Perseverance runs in the family

John Lee, Cummins Power Systems Product Engineer from Shoreview, Minnesota (USA), has reason to be proud: one of his six children, Suni, is headed to the Olympics as part of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team. 
The Lee Family from left to right: Evionn, Shyenne, Lucky, John, Yeev, Noah, Sunisa and Jonah

John Lee, Cummins Power Systems Product Engineer from Shoreview, Minnesota (USA), has reason to be proud: one of his six children, Suni, is headed to the Olympics as part of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team. 

John laughs as he remembers a six-year-old Suni, before she started training. “She was always jumping around on couches, and it was clear we needed to do something to channel that energy. I remember the first time I took her to the gym, there were a lot of people there, girls doing flips—Suni said, ‘oh they’re so good!’ She wanted to be just like them.”

Last month, Suni finished second overall during trials, earning her ticket to the Olympics. She will be the first Hmong-American to compete in the Olympics as a gymnast.

“Suni made the team pretty quickly and she advanced so fast,” said John proudly. “We never pushed her, but I built her a beam for the back yard. We would always go to competitions that were close by and even fly out to watch her compete. It was usually me who went to the competitions before my accident.”

In August 2019, John fell from a ladder while helping a friend trim a tree. The accident left him paralyzed from the chest down, along with a broken wrist. 

“I remember coming out of surgery and then watching Suni compete at the U.S. National Gymnastics Championships on television,” said John. “She took second that year.”   

While Suni tried to stay focused on her goal of making the Olympics team, John was working toward making it home. As a Navy veteran, he was transferred to the spinal cord unit of the local Veterans Administration (VA) medical center for additional treatment.

“His accident occurred on a Sunday and on Monday, we had multiple team meetings to discuss how we could support John and his family,” said Dennis Shaw, Manager - Market Support Service Engineering, Cummins. “At each turn, we wanted to be sure he had what he needed, from co-workers visiting him in the hospital and at home to helping with the short-term and long-term disability paperwork to ensuring that he had everything he needed in a role that was appropriate for him when he was able to begin working again.”

John returned home in a wheelchair two months after the accident, but it would be another year before he was cleared to return to work, in October 2020 as a Product Application Engineer. As are many employees, he is working from home due to the pandemic. 

“Cummins has been great in accommodating me to come back to work,” said John. “I do everything a bit slower now and I’ve had to have speech therapy. My team helped me with the process of getting back—anything I need help with, Cummins has been very supportive.”

During his long recovery, John didn’t let his wheelchair stop him from being there for Suni. He attended both the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas (USA) in early June as well as the team trials in St. Louis, Missouri (USA). Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, John and his family will have to cheer Suni on from home. 

“I visited John in the hospital a few weeks after his accident. Despite his serious injuries, I distinctly remember him saying ‘Even if I have to swim to Tokyo to watch my daughter compete in the Olympics, I’m not going to miss it,’” said Justin Blomenberg, Executive Director, Power Systems Platform Leader, Cummins. “It was incredible to see his strength and focus on his family. His perseverance to get to this point is phenomenal.”  

Catherine Morgenstern - Cummins Inc.

Catherine Morgenstern

Catherine Morgenstern is a Brand Journalist for Cummins, covering topics such as alternative propulsion, digitalization, manufacturing innovation, autonomy, sustainability, and workplace trends. She has more than 20 years of experience in corporate communications, holding leadership positions most recently within the Industrial Capital Goods sector.

Catherine began her career as a marketing writer for a biotechnology company, where she learned to take complicated and highly technical information and make it accessible to everyone. She believes the concept of “storytelling” is more than a trendy buzzword and loves to find ways for her readers to make personal connections to her subjects. Catherine has a passion for technology and innovation and how its intersection can make an impact in all our lives.

Catherine recently moved back to her hometown in the Hudson Valley, New York after a several decades in Los Angeles and Chicago. She is a graduate of UCLA and enjoys gardening and spending time with her husband and three children.

Supporting Indigenous communities

Cummins announces commitment to Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB) Partnership Accreditation in Indigenous Relations (PAIR) Program

Cummins announces commitment to Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB) Partnership Accreditation in Indigenous Relations (PAIR) Program

Cummins Inc. delivers superior solutions for its customers to power their communities and the world. It does that with the company’s steadfast commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion – winning with the power of difference. 

In honor of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples and as part of Cummins’ objective to create positive and meaningful relations with Indigenous businesses and communities in the region, Cummins is proud to announce it is now at the “Committed” level of the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB) Partnership Accreditation in Indigenous Relations (PAIR) Program.

Shashiraj Shanbhag, Vice President, Product & Service Management – Canada, and leader of the Canada Indigenous Relations initiative at Cummins: “We have been doing a great deal of work specific to Indigenous communities in Canada for several years. Since recently joining the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business Partnership Accreditation in Indigenous Relations Program at the Committed Level, the program will provide Cummins with external validation to all the work our employees have been doing and additional opportunities to do even more. The PAIR certification is an excellent opportunity for us to measure and strengthen our work in deepening relations with Indigenous communities throughout Canada.”


