faces of the frontline: manufacturing’s all stars

Big results are often a byproduct of small actions delivered consistently and with excellence. The perfect example of this is Mireya Jimenez, Production Line Leader at Pioneer — a C.H. Guenther & Sons (CHG) food manufacturing plant in Dallas. 

In the 14 years Mireya has been with CHG, she’s spent the last eight at Pioneer, where she helped the startup team open the plant. More recently, she helped CHG launch Redzone and became a Redzone super-user. She has now been recruited to visit three other CHG sites in the U.S. to help implement Redzone more widely. 

This is the success story of Mireya Jimenez and how her everyday actions increased overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and reduced injuries at Pioneer Frozen Foods.

Compassionate Advocate for Change

When Pioneer introduced Redzone a year and a half ago to digitize its operations, many employees resisted adoption as they couldn’t recognize its power to streamline workflows and drive productivity. However, the company had an ace up its sleeve with Mireya. 

She didn’t shy away from using the tool to improve processes and drive consistency across the plant. When the third shift reported the second shift was making recurring mistakes with threading film, Mireya investigated and discovered training gaps due to high turnover. She encouraged third-shift team members to document issues in Redzone, adjusted her schedule, and stayed late to personally train second-shift operators. She also helped create a training video in Redzone as a permanent resource.

Using her in-depth knowledge of the production floor challenges and her bilingual skills in English and Spanish, she encouraged others to use Redzone to share insights, flag hazards, and celebrate successes. 

“It was a huge benefit to have her speak both English and Spanish,” says Jacqueline Gau, CHG Corporate Quality Food Safety. “It was wonderful to see her communicate in their language and to see operator-to-operator connection.”

Since its implementation, she’s become the engagement leader on the platform. From creating workflows that improve OSHA compliance to providing real-time feedback and encouragement, she’s shown how small, consistent actions could contribute towards meaningful business success. 

“I get a Redzone engagement report every week and Mireya was number one in many categories and at least top three in others, almost across the board,” says Armias DeBello, Director.

A Mastermind of Practical Problem-Solving

Mireya’s philosophy is to always go above and beyond, no matter what. This desire to exceed has made her a master problem solver who can tackle both the unexpected and the common, day-to-day challenges occurring at a food manufacturing facility like Pioneer.

A good example of this is the buttermilk tank issue. In this instance, operators were struggling with the tedious process of cutting open buttermilk totes, causing delays and frustration. In collaboration with her team, she brainstormed a new workflow, documented it in Redzone, and made the changes needed resulting in an improved process. 

“Engagement increases performance,” says Jasmine Robinson, HR Business Partner. “Mireya’s using Redzone to keep everyone informed, bring together different departments to work as a team, and to give a shout-out to her peers.”

Mireya also made an impact in the compliance department by identifying inefficiencies in the mandatory pallet jack inspections, which were previously documented on paper. She digitized the process using Redzone’s compliance module, making it easier for operators to complete and record inspections. She then trained employees on the new system to make sure everyone followed the process. This new digital process significantly improved compliance rates.

“It’s been great to see her gravitate to compliance,” says Armias. “And now she’s like the compliance person, and all these plants are trying to steal her from us.”

Lasting Achievements at Pioneer

Mireya’s impact at Pioneer is evident in the company’s operational achievements, where her contributions have driven significant improvements in efficiency, safety, and OEE. 

“We had a 7% OEE increase over baseline in our first 90 days with Redzone,” says Armias. “Mireya led the charge with that.”

Leveraging tools like Redzone to identify and resolve bottlenecks, track trends in data, and facilitate communication between employees and management, Mireya has helped Pioneer achieve greater consistency and efficiency. 

“From a quality perspective, Mireya has been a huge help,” says Philycia Hounshell, QA Manager. “We launched Redzone last year with a goal to get a complaint rate of 0.143. We finished the year with a complaint rate of 0.071, so we did amazingly well.”

Mireya has focused on consistent small wins, such as closing out over 90 “Find It, Fix It” safety hazards on the second shift. This helped reduce the plant’s annual safety recordables by 90%, removing workplace injuries and helping build a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. It’s no surprise that she was Pioneer’s 2023 employee of the year and winner of the Redzone 2024 Frontline MVP Award. 

“Without her, we wouldn’t have seen these quality, safety, and productive gains,” says Armias.

Ripple Effects of Positivity

Mireya’s influence in Pioneer goes beyond technology and business metrics. Her inclusivity and positive attitude have contributed to an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported, and inspired to give their best every day. Her genuine care for her teammates is evident in everything she does. Whether it’s organizing a surprise baby shower for a colleague or offering digital high-fives and words of affirmation, Mireya makes sure her coworkers know they are part of a workplace family. 

“Even this morning we had a QA tech post in Redzone saying that they had a potential for a material issue,” says Philycia. “Mireya went, fixed the problem, then sent encouragement in Redzone, which is what she does every day.”

Mireya has also had an effect on other plants. She’s been asked to help implement Redzone at three of the 32 locations CHG operates in, including Tribeca Bread Ovens in New Jersey. The director at Tribeca commended Mireya on her positive attitude and how she engages with employees.

Mireya’s achievements are a testament to her belief that no problem is too small to deserve attention. Her consistent, thoughtful approach to problem-solving resolved immediate challenges while laying the groundwork for a more efficient, resilient workplace. Her ability to merge technical expertise with compassionate leadership and collaboration set a new standard for operational excellence, creating a legacy of innovation and efficiency admired by all.

“Another plant’s director emailed me and said, ‘Hey, can we have Mireya another week?’” said Russell Massinburg, Production Manager. “I said, ‘No, we need this excellence here.’”

Vision for the Future

Under KC’s leadership, McEntire Produce has become a place where employees feel valued, heard, and inspired to deliver their best. But for KC, boosting production, improving communication, and empowering employees are just the beginning. He now plans to drive the company toward even greater success by implementing Redzone in other areas of the business.

KC views training as an ongoing journey where employees continually gain competence and take ownership of their roles. By merging technological expertise with hands-on leadership, KC has helped position McEntire as a benchmark for operational excellence in the industry. His work exemplifies how innovation, teamwork, and a focus on continuous improvement can drive success in a competitive landscape. “KC shows a lot of passion in everything he does,” says O’Leary. “I appreciate it, it makes my job easier.”

Want to know more? Read about more Faces of the Frontline, and their stories stories in our ebook.