November 11, 2024 marked a meaningful milestone for Milton Burson, planner at Southwire’s Heflin Plant in Heflin, Ala., as he celebrated 60 years of company service.
Milton, Southwire’s longest-tenured active team member, began his Southwire career on November 11, 1964, a date that holds extra special significance as he is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
Milton’s first job at Southwire was in the shipping department at Southwire’s Utility Products Plant (SCUPP) in Carrollton, Ga. He was then assigned to typing production orders and eventually moved into materials management, an area of the company in which he has now worked for more than 50 years.
Burson also met his wife, Kay, at Southwire. Milton and Kay been married for more than 45 years and have two children and two grandchildren.
“Southwire is a great place to work, and we’re better now than we’ve ever been. It is such a pleasure to come in every day. I tell all the new hires that if you don’t like working here, you won’t like working anywhere,” said Milton. “This place is special. Sometimes in life, there are things that we have trouble dealing with – but once I get here, most of the time… I can fix it.”
Milton was instrumental in starting up Southwire’s Heflin Plant in 1996 and has also consistently been a champion for environmental stewardship and Southwire’s recycled reel program. He led the way in identifying millions pounds of wooden reels that could be recycled and reused in the company’s operations. Because of these efforts, many regard Milton as Southwire’s “Environmental Hero.”
“On my first day at Southwire in July of 1984, Milton was one of the first faces – probably the first smile – that I saw, and he already had 20 years under his belt,” said Charlie Murrah, executive vice president and chief supply chain officer. “The words Honor, Courage and Commitment don’t just embody his service in the U.S. Marine Corps, they embody who Milton is – the honor by which he carries himself and puts forth for his craft, the respect he has for others and the dedication he has to this company. I am better… this company is better… we are all better because of Milton.”
Earlier this week, Milton’s fellow team members, family and representatives from Southwire’s leadership team surprised him with a special celebration in honor of this milestone.
Lee Richards, shareholder, board member and son of Southwire’s founder, Roy Richards, Sr., was present for the ceremony and shared a special message with Milton.
“60 years – what an unbelievable day,” said Richards. “I think it’s wonderful that Milton overlapped with my dad for 21 of those years. My dad loved to walk around in our facilities, and I can imagine him walking around and seeing Milton and others making the products, getting the products out the door and solving our customer’s problems. I’m often reminded of the real commitment our people have to our company. Milton is a critical part of this program, and I want to say thank you so much.”
Those in attendance enjoyed remarks from many leaders and team members who have been connected with Milton throughout his career, as well as refreshments and fellowship.
Some highlights from the presentations include:
David McLendon – Site Leader, Heflin Plant
“We are so grateful for Milton, his work ethic and his tireless efforts, and we are honored to celebrate him today. Look around – THIS is the community that Milton Burson creates.”
Norman Adkins – President and Chief Operating Officer
“When I came into the company 25 years ago, one of the first visits I had was to this new plant called Heflin. Milton was one of the first people I met, and he was unbelievably welcoming and enthusiastic about Southwire. Ultimately, our customers have a choice every day of who they are going to work with, and the difference we have from anyone else is our people – Milton exemplifies what makes Southwire special.”
Will Berry – Senior Vice President, Engineering & Modernization
“When I think about Milton, I think about Southwire’s values of Empowerment, Trust, Consistency and Inclusion and how he reflects them every day – specifically, inclusion. To me, he represents inclusion more than anyone else in this company. When I came to Heflin as a brand-new plant manager, I can’t begin to explain how welcoming Milton was and all the ways he worked to make it easier for me to be part of this group. What I quickly learned was that I wasn’t really that special because that’s what he does with everybody – he wants them to be included and wants to see the best out of everyone.”
Mandy Baeumel – Senior Vice President, People & Culture
“I started my career in Giving Back – it is core to who I am and core to who Southwire is,” said Mandy Baeumel, senior vice president of People and Culture. “Milton is the epitome of Giving Back – I can’t imagine the number of souls and people he has touched, trained and mentored over these 60 years. We are so grateful.”
Jason Pollard – Vice President, Communications (former Heflin Plant HR Manager)
“The comments shared at this ceremony truly reflect what Milton means to all of us, and I am so thankful for how his influence has helped shape me into who I am today. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank him and congratulate him on his continued success at Southwire – keep making us better, Milton!”
Of course, the question for many was, what’s next for Milton? His response?
“I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I’m thinking I’ll stay around ten more years, maybe.”
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