WEBVTT

1
00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:40.920
Open up, let's go!

2
00:00:47.140 --> 00:00:52.880
My name is Jim Antler. I'm an instructor at the Ansel Fire School. My job and the job

3
00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:55.420
of the other instructors here is to teach first aid fire training.

4
00:00:55.420 --> 00:01:00.600
I've been with the Ansel now nearly 25 years. I've been working there with the

5
00:01:00.600 --> 00:01:08.120
Fabrication B. My son Jim is an instructor for fire school. Sort of a family

6
00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:12.800
affair with Ansel now. Now many of the women at Ansel are getting involved in

7
00:01:12.800 --> 00:01:17.520
jobs that require more skill and mechanical ability. I work at Ansel

8
00:01:17.520 --> 00:01:21.540
because it's a good place to work. The scenic view is good. There's a lot of good

9
00:01:22.260 --> 00:01:32.560
It's given me a great pleasure to come here to the Ansel. Ansel has been really good and they have the right know-how.

10
00:01:32.800 --> 00:01:36.560
The absence of time clocks at Ansel is indicative of the trust the company

11
00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:41.420
places in its employees. I find myself wanting to work harder to keep that confidence.

12
00:01:42.680 --> 00:01:49.680
Ansel has had a long history of getting people involved. We have been guided by

13
00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:55.600
the principle that people support what they help create. We started here in

14
00:01:55.600 --> 00:02:02.560
Marinette, Wisconsin in 1915 as a small chemical company. Since then we have

15
00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:08.600
evolved into a worldwide chemical and fire protection company. We get a good deal

16
00:02:08.600 --> 00:02:14.820
of feedback from the work environment in Marinette that makes us more aware and

17
00:02:14.820 --> 00:02:20.740
more sensitive and it has had a positive bearing on the quality of our company's

18
00:02:20.740 --> 00:02:29.160
direction. Generally expanding size changes and erodes values. For us our Marinette

19
00:02:29.160 --> 00:02:36.540
setting has fortified our ability to relate on a worldwide scale. We bring

20
00:02:36.540 --> 00:02:42.220
something in addition to products. We train managers overseas. We have a company

21
00:02:42.220 --> 00:02:47.440
approach that makes a difference in how we come together in our mutual needs. This we

22
00:02:47.440 --> 00:02:50.540
feel is another facet of our Ansel Mosaic.

23
00:02:56.240 --> 00:03:00.880
Ansel I believe is a unique company. Although we are a small to middle sized company,

24
00:03:00.940 --> 00:03:06.700
we are very strong in those special market segments in which we have chosen to compete.

25
00:03:07.740 --> 00:03:11.900
Particularly in our fire protection area we have evolved a systems or problem

26
00:03:11.900 --> 00:03:16.760
solving concept which essentially addresses itself to meeting customer or market needs.

27
00:03:19.700 --> 00:03:24.780
I see Ansel continuing its policy of concentration in our fire protection and

28
00:03:24.780 --> 00:03:31.660
chemical markets with particular emphasis on our special market segments in the US

29
00:03:31.660 --> 00:03:37.080
and further concentration in our European and Australasian areas.

30
00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:45.380
Approximately half of Ansel's business is located outside the United States.

31
00:03:46.260 --> 00:03:51.280
There are major chemical production bases in Australia and Malaysia and fire protection

32
00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:57.840
manufacturing operations in Europe. Ansel products are sold in almost every country in the world.

33
00:03:59.760 --> 00:04:05.400
I feel we've been successful outside the US because we've located these operations in

34
00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:12.220
places where we could make a meaningful contribution, encourage local ownership and local management.

35
00:04:20.380 --> 00:04:26.880
Ansel is America's pioneer in dry chemicals, the most effective agent for flammable

36
00:04:26.880 --> 00:04:32.720
liquids and electrical fires. Ansel fire protection products are made in Marinette

37
00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:35.240
and across the world and sold everywhere.

38
00:04:36.640 --> 00:04:43.880
35 years ago Ansel started in the dry chemical business. At that time we introduced the first

39
00:04:44.460 --> 00:04:51.800
dry chemical extinguisher to the marketplace. Since that early introduction we have added

40
00:04:51.800 --> 00:04:59.520
10 additional dry chemicals to our product line. These are needed because often a customer

41
00:04:59.520 --> 00:05:06.900
has a problem that there is no known solution to. So we pride ourselves in the innovation

42
00:05:06.900 --> 00:05:13.280
of having developed agents to meet a specific customer's needs.

