Frank Plut

Like most companies, ISC generates a sizeable amount of paper through its daily operations. It was three years ago that Frank noticed the large number of bins in the company’s mailroom filled with used paper. He knew that his church recycled paper to raise money to help support the school. Frank asked Marion Raska, who oversees ISC’s Sugar Land facility, if ISC would donate the paper to his church. According to Frank, Marion jumped at the chance to have the paper recycled and put to good use.

Franks explains that each bin holds about 27 pounds of paper. When Marion collects enough paper to fill 7 to 8 bins, Frank will load up his truck and deliver the paper to the school.

As a guy who enjoys working with numbers, it is no surprise that Frank has kept track of the amount of paper donated by ISC and Wholesome Sweeteners. This past year, Frank calculated that together, ISC and Wholesome Sweeteners donated 8,181 pounds of paper. Over the past three years, the two companies have donated 24,453 pounds, or more than 12 tons, of paper.

Calvary Episcopal School and College Preparatory relies on donations, like the paper, to supplement curriculum and special program needs which exceed the tuition income. The school firmly believes that no student, to the extent of the school’s resources, should be denied admission to the school because of verifiable financial need.

“The school is very appreciative of the donation of paper,” says Frank. “It’s something I enjoy doing and I know that the money raised from recycling the paper is put to good use.”

Frank is very involved in his church and with the school. Frank laughs as he admits that perhaps he is a little too involved with his church. In addition to supporting the recycling program, he organizes blood drives, serves as an usher, is a member of the church vestry, and, with his wife, serves on various ministries, including one that adopts families in need during the holidays.

Frank has been a member of Calvary Episcopal Church for the past 13 years. He notes that he and his wife joined because they were taken by the intense welcoming atmosphere of the church community. “It has the feeling of one large family,” says Frank. “It’s this fellowship that has motivated me to be as involved as I can.”

Randy Allen

Before joining ISC, Allen was employed at Cryovac in Greenville, S.C., a division of Sealed Air Corp, which specializes in food packaging technology. During his tenure at this company he gained considerable experience and expertise in food packaging. He offers that his new position is a big change from his previous job in research and development at Cryovac. He notes that working on the production side definitely requires a more proactive approach.

“The sugar refining process is like nothing I have ever been exposed to before and it’s not at all what I envisioned,” said Allen.

He adds, “When I was in R&D, you could table a problem at the end of the day and pick it up the next morning. Now all issues need to be resolved before the end of the day in order to avoid any significant interruptions in production.”

Allen indicates that he accepted the position at ISC because he felt he could make a big difference. He understands that the company is committed to increasing production and he strongly believes that he can help the plant achieve its production goals.

Right now he spends much of his time learning about the equipment in the packaging facility, including how it functions and how it is set up. He is also looking for any variances in the operation or maintenance of the equipment that may have taken place over time and might impact production.

He explains that OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) metrics have been set to evaluate how effectively the production process is functioning. Even once the OEEs targets have been met, Allen believes that the bar can still be set higher.

Allen attended Clemson University in Clemson, S.C. and graduated with a degree in pre-veterinary science. While he was an undergraduate, Allen took a couple of classes in packaging science which he found interesting. He knew that Clemson had a well-respected graduate program in packaging science and recognized there was a demand for engineers in this field, so he decided to obtain a master’s degree and pursue a career in this industry.

A native of Florida, Allen grew up on the coast and spent much of his childhood fishing and sailing. He wasn’t able to pursue these hobbies while living in an area of South Carolina away from the coast. However, he took advantage of the scenic mountains and developed an interest in biking and camping. Now that he is back living near the ocean, Allen welcomes the chance to spend more time on those activities he enjoyed in his youth.

New to the Savannah area, Allen is looking forward to the numerous cultural activities and events that the city has to offer. “It’s exciting to be in a new town and especially with a company where I can put my skills to use.”

Arthur Edwards

Edwards has been traveling to Brazil almost every year for the past nine years to do quality checks on product sourced from mills in that country. With the recent harvest of sugar cane in Brazil, Edwards spent about a month in the country this past September performing quality checks on the production process. According to Edwards, “We choose to purchase from mills in Brazil because the sugar products they provide have a richer cane flavor.”

The sweeteners purchased in Brazil are sold to a large number of food and beverage manufacturers to be used in a variety of products including confections, yogurts, cereals, nutrition bars and a number of snack foods. Edwards explains that Imperial customizes final products to meet a customer’s specific requirements by blending sweeteners with different attributes.

“The visits to Brazil are important,” says Edwards. “They allow us to keep a precise eye on standards and strict control over the production process which is critical in maintaining the quality of the product as well as ensuring it meets all necessary guidelines before it is shipped to the U.S.”

He praises the local refiners for their cooperativeness and points out t they are quick to address any issue to make certain that ISC receives the finest quality product.

Darren Bragg, a Lab Analyst in the specialties Division, is part of the team that provides critical assistance with the quality checks. Bragg is now in Brazil supervising the completion of the production process and to oversee the loading of the ship that will bring the product to the U.S. Bragg is responsible for making sure the ship is properly cleaned before it is loaded to avoid any possible contamination.

Not surprising, Edwards enjoys the chance to travel to Brazil and experience a different culture. “Many of the mills are located in the middle of the country and are surrounded by rich farmland and rolling hills.” What surprised Edwards the most was the dark red soil. “I thought that Georgia had some of the reddest clay but I can tell you that I have ruined a couple of pairs of white tennis shoes during my visits to this area of Brazil.”

