Rockline Throws Rockin? Employee Parties

There’s nothing like a quality Elvis impersonator to liven up a party. Complete with slick, black hair and gyrating hips, a faux Elvis is only one of Human Resource Director Sam Wilson’s ideas for the annual holiday Employee Appreciation Celebration Day at Rockline Industries Inc. in Springdale.

Given Wilson’s results, perhaps every business should seek the professional help of The King to ensure workplace satisfaction. Annual turnover in the assembly-line factory, which produces baby wipes, dropped from 100 percent in 1994 to about 25 percent now. Wilson credits the celebrations for much of the improvement.

“Obviously, how a person is treated … has a lot to do with whether a person decides to stay,” Wilson said. “Most people don’t leave a company. They leave a bad employment situation.”

The first holiday party, given in 1995, was part of Wilson’s solution to create a positive employment atmosphere. The event has grown more elaborate each year, and Rockline spent more than $70,000 to produce last week’s party at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Springdale.

“Our most valuable assets are our people,” Wilson said.

Although an Elvis did give a performance this year, several other acts and events helped draw the crowd. Las Vegas performers, including a ventriloquist, a juggler, a comedian and a duo balancing act, were chosen by Wilson to perform for the party.

In the past, he has hired entertainment acts from Branson, Mo., but the party needed to be bigger this year, Wilson said. Rockline has been growing — by about 300 workers in 2000 — and Wilson wanted all 900 employees to enjoy the show.

About 75 percent of the employees attended the party last year.

Employees are also encouraged to take family members and friends to the event, Wilson said, because it gives employees a chance to show off and be proud of their company. In years past, Rockline hosted the party on its premises, but space in the factory is too limited now.

Las Vegas performers aren’t Wilson’s only blue-chip attraction. Elaborate decorations are made by factory employees.

All the ornaments are created from production scraps like cardboard, paper and plastic, in more than 1,200 hours of labor.

Gala Miller organizes and designs the themes for the celebration, and she uses a team of about 10 employees to create the decorations.

Many of the finished pieces are used again in the plant’s Springdale Christmas parade float, which, for the last two years, has won first place overall.

Another attraction at the party is a version of the hit ABC television show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Participating employees can win up to $1,000 by answering 10 questions correctly, Wilson said, and questions about Rockline make up most of the inquiries.

Each employee received a Christmas gift from Rockline, and about half of those attending received door prizes, including television sets, microwaves, trips to Branson, Razorback tickets and days off with pay.

This year’s party theme was the 12 Days of Christmas, and 1999’s decorations were based on international dolls. Wilson said he especially enjoyed that theme because the factory has employees from 16 countries.

Several other annual events help to please employees, including a Family Fun Day fair with rides and games in the spring and a Halloween carnival.