43
00:05:15.960 --> 00:05:21.780
What you're seeing here is a computerized system analysis which we developed to eliminate the

44
00:05:21.780 --> 00:05:26.440
problem from the time a customer realizes he has a fire protection problem to the point where

45
00:05:26.440 --> 00:05:31.960
the solution has finally reached. In the past this could take up to a week or more. This system

46
00:05:31.960 --> 00:05:37.940
condenses that time to a matter of minutes. This computer program is one of several programs

47
00:05:37.940 --> 00:05:41.760
representing Ansel's unique commitment to solving fire protection problems.

48
00:05:43.520 --> 00:05:50.780
The Ansel approach is defining the customer's needs and then designing a product in services

49
00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:59.100
around that need rather than developing a product and then trying to find the customer for the product.

50
00:05:59.660 --> 00:06:06.000
Now when I speak of customers Ansel basically services the Fortune 500 customers.

51
00:06:07.160 --> 00:06:14.840
Petroleum, petrochemical, chemical, utilities, transportation, steel, and I would say that would

52
00:06:14.840 --> 00:06:18.240
cover the majority of the customers that we target.

53
00:06:49.580 --> 00:06:50.980
Music

54
00:06:50.980 --> 00:06:58.720
It was obvious to us that the extinguisher was only as good as the operator that used it.

55
00:06:59.780 --> 00:07:09.860
So it became mandatory in our minds to develop a very detailed training school here in Marinette, Wisconsin

56
00:07:09.860 --> 00:07:17.680
as well as taking the training to the customers at their own site or location at their plants.

57
00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:28.520
Since that time we have trained over 18,000 students here in Marinette plus thousands out in the field

58
00:07:28.520 --> 00:07:36.240
at the customer's location. This has been a very significant difference we feel in the success of Ansel

59
00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:46.720
because we recognize and the customer recognize that when he buys a product that he will have the services

60
00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:52.120
and particularly the training to support him in the use of his product.

61
00:08:07.400 --> 00:08:11.140
Firefighting equipment is of no value unless you know how to use it.

62
00:08:11.140 --> 00:08:16.500
Here we teach people how to use it. The people we teach fall into two categories,

63
00:08:17.740 --> 00:08:21.460
general industry and what we classify as high hazard, high risk.

64
00:08:50.040 --> 00:08:51.440
Music

65
00:09:00.980 --> 00:09:08.320
One of the other areas that Ansel has developed is a fire training simulator.

66
00:09:08.840 --> 00:09:19.620
Now this is the first one of a kind in the world and it's just typical of our commitment to the increased need

67
00:09:19.620 --> 00:09:26.460
for a fire training by customers both in the field as well as at Marinette, Wisconsin.

68
00:09:27.740 --> 00:09:33.720
Looking ahead three to five years when the procurement of fuel and the restrictions to burn are going to become tighter and tighter,

69
00:09:34.200 --> 00:09:38.760
the Ansel company developed this firefighting simulator to supplement hands-on fire training.

70
00:09:39.420 --> 00:09:46.540
Because it's mobile, this unit can be driven to the customer's facility where his employees can be actually trained

71
00:09:46.540 --> 00:09:52.460
in the use and application of fire equipment on fires topical to his particular industry.

72
00:09:52.980 --> 00:09:57.680
Dean, do you want to step forward? Come on up here by the extinguisher.

73
00:09:59.020 --> 00:10:07.020
Okay, now we have the fire on the screen. Now remember you start at the bottom, sweep your nozzle side to side and work it slowly to the top.

74
00:10:07.640 --> 00:10:09.140
That's it, you're doing fine.

75
00:10:42.140 --> 00:10:42.740
Music

76
00:10:58.740 --> 00:11:02.560
Extensive testing is performed on all the extinguisher shells and the cartridges

77
00:11:02.560 --> 00:11:06.320
and these tests are performed throughout the entire manufacturing operation.

78
00:11:07.220 --> 00:11:12.400
Several years ago I was involved personally with field complaints, various customer types of complaints

79
00:11:12.400 --> 00:11:17.600
and I sensed that there was a very low level of cartridge failure in the field.

80
00:11:18.160 --> 00:11:27.080
To satisfy this curiosity I generated a very simple informal type of survey which was intended really to give me the answers to my curiosity.

81
00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:31.400
The survey was set up to cover a five-year period of time.

82
00:11:32.040 --> 00:11:39.800
During that five-year period of time we looked back and determined all of the customer complaints that we had had regarding leaking or empty cartridges.

