Culture of Care

Our success comes down to one vital ingredient: Our People
Together, through dedication to each other, our common values, and our shared vision, we are building a better business — now and for generations to come.

Taking ownership of safety

Everyone here is in it for the long haul. We’re all invested in making improvements where we can.

– CLINT COLLINS,
Boiler/By-Products Supervisor AT JACK DANIEL’S

A father of five who lives on a cattle farm, Clint Collins has a safety-first mentality. In his job as a Boiler/By-Products Supervisor at the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, Clint has improved safety procedures and culture for the close-knit team he considers his second family.

“Our 20-person team handles everything except making the whiskey. We look after all of the action behind the scenes — the boilers, steam, charcoal production, by-products, process water treatment, and waste water management. We use many different types of equipment, which can create potential safety issues.

When I stepped into my lead operator role a little over two years ago, we were able to implement new ways of managing safety. Our department has four teams, and each now has a volunteer safety representative. Every month, we do a safety walk through, and the volunteers share the findings with their team. They also take notes throughout the month which we pool together. We’ve found and resolved many potential issues this way — before they became real problems.

For example, wearing personal protective equipment like gloves, glasses, and ear protection is very important. So we mounted storage containers in different areas in order for equipment to always be easily available. Little things like that can make a big difference.

I have been very fortunate, not only to have a team that has been receptive to the changes we have made, but also to have a management team that has been behind me every step of the way. The new approach works because the team has really taken ownership. Jack Daniel’s is a great place to work, and everyone is in it for the long haul.”

Jack Daniel’s is now replicating Clint’s approach across the company in the name of Responsible Production EHS Culture.

We believe that everyone’s ideas, voice, and actions matter. To put that belief into practice, we cultivate a caring culture that empowers each of us to grow personally and professionally. To help us understand our colleagues’ commitment to the company and where we need to do better, we conduct an all-employee engagement survey every two years.