Brenda Rose

What may be surprising, however, is the fact that the chef behind these much anticipated surprises – treats such as from-scratch sour cream pound cake topped with a lemon glaze and roasted pecans – was hired as a forklift operator and learned her craft not in a culinary institute, but in her grandmother’s kitchen.

As many of the workers will attest, Brenda Rose, now the plant’s multi-tasking appointment coordinator, is arguably the most talented baker ever to operate a forklift.

Her treats have branched far beyond her full-time job. In fact, as a part-time entrepreneur running both a gift basket and catering business, she can and does ship anywhere in the U.S. Each Valentine’s Day, Rose takes a day off from work to fill the more than 200 gift basket orders she receives.

The Pots and Pans Catering Service and Brenda’s Baskets and Berries are doing so well, in fact, that Rose often must turn down orders she can’t fill during her evenings and weekends. But that doesn’t stop her from making a little extra to bring to work, shipping treats to fellow Imperial Sugar employees in Texas or a care package to U.S. troops stationed in Iraq.

“You work with me, and you will gain weight,” said Rose, who uses her 2004 Expedition for both driving to work and deliveries. “A lot of my joy comes from cooking, and the people at work really enjoy my food, so I do a lot of cooking for them.”

Waking up at 5 a.m. each day for what she calls her own praise and worship service, Rose said most people do not know that she is deeply religious. They do know, however, that she loves her morning cup of coffee, and her good mood is both contagious and chronic.

“I must receive a smile from my co-workers everyday,” she said. “If’ they aren’t smiling, something is wrong.”

Rose began her cooking lessons as soon as she could see over the kitchen counter.

“My mom worked and raised five children,” she recalled, “And my grandmother took care of us while she was at work. I was always in the kitchen with her.”

While her siblings were busy playing, Rose was watching and learning as her grandmother sifted, whisked, chopped, sautéed and baked. The results of her effort included the now popular sour cream pound cake.
Perhaps the hardest part of learning her grandmother’s secrets was the absence of the very thing on which many cooking students rely — measuring cups.

“She eyeballed everything,” Rose said. “I would ask her how much of this and my grandmother would say, ‘I don’t know. Eyeball it – because you’ve got to learn that.’”

As a teenager learning to cook, Rose wasn’t happy about not being able to measure ingredients, often searching fruitlessly through her grandmother’s kitchen for a measuring cup.

Years later, wearing her iPod in her own kitchen, Rose cranks out her grandmother’s recipes to the beat of Tina Turner or Aretha Franklin – without a measuring cup or written recipe in sight. Consequently, none of her family members have ever been able to duplicate oft demanded favorites, such as Rose’s best-selling crab casserole.

“My oldest sister gets really mad at me when I can’t tell her a measurement,” she said. “She says, ‘I know you can!’ But I just can’t write down the recipes, because I eyeball everything.”

The patience needed to learn to pour correct amounts of ingredients after so many years of seeing it done is personality trait that likely keeps her sane while handling a full-time job in the plant, two side businesses, volunteer work at her church – including serving as youth choir director – plus a family.
An 11-year employee and native of Savannah, she envisions Imperial Sugar one day holding its own cooking classes.

“I would love to be a part of that,” she said.

Whether or not her recipes will be ever published, however, remains to be seen.

“I loved cooking with my grandmother and hung onto it until the day she died,” she said. “Cooking is just a pleasure, one of my greatest joys.”

Tom was first hired as a quality control inspector at the company’s Gramercy, Louisiana plant in 1981. As Tom recalls, one of the benefits offered with the position was the rental of a company house for $25 a month. He had just gotten married and so this benefit was just too good to pass up. It seems the plant and Tom were a good match since he went on to work at the Gramercy location for the next 16 years.

After Gramercy, he worked for a couple of years at the company’s Sugar Land refinery before he was asked to join the team in Port Wentworth in 2000.

He is now the Director of Quality, Food Safety and Technical Services. The majority of his responsibilities include communicating with raw sugar and material suppliers as well as customers (retail and industrial) and vendors. As Tom explains, “I’m involved in almost every aspect of the business, which I find to be both challenging and rewarding.”

He is committed to ensuring that the plant is run as safely and effectively as possible. With these goals in mind, Tom has been instrumental in putting systems and programs in place which focus on efficiency and eliminating waste.

He considers one of his main responsibilities to be protecting the company’s brand name as well as ensuring that the customers’ needs and requests are met. As he puts it, “I make sure they get the products they want, the way they want them, and when they want them.” Tom readily acknowledges that he welcomes the opportunity to meet with customers and discuss any issues that are of importance to them. He has regular contact with customers, speaking with many of them on a daily basis.

Tom explains the process for new industrial customers. The customer will provide product specifications to the sales group. Sales will then provide the product specifications to Tom for his review. Tom will then get back with sales and let them know if there are any issues in meeting the client’s request. “If there are issues, I work directly with the customer to secure a resolution of any issues regarding product specifications. This way when the customer receives the product, there are no surprises,” says Tom.

A certificate of analysis goes out with each shipment that provides the customer with the test results for that particular shipment. Tom’s name is on the certificate so if the customer has any question, they know immediately who to call.