The work of PAIR


Established by the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business, the PAIR Program is a rigorous, independent third-party certification program for corporate performance in Indigenous relations. The process evaluates measurable outcomes and initiatives in four performance areas: Leadership Actions, Employment, Business Development and Community Relations.

Since its inception in 2001, PAIR has maintained its position as the foremost corporate social responsibility program, with a distinct focus on Indigenous relations. PAIR's certification program instills a strong sense of confidence in communities due to its foundation on independent third-party validation of company reports, and the ultimate company rating is decided by a panel of Indigenous business professionals. As a PAIR committed company, Cummins will undergo the process of external verification and work collectively with the CCIB and Indigenous stakeholders toward the long-term goal of achieving Gold Certification.


The work of Cummins Canada


Cummins’ commitment to PAIR is another step on the company’s journey to building a diverse global culture, which includes expanding its relations with Indigenous Peoples in Canada and around the world. As part of this journey, Cummins and its employees located in Canada have taken the following steps:

  • Established an Indigenous Relations team with about 15 active volunteers across Canada
  • 1400+ employees in Canada have completed Indigenous Awareness Training
  • Supported initiatives for Indigenous communities in areas of Education and Equity with more than USD 100,000 of funding from Cummins Grant

As a global organization amongst a diverse and growing group of companies from across Canada that share a commitment to the Indigenous community, Cummins Canada continues to develop relationships with Indigenous peoples across the country and seeks ongoing ways to support the communities in which it lives and works. In its commitment to fostering positive change, Cummins also looks inward, engaging its own employees in initiatives that promote understanding, respect and collaboration with Indigenous peoples. 

To learn more about Cummins’ ongoing commitment to not only Indigenous communities but to the many communities employees live and serve throughout the world, please visit cummins.com
 

Cummins Office Building

Cummins Inc.

Cummins, a global power technology leader, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions. The company’s products range from internal combustion, electric and hybrid integrated power solutions and components including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, electric power generation systems, microgrid controls, batteries, electrolyzers and fuel cell products.

Happy 20th anniversary to Cummins Czech Republic

Cummins Czech Republic - 20th Anniversary

Cummins Czech Republic is celebrating the 20th anniversary of being a wholly-owned distributor of Cummins Inc.

Before April 2004, Cummins customers in the Czech Republic relied on an independent distributor primarily concerned with the power generation market plus a number of independent repair shops.

Creating a Cummins-owned distributor was seen as key to establishing a strong and reassuring presence in a developing market, which over the past two decades has become a major manufacturing base for several globally recognised original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

The bulk of the customers served by Cummins Czech Republic, whose remit incorporates neighbouring Slovakia, operate in the agriculture, power generation, mining and construction market segments.

There are also key automotive accounts as well as direct support for national institutions and infrastructure projects.

Cummins Czech Republic was launched one month ahead of the country being welcomed into the European Union as an official member in April 2004.

Accession to the EU was seen as a turning point for the Czech Republic as it opened up the country to new opportunities for investment and growth.

Highly competitive labour costs and a skilled workforce made it an attractive proposition as a manufacturing hub.

“We started here at our headquarters in Prague with just three employees and one technician,” said Lukas Skoda, Cummins Czech Republic Country Leader.

“Today, we have 19 employees, six technicians and four independent authorised dealers covering our territory. We also support the dealer networks of some of our OEM customers.”

Lukas said everyone within the business was proud to reach the 20-year milestone.

“Over the past two decades, we have seen engine technology develop considerably, and we have responded to our customers’ demands for ever greater levels of technical and strategic support,” he said.

Back in April 2004, Europe was at Euro III/IV emissions certification for automotive engines and Stage II for mining and industrial engines to be certified. Now, the standard is Euro VI for diesel, natural gas and hybrid, working toward Euro VII, and mining and industrial engines are at Stage V.

Meanwhile, Cummins is making technical advancements in new power solutions, including powertrains, batteries and fuel cells, which will help enrich future partnerships with customers in the Czech Republic and across Europe.

In its 20 years of operation, Cummins Czech Republic has established itself as a force for good in the community. More than 90% of Cummins Czech Republic employees participate in Cummins Every Employee Every Community (EEEC) volunteer programme annually.

Since 2016, employees have volunteered more than 900 EEEC hours to help local community partners that are supporting environmental education, restoration and waste reduction as well as projects focused on reducing isolation for the elderly.

The success of Cummins in the Czech Republic and Slovakia over the past 20 years owes much to the commitment of a loyal and hardworking team that has pulled together to create successful partnerships with customers in a variety of business segments.

“Becoming an integrated part of Cummins was a huge step for us in the Czech Republic and showed a level of confidence in the country that I believe we have justified over 20 years,” said Lukas Skoda.

“Now, with so many new technologies available to us, so many strong relationships and such a strong vision of where we want to be as a business, we are ready and excited about the next chapter.”

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