfair, but one can’t blame the employer for seeking the best candidate.

AMS Fulfillment of Valencia, along with the City of Santa Clarita, College of the Canyons, South Bay Workforce Investment Board and JVSLA, have found a solution that really has no downside. The communities benefit, the company benefits, the social service organizations succeed, and the people who have been looking for a chance to prove what they can do for themselves and their families find an open door.

In a recent interview with Scott Tsunoda, Talent Acquisition and Development Manager at AMS, the benefit to all involved was explained. Scott said, “We are often in a position to hire seasonal staff, special project staff, and even full-time staff here at AMS. Most of the positions are in the warehouses, doing picking, packing and shipping and operating a forklift. These organizations have made it possible for us to serve the community and the job-seekers by providing on-the-job training.”

Scott explained that the City of Santa Clarita and College of the Canyons work together to find the candidates, and when the candidate is hired, they pay a share of the salary while the employee is being trained. “This allows us to take the time in training the candidate,” he explained, “giving them job skills to go on their resume, or, they may become permanent employees. The South Bay Workforce Investment Board does a similar work in partnership with the Jewish Vocational Service LA (JVSLA). The employment candidates are offered by these organizations, and when we have open positions we let them know.”

An additional benefit to AMS, according to Scott, is that the employment search is eased, especially when AMS has a seasonal rush or a big project requiring staffing for 4-6 weeks. Scott said, “By partnering with these organizations, we continue our community involvement and service, and it allows us to leverage the opportunity to utilize additional labor and funding sources to assist in creating more employment opportunities as well.”

AMS has a long history of community involvement, employing veterans, the developmentally disabled, at-risk youth, seniors and college students. “We do it because it works,” Scott said, “and it does feel good too, to know that people who may have needed a job for some time, now can have the training to make themselves employable in the future, either here at AMS or elsewhere.”

May 27, 2016

AMS Fulfillment Recognizes Employees of the Month

Congratulations to the AMS Fulfillment Employees of the Month for April, 2016! We are very pleased and proud to recognize Natalie Barba, Steve Perez, Ana Rodriguez, Terry Gilmore, Andres Camas and Matt Lombardoz.

The greatest resource of a successful business is the human being: the person who leaves home and family and spends the day serving clients and laboring to make the company, and themselves, successful. Success is measured in satisfaction, and a big part of satisfaction for all of us is working within the “AMS Family Atmosphere” that our employees create every day.

The nominations and comments below demonstrate that these employees deserve to be recognized and appreciated for not only doing a job well, but for caring enough to go above and beyond.

Natalie Barba – Receiving Clerk (August, 2015)

Natalie has dedicated herself to the position and has become very good at it. She is a very hard worker, always on time, and it is a pleasure to have her on the receiving team. She has learned fast and she’ll do very well at AMS if she keeps applying herself the way she has done.

Steve Perez – Security/Safety Manager (August, 2012)

Steve is always friendly and willing to help out in any capacity to ensure the team is successful: great attitude and co-worker, professional and compassionate.

Ana Rodriguez – Operations Lead (September, 2015)

Ana has been working in Operations for a short time and has already made a great impact with the Sole Society Team. She is always willing to learn and has a great attention to detail. She has fully taken the lead of the hand-held picking and is doing a great job.

Terry Gilmore – Janitorial/Custodial (March, 2014)

Terry is a hard worker, consistently on his job and a great presence to be around. He always has a great attitude. He is willing to help others and always is very punctual. He helps multiple clients and departments without complaining. Terry is consistent with his work, always at work and hardworking.

Andres Camas – Production Lead (July, 2008)

Andres is an outstanding worker who gets things done and is always a pleasure to work with. Andres excels in all of the assignments given to him. He has many years of experience working for AMS and has a great attitude.

Matt Lombardoz – Supervisor (October, 2014)

Matt is a very strong Supervisor who has very good skills and is always here to motivate his employees. He is always available and has all his tasks done before the timeline and is very accurate and detailed on what he is doing. He makes sure all the work he is doing is secure and safe. He trains new employees and explains the process and implements it with them. He never complains when things change or if there is something last minute. He runs the receiving department smoothly and always respects his employees.