Tom points out that many people may be surprised to learn that in addition to supplying sugar to food manufacturers and retailers, ISC also supplies product for other industrial customers like pharmaceutical companies and companies that manufacturer foam. “He acknowledges that the product specifications for these customers are different than those of food and beverage manufacturers but he takes pride in working on unique uses for sugar products and finding a way to meet the customer’s needs.

Tom’s father was in the service so he lived in many places but settled in Mississippi when his father retired. He attended Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi and graduated with a degree in chemistry. His first job out of college was with the U.S. Navy working in their oceanographic office in Biloxi, Mississippi. He and his family were greatly influenced by their time in Gramercy. He developed a strong affection for Cajun cuisine and became an avid New Orleans Saints fan as well as a fan of the LSU Tigers.

Next on Tom’s calendar is a trip to Mexico to visit the packing facility of Comercializadora Santos Imperial (CSI), a joint venture between ISC and Mexico-based Ingenios Santos, S.A. de C.V. The purpose of the trip is to provide guidance to CSI on meeting U.S. regulations regarding quality and food safety so there are no problems shipping product to customers in the United States.

Tom admits that he loves the diversity that comes along with his job. He mentions how one day he may be down at the dock inspecting a shipment of raw sugar. The next day he might be meeting with a vendor that supplies a new adhesive for one of the packaging lines. He may finish up the work week giving a tour of the facility to a major food or beverage manufacturer who wishes to see firsthand how the refining and packing process works.

“Some individuals go to work and do the same thing day after day. I love the diversity of my job and the chance to learn new things. I’ve had a chance to meet people from all over the world.”

A firm believer in perseverance and finishing what you start, Kusilka reveals his experience as an airborne infantry officer and attack helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army only after being asked. And his description of a military pilot is about as far from the movie version as one can get.

“Being a pilot is more about multi-tasking, following procedures and regulations, following checklists, attention to detail and making split-second decisions,” Kusilka explained. “The Tom Cruise character ‘Maverick’ in Top Gun was to me the anti-hero. Disobeying orders, violating air space, breaking rules and getting his back-seater killed. He would have been drummed out before he finished flight school.”

Instead, Kusilka’s description of the consummate pilot is Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed a disabled plane on the Hudson in 2009, saving all 155 people on board.

“Who would you rather let borrow your $20 million car? Maverick or Sully?” he asked.

After two cups of black coffee and a read-through of the morning newspaper, emails and voice mails, Kusilka makes his morning rounds, troubleshooting network issues and working on various IT projects. Because every part of the plant is wired in to its IT infrastructure, he spends about half his day walking from place to place and interacting with people from the dock to the mill, packaging to the warehouse.

“Anywhere there’s a PC or a router, I get there at some point,” he said. “Every day is different, and every day creates new challenges.”

From his work to his hobbies, the sense of order, self-discipline and minding details learned in the military remains front and center.

“Being in the military is sort of like playing a sport,” he added. “It’s a sense of teamwork and completing an objective. And yes, that translates into the civilian world.”

A little-known fact about Kusilka is a mention in the book, “Army Wives: The Unwritten Code of Military Marriage,” which later became a television drama series. “I am mentioned in the book briefly,” he said, “very briefly.”

One of the book’s characters attended college with Kusilka, along with his best friend and roommate, whom she later married. Kusilka’s friend was later killed in a helicopter crash in Vietnam. “I am mentioned when they first met, and at the funeral,” he recalled.

The son of a 30-year- military veteran, Kusilka grew up believing he, too, would be career military.

It was an article in the Wall Street Journal, however, that steered him to technology.
“It said the future was IT networking,” he said.

A social teenager who competed in sports and later worked as a bartender in college, Kusilka was hardly a computer geek. But he readily admits that article he read back in the early 1990s was quite accurate.

“Back then, desktops were barely talking to each other,” he said. “Technology really took off after that.

Originally from North Carolina, Kusilka has been with Imperial Sugar for 12 years.
Meanwhile, his twin brother, Garry, continues to fly Blackhawks and is now stationed in Iraq. Strangely enough, Garry, his fraternal twin who has, according to his brother, a different demeanor, is also into computer programming.

“He is much more high-tech than me,” Kusilka said.

Today, he is content with his duties, his family and hobbies — and seeing life through different eyes when things get tough.

“When I get in a really tight spot, I think to myself, ‘At least nobody is shooting at you,’” he said. “That seems to put things in perspective.”

Tennessee Hammond

He began his career at the plant almost 20 years ago as a contract welder working on the Savannah Gold building that would house the Specialty Products division of the company. After a year of working at the plant, he returned home to Tennessee. Maybe due to fate or good fortune, he soon received a call offering him a permanent position working in the maintenance department at the refinery. After several years in maintenance, Tennessee was promoted to a project team leader and later a supervisor before assuming his current position.

“Tennessee’s dedication, hard work and years of experience have become a valuable asset to the refinery, specifically Specialty Products,” said Thomas Rathke, Senior Director Engineering and Specialty Sales for ISC.

As manager of the Specialty Products division Tennessee oversees all aspects of this department, including production, packaging and shipping. As he concisely puts it, “I’m responsible from the river to the gate.” All associates in the Specialty Products division report to Tennessee and, within the last year, Tennessee was also placed in charge of all the co-packers at the plant, likely due to his strong management skills.