83
00:11:40.460 --> 00:11:45.700
We compared this number with the total number of cartridges which we had produced during that same five-year period.

84
00:11:46.300 --> 00:11:53.060
The result was an astoundingly low percent level of defects of 14 one-millionth of one percent.

85
00:11:53.060 --> 00:12:01.720
This means that for every 100 million cartridges which we produce we can expect to have approximately 14 field failures.

86
00:12:02.340 --> 00:12:09.860
That 100 million cartridges involves over 150 years of production at ANSEL's present level of production.

87
00:12:21.260 --> 00:12:21.860
Music

88
00:12:30.500 --> 00:12:34.360
Manufacturing people are often asked what do you do that is different or unique.

89
00:12:35.020 --> 00:12:38.340
Normally they're referring to a process or a piece of equipment.

90
00:12:38.340 --> 00:12:42.620
What we feel here at the ANSEL company is unique is the way our people work together.

91
00:12:44.040 --> 00:12:47.140
We do not use time clocks. We have an honor system.

92
00:12:47.940 --> 00:12:51.800
We organize into small work groups where each person does a number of different jobs.

93
00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:56.560
This is an asset to the ANSEL company because of the many different types of product that we produce.

94
00:12:57.140 --> 00:13:00.580
As an example a 20-pound unit has some 15 different variations.

95
00:13:01.580 --> 00:13:05.800
When we have problems to solve we work together because they know the job best.

96
00:13:05.800 --> 00:13:11.100
We set performance goals as together so that we can improve productivity.

97
00:13:39.680 --> 00:13:41.080
Music

98
00:14:09.660 --> 00:14:11.060
Music

99
00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:13.120
Music

100
00:14:19.800 --> 00:14:23.700
ANSEL produces chemicals for industry and agriculture.

101
00:14:24.460 --> 00:14:33.300
ANSEL herbicides are used to control weeds in cotton, citrus, soybeans, and other crops as well as for many non-crop uses.

102
00:14:33.760 --> 00:14:38.940
We have developed new herbicide applications for weeds that affect wheat and sugarcane

103
00:14:38.940 --> 00:14:44.940
and have received experimental labels from the Environmental Protection Agency to cover these crops.

104
00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:51.080
Music

105
00:14:51.080 --> 00:14:56.720
Sam I'd like for you to spray the ANSAR treatment on plot 102. It's in the red tank.

106
00:14:57.760 --> 00:14:57.760


107
00:15:00.880 --> 00:15:05.520
I manage ANSEL's field development section here at the West LeCoe Technical Center.

108
00:15:05.520 --> 00:15:11.860
Our main functions are to obtain the necessary field data to expand the uses of our existing products.

109
00:15:12.280 --> 00:15:22.060
Also to provide technical support to our marketing organization and to coordinate the research and extension programs with the various state and federal agencies.

110
00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:36.480
Music

111
00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:48.880
Music

112
00:15:51.480 --> 00:16:00.220
The main thrust of our work here at ANSEL has been to improve our present production processes for industrial chemicals.

113
00:16:00.220 --> 00:16:12.280
And also we've been doing some work on synthesizing derivatives of our present line of arsenicills in order to further improve their efficacy.

114
00:16:14.400 --> 00:16:24.760
Quality control is an important function in every company, but it takes on even added importance to a smaller company such as ANSEL wherein products are sold based on quality and performance.

115
00:16:25.420 --> 00:16:33.800
Our laboratories operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, analyzing raw materials, in-process materials, and final products.

116
00:16:45.300 --> 00:16:46.700
Music

117
00:17:15.280 --> 00:17:16.680
Music

118
00:17:19.700 --> 00:17:26.780
ANSEL's industrial chemicals have multiple applications. Many of them are used to manufacture other chemicals.

119
00:17:27.460 --> 00:17:35.920
We have manufacturing bases in the United States, Australia, and Malaysia for our chemicals which we market on a worldwide basis.

120
00:17:38.740 --> 00:17:40.140
Music

121
00:18:08.420 --> 00:18:09.820
Music

122
00:18:09.820 --> 00:18:10.420
Music

123
00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:14.080
Music

124
00:18:17.580 --> 00:18:18.980
Music

125
00:18:47.560 --> 00:18:48.960
Music

126
00:18:51.780 --> 00:18:53.180
Music

127
00:19:21.760 --> 00:19:23.160
Music

128
00:19:33.460 --> 00:19:34.860
Music