May 12, 2016

AMS Fulfillment Invests in Employees

AMS Fulfillment Invests in Employees through Adult Education

A unique experiment has been going on wherein Santa Clarita Valley’s College of the Canyons (COC) is collaborating with AMS Fulfillment in presenting free classes to AMS employees either at the COC campus or at the at AMS Valencia facility.

There are several ways in which these first-of-a-kind collaborations are taking place. The most recent, scheduled to begin in May of 2016, will be a class in beginner Microsoft Excel. These beginner class take place on the COC campus. The future hope of AMS is to continue these classes into intermediate and expert levels, and provide them at the AMS campus location. This way AMS employees can easily take the class, advance their skills, and put them to use at AMS or with other companies as their careers grow. As an added attraction to members of the public who live nearby the AMS Valencia campus, all COC classes held on the AMS campus are open to the general public through COC.

Santa Clarita’s College of the Canyons (COC) and AMS Fulfillment have been working together in this exemplary way for well over a year. Their collaboration, which has been a first between the college and a business, is a win-win for all, benefiting the students, the business, the broader community and the college.

For more details on how the classes work: Registration for the classes is done through COC, and instructors come to the AMS facility from the college. The classes are majority funded by the Employee Training Institute (ETI), with partial funding by AMS, including the books. Employees of AMS and members of the general public are invited to attend not just the Excel class, but all classes that have been taking place so far.

In February 2016 a very interesting and highly beneficial class began on the AMS campus. It is the adult education non-credit ESL (English as a Second Language) beginner course. Thirty-four students are attending the twice-a-week level one class at this time. When this level is completed, AMS will continue offering classes through level four, which will be the entire non-credit ESL offering of COC.

For AMS employees, the ESL class is very beneficial with regard to their work, in that most of the positions in the company do require an ability to communicate in English, especially with regard to correspondence. In addition, having gained a greater command of English, new opportunities within the company and within COC will open up for those who are attending the classes.

Concurrent with offering the English as a Second Language class, AMS and COC are collaborating in offering the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Green Belt course. Like the ESL classes, all levels of the LSS training are taking place within the AMS facility and are majority funded by ETI with partial funding by AMS. LSS classes teach a business management philosophy that is meant to improve the efficiency of a company, its effectiveness, and at the same time improve the customer experience. The LSS classes are and taught by COC instructors, and they are currently ongoing as students reach the higher levels of training. Prior to these two courses, AMS also hosted a Lean Enterprise Six Sigma course that was very well attended and received.

AMS is now looking into offering two more courses: A GED course to equip individuals who haven’t completed high school with the knowledge and skills necessary to attend college, and a citizenship preparation class where students can learn the naturalization application process, US history and government, and the English vocabulary and skills that are necessary for the citizenship test. It is easy to see the benefits of both of these courses to the individuals involved, to AMS and to the community.

The advantage of offering classes to AMS employees in collaboration with College of the Canyons will be mentioned in a future blog from the AMS CEO, with regard to some well-thought-out strategies on how to incorporate minimum wage increases while reducing any negative impact to the company.

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March 9, 2016

AMS – Fulfillment for Mega Ships

Did you know, AMS’ Witherspoon facility in Valencia could hold nearly 3 ½ Mega Ships the size of the Benjamin Franklin?

Mega Ships, Ports, and the Flow of Goods

AMS likes to be up to date with what’s going on in the ports around the world, and of course there’s a reason. If there is a work-stoppage, backlog or congestion, or construction at a major port, it affects everyone who ships products. We are a large international fulfillment company located near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, we do a lot of shipping for our clients, and we also are a Foreign Trade Zone. This gives us the ability to act as a port, admitting merchandise into the Zone for clients that import merchandise through U.S. Customs.

Recently conversation has turned toward Mega Ships, and the arrival in December of the largest container ship ever at a North American port. The ship, named the Benjamin Franklin, was 80% full, with a capacity of 18,000 20-foot containers. And still, as huge as this ship is, it is not the largest container ship in the world. The largest ship, which is too large for a U.S. port, travels the Asia-Europe route, holding 20,000 20-foot containers.