Tennessee is proud to highlight that over his 20 years with the company the Specialty Products division has grown form Savannah Gold products to include liquid sugar, molasses and co-crystallized sweeteners like Steviacane® and NatureWise™ Monk Fruit Sweetener.

He also works closely with the company’s research and development team and has been instrumental in developing several new innovative products for the company. Tennessee laughs when asked how it came to be that a former welder is involved in the development and testing of new products for a sugar company. He responds that he is not altogether sure but it may be that he has a natural aptitude for this type of process. He equates it to being like a chef testing new recipes to find the best ones.

“I really enjoy this aspect of my job because it allows me to demonstrate my creative abilities,” said Tennessee.

Tennessee Hammond at 2011 IFT Expo in New Orleans

The Tennessean is part of a core group of ISC employees who represent the company at industry and consumer trade shows and expos around the country. His expertise on specialty sugars and sweeteners is beneficial in addressing questions from potential or existing customers attending the shows. He considers himself to be a “people person” and takes advantage of the opportunity to engage in conversation with attendees that visit the Imperial Sugar booth.

He recently attended the Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore and will be heading to the Supply Side West Expo in Las Vegas next month where ISC will be partnering with Amax NutraSource, the supplier of monk fruit extract.

Tennessee is married and has an adult son and an 11-year daughter. About a year ago, his son and his wife welcomed a baby girl to the family making Tennessee a proud grandfather. He smiles as he talks about his daughter who recently made the cheerleading squad for her school. He notes there were 52 girls who tried out for 15 spots on the squad so it was competitive.

When he’s not working, Tennessee can usually be found hunting or fishing. He has traveled to Colorado and Kansas to hunt and has been fishing in Alaska, which he acknowledges is beautiful. He and his wife love to travel and will soon be flying to Cancun, Mexico to savor a relaxing vacation on the beach.

Currently, Tennessee and his team are busy preparing for the consumer launch of the NatureWise™ Sweeteners new line of specialty products, which will address the growing consumer demand for a better selection of flavorful, all-natural, low-calorie sweeteners.

“I have great respect for this company,” says Tennessee. “After the explosion several years ago, I knew that I wanted to return to work at the plant and help rebuild and make it an even better facility. I believe in this company.”

Luu Ha

As the Media and Graphics Specialist for ISC’s marketing group in Sugar Land, Texas, Luu – as she is known by friends and co-workers – is part of the team responsible for managing the organization’s marketing resources and activities.

Luu has been with the company for almost 12 years. She laughs when she mentions that her first day as a permanent employee with the company was on Valentine’s Day, considered to be one of the “sweetest” days of the year and a big day for sugar lovers.

Luu began her career at ISC as a temporary administrative assistant in the company’s safety department. Since that time, she has sought out new challenges and positions offered to her by the company. Her proactive efforts led to opportunities to work in several other departments within the organization, including operations, engineering, quality assurance and information systems. During her tenure in these departments, Luu gained valuable experience which she continues to utilize in her current marketing position.

While working at Imperial Sugar, Luu found the time to complete her degree at The Art Institute of Houston. She knew that cultivating new skills would better position her for advancement within the company. She admits that she always had an interest in joining the marketing team so she could put her background in graphic design and multi-media to use.

Ultimately, she caught the attention of the marketing group when Hyuna Lee, Senior Marketing Manager for ISC, learned that Luu had the ability to do graphic design work. Hyuna recruited Luu to work on several projects for the department. The rest is history, as they say. Now, after two years, Luu is an integral part of the department, responsible for many of the group’s marketing functions.

“I love to design things and so I’m happy that I can put my education and skills to use on a daily basis,” says Luu. “I feel fortunate that I was given the chance to demonstrate my value to the company and be afforded this position. It can be challenging and a lot of work but I really enjoy what I do.”

Her duties include managing the artwork for the branded and private label packaging. She is tasked with supplying guidelines and making sure the specifications are correct as well as getting approval from the quality assurance department. She also oversees several consumer websites for the company, which includes sites for the Imperial Sugar, Dixie Crystals, Steviacane® and now the NatureWise™ brands, to make sure the graphics are maintained and updated regularly.

“As the company continues to transform from a cane sugar company to one that provides a selection of natural sweetener solutions, the role of the marketing department is becoming increasingly crucial to the success of the company,” said Hyuna. “Therefore, it’s important to have talented staff like Luu that have proven abilities to help us move the company forward.”

Recently, she has been spending time doing design work for the numerous trade shows the company attends during the year.

“Our next big trade show is the Natural Products Expo East,” Luu indicates. “I’m excited about the farm-to-market theme I have created for our booth because I believe it will appeal to the attendees of this show who are interested in natural and sustainable products.” She is quick to point out that this was a team collaboration and that she worked closely with the agency hired to create the brochure for the booth to ensure the theme was consistently reflected in all marketing materials for the show.

Sampler Kit

With so many marketing initiatives and a limited budget, Luu boasts that many times she has to come up with innovative ideas for projects. She points to a recent example. She was asked about designing a sampler kit that the company could use to ship small samples of their sugars and sweeteners to potential industrial customers.

“We had a limited budget for this project and I was told to make it pretty,” she recalls “I saw the original sample kit and I knew that I could really improve on it and provide something that would catch the attention of the recipient.” She adds that the final sample kit she designed is creative, functional and economical as well as will make an excellent first impression.

