Category: Leadership

Weyerhaeuser Company, Federal Way

• CEO*: Steven R. Rogel, President and CEO
• PM: Steven R. Hill, Senior Vice President
• ETC: Katy Taylor, Manager, Employee Transportation Services

Change in leadership does not slow down top program

Last year, Weyerhaeuser won a Diamond Award for the superior support given to the organization's CTR program by then CEO Jack Creighton and the Senior Management Team. Mr. Creighton retired in 1998, but the program he supported remains strong, thanks to Steve Rogel, the new President and CEO, who embraced it and participates in it when his schedule allows. Mr. Rogel and other senior managers, particularly senior vice president Steve Hill, strive to integrate business goals with employee transportation needs.

Displaying Weyerhaeuser's Diamond Award for Leadership are Site Manager Perry Christensen, President and CEO Steve Rogel, Transportation Services Manager Katy Taylor; and Vice President Judd Haverfield.

A key reason for Weyerhaeuser's successful CTR program is Katy Taylor, Manager, Employee Transportation Services, and her staff, who are responsible for every facet of program development, implementation, tracking and cost containment. Staff processes an average of 1,000 participation forms a month, distributes annual FlexPasses and monthly incentives, manages shuttle activities, produces promotional materials, tracks results, conducts promotions and prepares progress reports for management.

In 1998, Weyerhaeuser further reduced the number of drive-alone trips by 91,500 and the number of vehicle miles traveled by 3.6 million to achieve a total reduction of 173,800 and 6.7 million, respectively, since January 1997. More than 2,500 employees are registered in the program and an average of 1,000 participate regularly.

Changes to program bring good results

Changes are continually being made to realize the full benefits of the program and ensure efficient use of the company's resources. One change made in 1998 was to modify the incentive program for carpoolers, walkers, and bicyclists. A new program was put into place that rewards incrementally based on increased frequency. This reduced costs by nearly $15,000 and increased employees' usage for each mode.

Another change was made to the already very successful shuttle service provided by Weyerhaeuser across its geographically dispersed corporate campus. The number of shuttle trips in 1998 increased by more than 5,000 to exceed 21,000 trips. This is especially remarkable because it was achieved without additional resources. Scheduling adjustments were made daily to coordinate services and provide the maximum coverage to respond to employee needs.

Weyerhaeuser belongs to and actively supports the Washington State Ridesharing Organization and the national Association for Commute Transportation. Company employees serve on numerous regional and statewide transportation committees.

*Some definitions: An “ETC” is the staff-level employee transportation coordinator responsible for the daily administration of the transportation program; “PM” is the transportation program manager; and “CEO” refers to the top management-level person at the worksite. “SOV” stands for single-occupant vehicle, and “CTR” for commute trip reduction.