In the fast-paced world of manufacturing, clear and effective communication is critical to keeping operations running smoothly and ensuring employee engagement. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LP), a global leader in building materials, sought a solution to replace their outdated bulletin board system. LP’s Tomahawk, Wisconsin facility, faced challenges in effectively reaching its workforce with important updates, safety notices, and company news.
Roxan Reas, the Human Resources Director, spearheaded the transition to digital signage through Rise Vision, allowing LP to communicate in real-time across their 24/7 manufacturing site. This case study explores how the implementation of Rise Vision improved operational efficiency, boosted employee morale, and strengthened workplace communication at LP.
Meet Roxan Reas, Human Resources Director at Louisiana-Pacific Corporation
Roxan Reas, Human Resources Director at Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, has a unique career story. With over three decades of experience in HR, primarily in healthcare, she made a switch to manufacturing three and a half years ago. At LP's Tomahawk, Wisconsin facility, she leads the HR department, guiding the workforce at a site that's been operational for over 31 years.
LP is one of the world’s leading producers of engineered wood building products, including Oriented Strand Board (OSB), siding, trim, and soffit. Founded in 1973, LP has a rich history in innovation, being a spinoff of Georgia Pacific during the antitrust breakup of large companies in the U.S.
Roxan quickly adapted to LP's needs and focused on one glaring issue: the outdated, inefficient method of communication across their workforce. “When I came here, everything was on bulletin boards, [like it was in] the 1970s and '80s. It didn’t seem really efficient,” she remarked, explaining the manual process of putting up notices across the site.
The Challenge: Ineffective Communication with Manufacturing Employees
LP’s Tomahawk facility faced an age-old problem: ineffective communication with employees. With a workforce spread across a large manufacturing site, Roxan realized that relying solely on physical bulletin boards was inefficient and outdated. Not only was the process time-consuming, but its effectiveness was also questionable. Employees would miss important updates, and there was no real-time way to communicate urgent messages across shifts, especially given the 24/7 nature of the operation.
Roxan humorously recounted, “You want me to walk around every time there’s something we need to tell people and put it on bulletin boards? I’ll do it with a song in my heart, but there’s got to be a better way.”
How Louisiana-Pacific Came to Use Rise Vision Digital Signage
Roxan and one of LP's digital displays showing crew meeting information near where employees clock-in/out.
The search for a modern communication solution began with a simple Google search. Roxan was familiar with digital signage from her time in healthcare but didn’t know the specifics of how to implement it in her new role. “We just started Googling. We saw Rise Vision [and] we're like, ‘Wow, this looks like a pretty good system.’ The price tag was very reasonable. And off to the race as we were,” she explained. This straightforward research led LP to implement Rise Vision’s digital signage solution as a key part of their communication strategy.
The decision to use Rise Vision was driven by its affordability, ease of use, and scalability. It allowed LP to replace its outdated bulletin board system with a more modern, effective method of keeping employees informed.
How LP is Using Rise Vision to Solve its Communication Problem
LP’s northern Wisconsin facility now boasts eight strategically placed TVs, including one positioned outside the building to greet employees, contractors, and visitors. Inside the facility, screens can be found in break rooms, near time clocks, and in other high-traffic areas, ensuring employees see important updates frequently.
Rise Vision has dramatically improved LP’s ability to communicate effectively and efficiently. Roxan and her team members can now update signage in real-time, ensuring that employees are always informed of the latest news, safety reminders, and operational updates.
Digital signage has also allowed LP to display time-sensitive information quickly, such as safety alerts, meeting schedules, and emergency updates. The flexibility of Rise Vision enables content to be customized and organized with expiration dates for temporary notices, ensuring that information is always current.
Everyday before their standup meeting, Roxan has set aside 15 minutes to update the displays. She uses this time to remove any old presentations and to add any new content. She also checks to see that all the displays are online through the remote management system.
LP is successfully using Rise Vision to enhance overall communication, share safety information, and create a positive work environment.
Watch the segment on how Louisiana-Pacific is improving communication in our webinar:
Communicating Important Updates Quickly
Day to day, the displays in the Tomahawk facility are used to share a wide variety of information with the employees.
One of the most impactful uses of Rise Vision came when LP had a sudden opportunity to offer equity payments to its employees. Roxan and her team needed to communicate this exciting news across the entire workforce in a timely manner, but scheduling meetings for all shifts in a 24/7 operation was challenging.
“I posted [the meeting schedule] on digital signage,” Roxan said. “Within 15 minutes, people were coming in and saying, ‘Hey, I can’t make my meeting, but can I come to this other meeting?’” The ability to quickly post the update on digital signage allowed LP to get the message out efficiently without relying on slower, less reliable methods.
