Talan’s CEO Roundtables featured in Crain’s Cleveland Business

At Talan, employees often have their say

Cleveland metal stamping company holds roundtable chats with CEO

By RACHEL ABBEY McCAFFERTY
4:30 am, June 10, 2013

Leaders at Talan Products Inc. wanted “accurate feedback” from employees about what
was and was not working at the Cleveland metal stamping company, says CEO Steve
Peplin.

So, they asked.

Rather than relying strictly on surveys, which can be generic, Talan Products’
management began implementing what it calls “CEO roundtables,” according to Kathy
Rhubart, the company’s human resources manager. Talan has about 55 employees and
annual revenue of around $25 million.

In these biannual meetings, small groups of employees spend about an hour talking with
Mr. Peplin about whatever is on their minds. Those topics have ranged from deep cultural
problems to kitchen cleanliness, Mr. Peplin said — and all concerns are welcome. Mr. Peplin
said he was going to ask whether employees wanted to change how often the meeting
happened; it has been every six months so far.

Nancy Oates, a senior buyer who has been with Talan for about three years, said she
loves the process.

“Everybody can say anything they want,” she said.

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