This busy mother of three young children acknowledges that she does her best work in the very early morning hours. “Working late at night is when my creative juices really start flowing,” she laughs. “It was actually one night when I came up with my design for our booth at the Expo East.”

Not content to rest on her past achievements, Luu proudly offers that she has a goal to learn more about the packaging side of the company in order to gain a better understanding of the functional design process. She believes this knowledge will complement her graphic skills and allow her to better create designs for packaging.

Sidney Brady

Sidney Brady, the Inventory Manager in the Purchasing Department at Imperial Sugar Company’s Port Wentworth plant, has become passionate about highlighting the plight of those soldiers who have suffered severe and permanent injuries while serving their country.

Brady, who retired from the military after 23 years, points out that you regularly hear about those courageous young men and women who die while serving overseas but believes you don’t hear as much about those who are badly injured and about the difficulties and challenges they face on their long, difficult path to recovery. For more than a year now, Brady has had an opportunity to meet with many of these injured warriors and learn their stories.

It began when Brady’s own son, PFC Sidney Brady, Jr. contracted an illness while stationed in Afghanistan. PFC Brady, the second oldest of the senior Brady’s four sons, is stationed out of Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga. In early 2010, his unit was activated and sent to Afghanistan. In May 2010, he developed a severe bacterial infection and was first taken to Germany for treatment but then brought to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. for more comprehensive medical care. Since his initial arrival, the younger Brady has since endured seven operations to repair damage caused by the infection.

It has been during his frequent visits to his son that Brady has had an opportunity to develop close bonds with many of the soldiers who are undergoing treatment and rehabilitation at Walter Reed.

According to Brady, “It’s like being on a college campus seeing all these young men and women at the hospital except many have lost limbs or suffered head injuries in combat.”

One of the first soldiers that Brady met at the hospital was a master sergeant who was finally leaving the hospital after three years and who provided some insightful advice. “I asked him what could I do to bring comfort amid all the suffering,” said Brady. “He told me to just to go up to the patients and befriend them. Just buy them a cup of coffee and let them tell you their story.”

Brady took the advice to heart and has spent time getting to know some of the young soldiers at Walter Reed. He notes that every Friday, there is a medevac (medical air evacuation) flight that comes in from Iraq or Afghanistan bringing new injured soldiers back home for treatment. His son arrived on the same type of medevac flight.

Brady recounts how he met one young man who had lost both his arms and legs. What was shocking to Brady was that this determined young soldier had a large smile on his face and declared that he was thankful to be alive. “This made me appreciate how small my problems are compared to what this many faces on a daily basis.”

On another occasion when Brady and his son were sitting outside the hospital, he describes how they both heard a loud, clicking sound. The source of the noise was a man with two artificial legs who was jogging. “This soldier is just one of the numerous examples of the perseverance and courage that many of these men and women exhibit even in the face of incredible odds,” Brady said with admiration. “It filled me with such hope.”

Brady shares that his son’s attitude fluctuates. While most times he is positive, there are those moments when he expresses frustration but soon realizes he is luckier than most. Brady recalls how one day when they were having dinner together, they saw this tall, handsome, well-built young man walking into the dining area with his hand on his father’s shoulder and his mother by his side. Although this young man had lost his sight in battle he was still telling jokes as he passed by.

“After seeing this scene, my son turned to me and said ‘dad, that could have been me’,” Brady says softly. It’s at these moments that the younger Brady appreciates that his situation could be much worse.

The road to recovery for many of these men and women at Walter Reed is a long one admits Brady. He quickly adds, “What would surprise most people is seeing how positive these injured warriors remain in spite of their severe and permanent injuries.”

Photo of PFC Sidney Brady Jr., taken before he deployed to Afghanistan.

Brady continues to regularly make the eight hour drive from Savannah to Washington, D.C. to see his son. He expresses gratitude that the military spares no expense in trying to give his son, and the other wounded servicemen and women, the very best medical care possible.

His son’s next surgery is scheduled for September. “We had hoped that his last surgery would be the final one but when they operated this last time, they determined that they would need to go in one more time,” says Brady.

When asked if any of the soldiers he has met have expressed any regrets, he quickly responds that, like his son, most of the military men and women in the hospital do not regret serving, if anything they are bothered by the fact that they were not able to complete their commitment.

Brady concludes by asserting “Aside from winning the War on Terror, there is nothing more important to this nation than taking care of its wounded, ill and injured warriors. I pray that my son recovers completely and that he will serve as an inspiration to other young men and women and provide hope.”

Taylor and Jalen Deloach, children of Robert Deloach, packaging manager at Imperial Sugar Company's Port Wentworth Plant

Taylor, 13 years, and Jalen, 9 years, are part of the the Savannah-Chatham Silver Cheetahs, a year-round Track & Field Club that offers Cross-Country, Indoor & Outdoor competitions. Due to their outstanding athletic abilities, both Deloach children qualified to participate in the AAU games this year and were two of the 18 Silver Cheetahs who qualified to compete on this national stage.

Competition is fierce at the AAU Junior Olympic Games, known as the largest national multi-sport event for youth in the United States. Student athletes from all over the country and Puerto Rico participate in the games. According to Deloach, this year’s event had a record number of participants with approximately 16,000 young athletes competing to win the gold, silver or bronze medal in their sport.

