With the money received through the Legacy Foundation Bright Ideas Community Enrichment Fund, Tenco was able to purchase a conveyor and a glass crusher. When Andy Hansen, John Deere Ottumwa Works Plant Manager, heard about this project, he and a team of his employees stepped in to assist, making major modifications to improve the efficiency of the redemption process.

The John Deere team engineered 22 stations which include electronic counters for accuracy as well as an indicator light identifying when each bag is full.  Along with the work they did on the conveyor, the John Deere team modified the new glass crusher by installing a dump box to lift the glass onto the machine, minimizing actual “hands-on the glass” time.  Comfort of Tenco workers was also a concern of John Deere who graciously donated and installed two large factory-sized fans to benefit individuals being served by Tenco.

This was a fantastic project to be a part of and a wonderful example of how working together can maximize everyone efforts to benefit the entire community in a substantial way.  A special thanks to our friends at John Deere Ottumwa Works for their leadership and benevolence!