Greg Junek: Sunday Briefing

Ted Conover, president and chief executive officer for Bank of Tyler, received the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Man of the Year honor during the annual county agricultural Extension agent's state meeting earlier this month in Amarillo.

Brian Triplett, who pens the Ag Biz column, wrote that it was his privilege to recognize a Tylerite at this year's event.

The banquet honors volunteers and industry leaders who support Extension agent programming and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Triplett said the agents in his district are allowed to recognize someone at the event every other year.

Conover was one of six recipients statewide, and the only recipient from East Texas.

He served as president and chief executive officer of Heritage Land Bank from 1985 to 2005.

Triplett said that while Conover was at Heritage, "he encouraged his employees to be involved in the agricultural community, serving on advisory committees for Extension agents, volunteering at livestock shows, sponsoring educational events and supporting our youth at 4-H auctions."

Conover is a fifth-generation rancher who has a cattle operation in East Texas with his two sons. He is also co-owner of a ranch in South Texas which was recognized by the Texas Department of Agriculture's Texas Family Land Heritage Program for having land that has seen more than 100 years of continuous ownership and operation in agriculture by the same family.

He serves as chairman of Build East Texas and he is vice president and member of the East Texas State Fair's executive committee. Conover has served as a member of the East Texas Beef Industry Round Table and he serves on the state advisory board for the Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership Program, which helps to develop the state's next generation of agricultural leaders.

Lloyd Hale, director of corporate scanning for Brookshire Grocery Co., received the Bruce G. Brookshire Legendary Customer Service Hall of Fame award, the top award given to a BGC employee for customer service.

Company officials presented him with the award at BGC's annual employee recognition meeting on Aug. 5 at the Cowan Center.

The award is given to one employee in each company division. Recipients must have at least 10 years of unbroken service and set the highest possible standards of service.

Hale started at Brookshire Grocery Co. as a computer operator in 1978. Other job duties included scanning coordinator, communications coordinator, retail automations supervisor, retail support supervisor and technical projects specialist.

He was promoted to corporate scanning manager in 1994 and to director of corporate scanning in 1999.

"Lloyd is known for his dedication to his job and customers, as well as his expertise and commitment to keeping our scanning operations on the cutting edge," said Rick Rayford, company president and chief executive officer. "We are very proud to recognize Lloyd Hale for his untiring service to BGC."

Hale received a customized ring, trophy and a travel package.

Luminant announced its Martin Lake Complex captured the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence with the Silver Medallion in recognition for having world-class improvement tools, systems and principles.

The Silver Medallion is the second-highest award possible from the Shingo Prize, which has been called "the Nobel prize of manufacturing" and which recognizes business excellence in North America.

Luminant said Martin Lake received the award on its first attempt.

"It is extremely unusual for first submissions to receive recognition medallions," said Paul Dowden, vice president of Luminant's operating system.

The Shingo Prize honors the late Dr. Shigeo Shingo, who is considered one of the world's leading experts in improving manufacturing processes and who helped create, train and write about many aspects of the renowned Toyota production system and related production systems.

Well, this is it -- my last column as business editor.

It has been a pleasure working with the business leaders of the community for the past seven years. It sure doesn't seem that long.

But it has been a good run. I've met many people who genuinely care about Tyler and East Texas. They have ranged from outspoken promoters of the community to confidential sources, from developers, builders, lawyers, bankers and company owners to carpenters, bricklayers and union factory workers.

I call each of them a credit to the community.

I'm not going very far -- about 15 feet over in the newsroom, to be exact -- as I enter another editorial position at the newspaper, so I will no doubt continue to see them when I'm out and about in Tyler.

Greg Junek
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