This was Taylor’s fourth year to participate in the games and she has been ranked in the top three in the long jump all four years. This 8th grader is also the reigning indoor long jump champion with a jump of 17-11. The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far from the take-off point as possible. At this year’s national championship, Taylor earned a bronze medal in the Youth Girls Long Jump, with a jump of 18-04.75, a personal best for the young athlete.

This was Jalen’s second time competing at the national championship games. He participated in the 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash but it was in the Sub-Bantam Boys Long Jump where he earned the gold with a staggering jump of 15-01.50. He was just two inches shy of a national record.

Robert proudly explains that his children get their athletic abilities from him. Although he did not participate in track and field during his youth, he was involved in numerous other sports, including basketball, baseball and football. Besides track and field, Jalen plays football and basketball while Taylor also enjoys playing basketball for her school, keeping the duo busy all year.

Robert states that he tries to instill in them a passion and drive to excel in not just sports but academically as well. Both children attend Charles Ellis Montessori Academy in Savannah where they each do well in the classroom. This past year, Taylor received an academic award given by the school.

AAU National Junior Olympics Games Medal

The Silver Cheetahs have had an awesome year. Thanks in part to Taylor and Jalen, the team earned 11 medals overall at the Junior Olympic Games, giving each athlete the status of ranking within the top eight in the nation in each event, respectively. They also dominated in competitions at Miramar, Fl, broke records in Augusta, Ga., and ranked top three in the ESPN Rise Games at Disneyworld.

Next February Taylor will try out for the world team, which will give her the exciting opportunity to compete in Europe with other children from around the world. “She is really looking forward to this competition and the chance to meet with other young athletes from around the world,” says Robert. He adds “Her goal is to qualify for and participate in the Olympic Games. This motivates her to work hard and improve each year.”

Jimmy Sheahan

Jimmy Sheahan, an electrician in the Specialty Products division at Imperial Sugar Company’s Port Wentworth plant, produces a large smile when he begins to talk about his children. As a single father, it wasn’t always easy for Sheahan, but he made it a priority to spend quality time with his children. This included helping two of his sons achieve the distinguished rank of Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program.

Sheahan, who has been an electrician at the Port Wentworth plant for 18 years, comes from a large family of nine children. His own father spent considerable time with his sons teaching them to hunt and to fish. So it was natural for Sheahan to spend time with his five children that includes four boys and one girl. Since they were young, he spent time with his children on a number of outdoor activities. When his sons asked if they could join the Scouting program, Sheahan thought it would be a good way for them to build self confidence and learn skills they could carrying into their adulthood, so he said yes.

His sons started off in Cub Scouts, and were soon involved in derby races. Jimmy spent time researching how to build the small vehicles and soon his boys were winning championship after championship. After being in Cub Scouts for four years, his sons moved on to Boy Scouts.

Jimmy, the oldest, received about 44 merit badges while his younger brother John Michael received 47. According to Sheahan, merit badges are difficult to obtain. “I was telling one of my co-workers here at the plant who has horses what was required to obtain the equine badge. After I explained it to him, he told me there are grown men who have been around horses all their lives and can’t do what is expected of these boys to get the badge.”

Sheahan emphasizes that it takes commitment from parents when they have children involved in the scouting program because there are many things the boys are not able to do on their own and they need the assistance of their parents.

For Sheahan, the hardest part of working toward the Eagle Scout designation with his sons was sleeping on the hard ground during camping trips. He recalls there was one camping trip called the “Father and Son Freeze Out” which took place the second weekend in February, typically some of the coldest nights of the year. Jimmy laughs as he recalls that because of his size, he had trouble zipping his warm sleeping bag all the way up so he covered himself in coats and blankets, and anything else he could find to keep himself warm. He points out that it was so cold that some of the fathers couldn’t take it and just got up and left during the middle of the night.

He explains that the effort required to earn some of the merit badges, like for camping, is similar to military training. “You train in the most awful conditions, which are sometimes worst than the actual combat,” says Sheahan. “If the boys can get through the training, then they are prepared to tackle just about anything. The main purpose is to teach these boys life skills and instill them with leadership qualities.”

It’s obvious that Sheahan is a dedicated parent, taking vacation time and switching his shifts at work so he was available to help his sons with their merit badges. “Sometimes I felt like I earned a merit badge along with my sons,” he says with a grin.
Sheahan’s first two sons did well and made it to the rank of Eagle Scouts. His next two sons made it about three-quarters of the way to Eagle Scout and then, according to Sheahan, they discovered girls. Although they didn’t reach Eagle Scout, Jimmy is confident they still received the leadership experience that he believes is extremely important and has positioned them for success in the future.

He proudly talks about how his children have grown into remarkable adults. Jimmy is working on his doctorate in history while John Michael recently graduated from college with a degree in the medical field. His daughter Rosemarie is a linguist who speaks several languages besides English, including Spanish, French, Latin and Japanese. She will be going to work this September in Japan as an English teacher. His son Joseph, Sheahan indicates, is like him who can fix just about anything. Joseph wanted a career that put his mechanical skills to use so he is attending Nashville Auto-Diesel College, one of the best of its kind in the country.

His youngest son Christopher recently graduated from high school and has expressed an interest in joining his father at the Port Wentworth plant. “He can see how much I enjoy my job at the plant,” Sheahan says. “I tell him it’s the sweetest job I have ever had.”