Compare this to ten years ago when the average container ship was 1/3 the size of the average ship today. Ports have had to keep up, and over the years we’ve seen the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports undergo projects costing millions of dollars, deepening channels, investing in cranes and equipment, and expanding terminals in order to handle the arrival of the larger ships. These hugs ships, bringing in such high volumes, put pressure on the entire supply chain, including dockworkers, truck drivers and rail carriers.

We might ask why the mega ships are being built, and are they a benefit or detriment to the ports, to the flow of goods, and to international fulfillment companies. Apparently, with borrowing costs so low, the investment in building such a large ship was considered good business; a way of cost-cutting through consolidation. Looking forward to moving more goods, and using less fuel, a number of these ships were built. But apparently too many of these ships were built, so now the ships have greater capacity than there is demand. This leads to falling cargo rates and shipping companies engaging in vessel-sharing in order to make sure the larger ships are full.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are large enough to handle a vessel this size, and for the arrival of the Benjamin Franklin they had advance notice of nearly two weeks, as well as a great deal of information on the cargo. This information helped Port officials and the dockworkers, truck drivers and rail in coordinating their efforts in order to handle the challenge and the work flow. Vessel-sharing also complicates matters for the Port, so all of the information shared by the Benjamin Franklin was vital to the success of that visit.

The Benjamin Franklin is expected back again in February, with the Ports once again required to go above and beyond with regard to planning and coordination. There are questions as to how the Ports can sustain this level of planning routinely. So, while the mega ships may be cost-cutting for shipping, and while there is no measurable impact on international fulfillment, the ships are presenting a challenge to ports, dockworkers and transportation.

Just to give an impression of how much cargo comes in on one of these ships, imagine this: If the ship is full, and the containers are unloaded and lined up end-to-end, what distance do you imagine they would go? The answer: From Santa Monica to Santa Barbara!

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February 10, 2016

Fulfillment During Chinese New Year

Ready for a Global Festival? It’s Chinese New Year in the Fulfillment Business!

The 4713th Chinese Year! The official Chinese New Year celebration began on the 7^th of February and continues through the 13^th. This is the year of the Red Monkey. What that means could be good luck or bad luck, depending on which character of the Chinese zodiac is related to a person’s particular year of birth.

For the fulfillment business, Chinese New Year does have an impact. It isn’t just a day; it’s a global festival, celebrated by 1/5^th of the world’s population. The dates are public holidays around the world. In China, school children get almost a month off, and universities even more. Another interesting fact is that people travel long distances to celebrate and the numbers are astounding. There are almost 3.5 billion journeys of over 50 miles during the holidays as compared to 100 million traveling long distances during the Christmas holidays.

The best cities for Chinese New Year celebrations in the U.S. are considered to be San Francisco, Chicago and New York. The list of things a person might enjoy in these cities, and many others as well, is long. There will be storefront decorations, flowers, vendors, glitzy costumes, hundreds of thousands of firecrackers, streamers, dancers and drummers, arts and crafts and novelty toys for sale, lanterns, concerts, and the Big Excitement… lion dance teams in parades, with floats and marching bands.

In Chicago, a 100-foot long dancing dragon will make an appearance. In San Francisco the parade may draw a million people. In New York, Columbus Square will be filled with flowers and at least 600,000 firecrackers will announce the beginning of the parade. And of course, people will eat and drink, and restaurants will be full to the brim. The most important days of this celebration will be February 7, Chinese New Year’s Eve, which is the time of family reunions, and February 8, Chinese New Years Day, the day of close family visits.

How does this global holiday affect the fulfillment business? First of all there is a tremendous amount of buying and selling as people wear new clothes, give gifts, clean their houses, and buy lots of decorations. Secondly, Chinese port operations are slowed, and this would include loading and barging schedules that would affect product availability. Many factories and businesses will shut down for at least a week, and this can be felt in a number of countries. And finally, traffic will be very congested, affecting freight moving to and from China.

When a celebration is this big, and this worldwide, an international product fulfillment company such as AMS Fulfillment will have taken take note of the dates and times, making sure that they are staffed and ready.

Now for the curious readers wondering, “Am I a monkey,” here are the dates: if you were born in 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004 you will be an intelligent, playful monkey with a magnetic personality. With regard to luck, you will have to make your own in 2016.

Author: Ida Lawrence
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