Improving Safety
Safety is a top priority at LP, and Rise Vision has become an essential tool for reinforcing safety protocols and celebrating safety milestones. Roxan shared an example of how digital signage has helped keep safety top of mind for employees. “We had actually hit four years recordable-free—1.25 million hours. And then we had, unfortunately, a very small incident. It was two stitches. Stitches in the U.S. are recordable. And so the clock starts all over. People [are] watching that clock, waiting to hit the one-year mark for our safety recognition program.”
Highlight Workplace Achievements and Milestones
Digital signage also plays a role in highlighting workplace achievements and milestones, from recognizing employees’ work anniversaries and birthdays to showcasing fun contests, such as their annual fishing and deer-hunting competitions. “People love to see pictures of their co-workers and say, ‘Oh, look at that big buck!’” Roxan said.
Digital Signage Improved Employee Engagement at LP
Louisiana-Pacific uses Rise Vision digital signage to recognize employee milestones.
In 2022, Louisiana-Pacific Corporation conducted an employee engagement survey to assess communication effectiveness, job satisfaction, and overall morale within the company. The survey revealed gaps in how information was being shared, with many employees expressing concerns about missing critical updates and feeling disconnected from broader company goals.
Following the implementation of Rise Vision’s digital signage solution, a follow-up survey in 2024 showed a significant improvement in these areas. Employee engagement scores rose, and this time the Tomahawk location was in the top tier of the company for communication scores. There were also several positive comments about the “Tomahawk TVs” and how much people enjoyed the digital signage.
What Makes LP’s Use of Rise Vision Unique?
LP’s use of Rise Vision is unique because of the site's rural, 24/7 manufacturing environment, and the emphasis placed on engaging employees in both work-related and morale-boosting content. With a large portion of their workforce not having regular access to computers or email, it was crucial for LP to find a communication system that could meet employees where they were—whether at a time clock or in the break room.
While Roxan is the manager of the company’s digital signage, she has team members who help create and manage content. The office administrator has become a wizard at creating dynamic Powerpoint presentations to be shared on the displays. As well, there is a safety specialist and IT person who creates content for the displays.
What Readers Can Learn from LP's Use of Digital Signage
LP’s experience with Rise Vision highlights several important lessons for organizations facing similar communication challenges:
- Digital Signage Increases Engagement: As Roxan’s experience shows, digital signage can improve employee engagement. Despite initial resistance from some employees, the constant visibility and ease of access make it an effective tool for sharing important information.
- Timely Communication Matters: In a fast-paced, 24/7 environment like LP’s, the ability to share real-time updates can be a game-changer. Whether it’s a safety alert, an urgent meeting, or simply recognizing employees’ achievements, digital signage ensures everyone is in the loop.
- Recognizing Employees Builds Morale: LP’s use of Rise Vision for fun contests and recognition has helped create a more connected and engaged workforce. “We try to use it to create more of that family environment,” Roxan said. By showcasing employees' hobbies and accomplishments outside of work, LP fosters a sense of community and belonging.
- Efficiency Saves Time and Money: By switching from bulletin boards to digital signage, LP has saved countless hours of manual labor. “It’s so much more efficient,” Roxan noted. Digital signage allows HR and management teams to focus on other critical tasks rather than spending time updating physical boards.
When asked what Roxan would say to other manufacturing companies looking to implement digital signage, she said: “Just get it, get the software, and then as you can afford to add TVs where you can afford to do it. Just start doing it, and even start with updating it twice a week, and work your way up.”
If companies think the process sounds overwhelming, Roxan offers some advice: “It's the old saying we joke about. It's just like eating an elephant, it's one bite at a time. And you just start taking the bites out and pretty soon you've got a great, robust process.”
Louisiana-Pacific Uses Rise Vision to Focus Employees on Achieving One Year Recordable Incident/Accident Free
LP’s transition to digital signage with Rise Vision has been a resounding success. It has revolutionized the way they communicate with employees, leading to improved safety, engagement, and overall morale. As Roxan put it, “It’s one of the million things you do every day to tell people what’s important.”
The move to digital signage has not only streamlined their processes but has also brought a more modern, efficient, and engaging way to communicate with employees across all shifts.
For companies facing similar challenges, LP’s story serves as a compelling case for adopting digital signage. Whether you’re looking to improve safety awareness, enhance employee recognition, or simply communicate more efficiently, digital signage solutions like Rise Vision can provide a cost-effective, scalable solution tailored to your organization's needs.
Interested in how your organization can use Rise Vision? Book a free demo today.