Like their father, Sheahan’s children are tall. His sons’ heights range between 6 feet 4inches and 6 feet 6 inches. Even his daughter Rosemarie is statuesque at over 6 feet in height.

It’s hard for Sheahan to remember all the merit badges his sons received, everything from beekeeping to camping to fire making. He smiles broadly when he offers that his sons can make a fire by rubbing two sticks together.

Sheahan has a small farm out in the country where he raised his children. Together, he and his sons built their house, which took three years to complete.

Jimmy admits he has made sacrifices for his children. He points to his old truck sitting in the parking lot which is older than his 18 year-old son. However, he quickly adds that it has all been worthwhile.

“My children are my life and I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said Sheahan. “It’s an honor being their father.”

Elizabeth Sevier

Elizabeth Sevier is the 11-year old daughter of Robyn Sevier, the Laboratory Supervisor at Imperial Sugar Company’s Port Wentworth plant. Elizabeth is a typical 6th grader who enjoys school, playing sports and spending time with her friends. You wouldn’t know from looking at Elizabeth that she has dealt with a potentially debilitating disease for most of her young life. Early on, this confident young girl made a decision to “own her illness” rather than letting it “own her” and has been recognized for her commitment to raising awareness and funds to battle this disease.

“I have a pretty normal life,” says Elizabeth. “I love to read, play sports, hang out with my friends and I love my dogs. My parents let my teachers know what is going on with me so they understand when I need to miss school for my treatments.”

Elizabeth’s story began when she was two-years old and began experiencing severe stomach pain and diarrhea. She endured several months of testing before doctors could determine the cause of her symptoms. After a colonoscopy was done on Christmas Eve, Robyn and her husband received the news that their young toddler was suffering from ulcerative colitis, an Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), which causes inflammation of the intestines, particularly the large intestine.

Robyn remembers that they seemed to be the only ones at the hospital on Christmas Eve waiting for the test results to come back. “When the doctor came out, he said that the inside of her large intestine was raw as a result of irritation and the bleeding,” Robyn solemnly recalls. “It was not the news we had hoped for but there was some relief in finally identifying what was causing her symptoms.”

Ulcerative colitis has similarities to Crohn’s disease another form of IBD, and is an intermittent disease, with periods of exacerbated symptoms, and periods that are relatively symptom-free. Although the symptoms of ulcerative colitis can sometimes diminish on its own, the disease usually requires treatment to go into remission. There are up to 1.4 million people in the U.S. who have an IBD, and at least 140,000 of them are under the age of 18.

After her diagnosis, Elizabeth was immediately placed on a regimen of medications, including a steroid that significantly improved her condition, at least for a while. However, when she turned four, Elizabeth suffered another severe flare up. The steroid she was taking was no longer effective so her doctor started Elizabeth on a medication called Remicade that is given by IV infusion. Elizabeth has had this IV infusion every six or seven weeks for the past seven years.

Elizabeth notes that “Remicade has really helped me a lot but I have to be careful around people that are sick because it weakens my immune system.”

Elizabeth during her Remicade Treatment

Several years ago, the family began to become more actively involved in the support of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). The family, which includes Elizabeth, her parents Robyn and George, and her two older brothers Logan and John, has participated in two walks to raise funds and awareness for the CCFA. As evidence of her enthusiasm and drive, Elizabeth was recognized at both walks as the youth that raised the most money.

The family, along with friends, will once again participate in the walk in Savannah this October. The name of the upcoming walk is “Take Steps Be Heard.” The name is partly because IBD diseases are sometimes referred to as “silent diseases” because due to their nature, many people who suffer from these conditions are hesitant to discuss them.

“It is important to raise money to help the doctors, researchers and drug companies find better treatments and ultimately a cure for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease,” Elizabeth explains. “I hope that everyone that walks and donates money to Take Steps Be Heard realize what a gift it is for future medical research to help out all of the people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease. We have to let people know everywhere that we are walking and that it matters.”

Because of her dedication to the cause, Elizabeth was selected by the CCFA to be the “Local Honored Hero” for the CCFA Take Steps Be Heard walk in Savannah. The kick-off event for the Take Steps walk is August 3 at a Savannah Sand Gnats baseball game. Teams that have registered for the walk are encouraged to sell tickets to the Sand Gnats game since more than half of the ticket price will be donated to the CCFA. As the “Local Honored Hero,” Elizabeth will be making a speech on behalf of the CCFA walk.

This year, Robyn and her husband will speak to Elizabeth’s school about getting involved with the walk and fundraising. Previously, the family has kept Elizabeth’s condition private, only telling her teachers, and Elizabeth has shared with a few of her friends.

“We are very proud of Elizabeth,” Robyn exclaims. “Her condition has made her a very strong and determined individual. There are many times when her condition causes her pain and discomfort, especially joint pain, but she deals with it very well, especially considering her age.”

Since she was very young, Elizabeth has expressed an interest in becoming a pharmacist because she wants to help other people with their medications, just like she has been helped with hers.

“I have had Ulcerative Colitis for most of my life and I have to thank my doctors and nurses, my teachers, and especially my family for always helping me out,” she says with a smile.

If you are interested in supporting Elizabeth and Team Sevier, click here to visit her personal fundraising page.

To learn more about the “Take Steps. Be Heard” walk in Savannah or to about the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, visit www.ccfa.org.

