F&P marks safe milestone

F&P Georgia, 88 Enterprise Drive, celebrated 10 million hours without a lost time accident Saturday.

“We could not have achieved this milestone without the complete dedication of our associates from top management to production worker,” said Bruce Critchlow, a senior manager with F&P Georgia.

F&P Georgia is a subsidiary of F-Tech Inc., based in Japan. The Rome plant makes a variety of parts for the Honda Odyssey, Pilot, Accord, the Honda/Acura MDX and other automakers.

The company opened in 2001 with 70 employees and expanded several times since then. Today, the company employs more than 550 associates.

Critchlow said the last lost time incident occurred in the summer of 2006. A lost time incident is one that occurs on the job and results in an employee not being able to come back to work for his or her next shift.

The manager said that the manufacturing process does offer ample opportunities for injury.

“We’ve got stamped parts going through the weld line and they’re very sharp,” Critchlow said. “They’re fairly heavy parts, some of them up to 50 pounds. There are also heat-related issues with the welding.”

Employees wear Kevlar gloves and sleeves in some sections of the plant.

“We are excited about the growth of F&P Georgia and look forward to training a strong manufacturing workforce to meet current and future business needs,” said Ben Hames, deputy commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, in a news release.

F&P has grown into a second building in the Floyd County Industrial Park. The second building, which is being leased, is used for small assembly and service parts.

“F&P Georgia has always considered the safety of associates to be a top priority. In every training project provided to the company by Georgia Quick Start, every associate has completed multiple sessions focused on operating safety,” said Pete McDonald, president of Georgia Northwestern Technical College.

“We are so impressed that F&P Georgia has reached the 10 million hours with no accident milestone — a rarity in manufacturing,” said Rome-Floyd Chamber President and CEO Al Hodge. “This plant’s growth from 70 in the first year to over 550 employee associates today is further reflective of his leadership and to the solid business environment in Floyd County.”