Billy Morgan has been an employee of the sugar refinery and packing facility at Port Wentworth for the past 38 years. During that time he has held various positions including stacker, checker and machine operator. However, his ties to the plant began before he joined the company at the age of 25 years.

He became part of the plant family when he was a mere four years old. His father was an employee and took advantage of the plentiful housing available for workers on the premises at that time. Not only did his father work for the company, but his grandfather and grandmother were employees as well. At one time, all three generations were working at the plant at the same time.

Billy Morgan

As Morgan recalls, his father paid around $6 a month in rent for the small, sturdy house his family occupied. This small amount today, then covered costs for electricity, water, steam heat, garbage pickup and maintenance of the house. Not a bad deal for what is now the price of a fast food meal.

What stands out most in Morgan’s mind about that period in his life is the sense of community there was among the residents living on the property.

“It was an environment that was very family-oriented and where everyone looked out for each other,” says Morgan. “We could leave for a week on vacation and didn’t need to lock our doors. My mom watched out for other people’s kids. I ate dinner in a different house every night.”

He also recalls how he would freely visit his father while he was working. “The safety precautions were not as stringent as they are now, so I often took my father his lunch. I always looked forward to any chance I had to see where my father worked.”

During Morgan’s early years at the plant, there were a good number of children living on the property. He recounts that during the summer, he would wake up, eat breakfast and then go outside since he and his playmates did not have the luxury of television or video games now available to most children.

“The only time we had to leave the community was to attend school or to visit a medical specialist,” says Morgan. “The rest of the time there was plenty of activities to keep us occupied. There were playgrounds and two baseball fields on the property. “

At that time, the Georgia Ports was not at its present location near the plant, so there were more open fields and forests. In the nearby wooded area, the children built clubhouses and forts with scraps of tar paper and other material given to them by friendly workers. The Savannah River, which borders the plant, proved to be too much of a temptation for Morgan and the other children.
“We weren’t supposed to go to the river, but we did,” he admits with a grin. “On the edge of the property there were some small boats. We would sometimes appropriate one and then spend hours exploring the wildlife around the river.”

The river was not the only source of excitement. Morgan recollects an old deserted plantation home located nearby that the children claim was haunted. To add to the fear factor, there was an old Indian burial ground on the plantation’s property that created a setting right out of a scary movie.

He laughs as he explains that there was never really a chance to get into too much trouble because there were always many eyes watching over him and the other children.

“If I was playing down the street and I did something wrong, whoever it was that caught me would paddle me and send me home. It was just that type of atmosphere.”

Morgan lived on the property until he was 15 years-old. The company began to phase out housing at the plant in the 1960’s and families, including his, began moving out of the community. Morgan concedes that it proved to be an incentive for his father to purchase a house for the family.

“Maybe it wasn’t the case, but it seemed that we had fewer fears living at the plant compared to life outside the gates,” ponders Morgan.

With fond memories of growing up at the plant, it was no wonder that Morgan jumped at the opportunity to work alongside his father and grandparents. Like so many others, he points out that it is the culture of friendliness and support that sets the plant apart from other employers.

“I can remember times when I came to work at 6 a.m. and there were lines of people eagerly waiting for their shift to begin,” he points out. “We all worked hard but we enjoyed what we did. I think this was because of the unique camaraderie that existed, and continues to exist, among the employees.”

With a tinge of sadness, Morgan announces that he will be retiring from the company this October. However, his connection to Imperial Sugar will not end with his retirement. He will continue to live close to the plant and plans to attend the company’s annual picnics to catch up with old friends and former co-workers. His plans after leaving the company include traveling with his wife around the country.

“What I will miss the most are my friends and co-workers,” he emphasizes. I have known these people for a good number of years and I would put them up against any company in the world. They are the best!”

The sugar refinery and packing facility has a number of laboratories, including a process lab and one that assists with quality assurance. As the supervisor, Sevier oversees daily activities of the laboratories and her position requires that she interface between the laboratories and the plant production.

Robyn Sevier

“As a liaison, it’s important to understand daily operations of the plant in order to better respond to their needs,” explains Sevier. The lab is a service arm of the plant, so it’s critical that we communicate clearly with all departments that rely on the labs for support.”

Sevier graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a Bachelor of Science degree in food science/ food chemistry. With over 20 years of laboratory experience gained during her career, she had been working outside of a laboratory for the past six years before accepting the position at Imperial Sugar.

“I enjoy working with the people at this facility and I like the fact that I am overseeing a laboratory again,” she says with a smile.

She is currently working on numerous projects, including the review of all laboratory procedures. Sevier notes that this project is essential because the plant recently hired several new laboratory analysts, making it important that all analysts are running procedures the same way so results will be consistent regardless of who is performing the tests.

Her prior work experience provided her with an understanding of the refining process, but she admits that food manufacturing is unique. She finds one of the challenges to be the high production rate at the plant. She adds, “When you are producing a target of 6 million pounds of sugar a day, that’s a large production volume to monitor for quality assurance so I’m fortunate to have a team I can depend upon.”

When asked what impresses her most about her new role, Sevier quickly points to the appreciation she has gained on how sugar is made.

“I think when people look at sugar on the store shelf they take it for granted that’s it’s a simple product to make, but in reality there is quite a bit that goes into processing sugar for our customers, “ she points out. “There is a great effort that goes into processing sugar and extreme care taken to make sure that we manufacture a quality product that is safe for consumers.”