7/28/14

Emergency Response Plan: Hazardous Conditions


The Emergency Response Plans are designed to protect all employees during emergencies. It is important to thoroughly understand proper precautions and procedures to avoid conflict and any additional hazards. 

For your reference, the Genera safety team and their extensions are listed on the right-hand side of this blog.

What to do during hazardous conditions:
  • Report the following conditions to Building Services immediately:
  • Unusual odors or sounds
  • Suspicious persons
  • Acts of indications of vandalism
  • Evidence of damaged property, especially fire safety equipment such as extinguishers.
  • Any other safety hazards

It is important to remember safety and preventing hazards within our Genera office as well. All of our office doors remain locked with authorized personnel having an assigned fob for entrance. If you are approached by someone requesting entrance who is not an employee of Genera, contact Liz so she can ensure it is a scheduled guest and assist.





7/22/14

Employee Spotlight!


Each month we will feature two employees at Genera Solutions to get to know them better. Our two employees for July are newcomer Sherry, who works with our foreign accounts, and Anne in Publisher Financial Services. 

We see our co-workers on a daily basis, but may not always get the chance to engage or get to know them like we want. Our employee spotlights allow us to get to know each other on a deeper basis!


What is one quote that you live by? 
"Life is a gift and it is ungrateful not to enjoy it". I write this on my calendar every day as a reminder.

If you could be any animal, what would you be, and why?
Afghan Hound. They are very regal and have lots of hair!

What is your favorite movie?
"Fargo" -- it's kind of twisted.

Who is your favorite sports team?
New England Patriots. Tom Brady, of course!

What is one thing you want to do in life that you have not accomplished yet?
I can't boil it down to one, the list is too long! I want to play the piano again (I did as a kid), volunteer on a hotline for people in crisis, take my dream trips to Singapore, Thailand, Bali, Fiji, and Australia, and make a difference in someones life. 


What are your favorite hobbies?  
Crocheting, beading, reading, and making gourmet desserts.

What is one quote that you live by?  
"Instead of waiting for something better, create it."

What is your favorite restaurant in Charlotte and what do you like the order there?  
"Blue" for their Seared Jumbo Scallops and great martinis, but I’m dying to try Brazz – they have a Dinner Rodizio with 10 different cuts of meat, including fried alligator and filet mignon!

Who is your favorite sports team? 
Da Bears & da Cubbies

What is one thing you want to do in life that you have not accomplished yet?  
Create a non-profit organization which will provide guidance to people who want to improve their lives through learning to making better choices.  

7/16/14

Emergency Response Plan: Fire


The Emergency Response Plans are designed to protect all employees during emergencies. It is important to thoroughly understand proper precautions and procedures to avoid conflict and any additional hazards. 

For your reference, the Genera safety team and their extensions are listed on the right-hand side of this blog.

What do during during a fire:

  1. Activate the fire alarm pull station located near each stairwell door.
  2. Direct employees and visitors to evacuate the building.
  3. Call 911 to report the fire.
  4. Contact Building Services to report the fire.
  5. Once everyone has gathered at the designated Assembly Point, account for all individuals. 
  6. Do not allow anyone to re-enter the building until a local authority has given the order to return. 



7/10/14

The Early Timeline of Magazines

Since Genera Solutions provides back office administration support to leading national distributors, it is beneficial to know the development and evolution of the “magazine”. 

What exactly is a magazine? In short, magazines are regularly published storehouses of information. They are financed by advertising, a purchase price, and pre-paid subscriptions. The English word magazine remembrances military storage of war materiel, and was originally derived from the Arabic word makhazin meaning "storehouses." The term magazine was coined by Edward Cave, editor of The Gentleman's Magazine.

Below is a brief historical timeline of the world’s magazines:

1663: The world's first magazine – Erbauliche Monaths-Unterredungen (translation: Edifying Monthly Discussions) is published in Germany. 

1731: The first modern general interest magazine, The Gentleman's Magazine, is published in England as entertainment with essays, stories, poems and political commentary. This was an “everyone” targeted magazine.


1739: The Scots Magazine begins. Today it remains the oldest consumer magazine in print. 

1741: Benjamin Franklin intends to publish America's first magazine, General Magazine, but is scooped when American Magazine comes out three days earlier. 

1770: The first women's magazine, The Lady's Magazine, starts with literary and fashion content.


1843: The Economist begins exploring news, politics, business, science and art. 

1857: The Atlantic magazine 

1895: Collier's weekly magazine starts and is published until 1957. 

1895: The Bookman lists "Books in Demand" which originated the idea of a bestseller list. 

1896: The first pulp fiction magazines are printed on cheap wood pulp paper with ragged untrimmed edges. 

1897: The old Saturday Evening Post is recovered by Cyrus Curtis to become the most widely circulated weekly magazine. 



1899: National Geographic begins. It proves to be one of the most influential magazines to appear during the early years of magazine history. Largely through the high-quality photo essays it pioneered, this publication opened up new vistas of cultural awareness and understanding.

1912: Photoplayis the first magazine for movie fans. 

1922: Reader's Digest begins publishing. 


1925: New Yorker magazine arrives. 

1923: Time, the first U.S. news magazine, is started by Henry Luce. 

1933: Newsweek begins publication. 

1933: Esquire is the first men's magazine. 

1936: Life, a weekly photojournalism news magazine, is started by Henry Luce and continues to 1972. 

1937: Look, a bi-weekly, general-interest and photojournalism magazine, starts and continues to 1971. 

1944: Seventeen is the first magazine devoted to adolescents. 



1953: TV Guide starts. 

1953: Playboy opens with Marilyn Monroe on the cover. 


1954:Sports Illustrated is started by Time magazine owner Henry Luce. Two other magazines with that name had been started in the 1930s and 1940s, but both had failed. 

1967: Rolling Stone demonstrates the popularity of special-interest magazines. 

1967: New York magazine appears as a regional magazine. 

1972: Feminist Gloria Steinem brings out Ms. magazine. 

1974: People debuts with Mia Farrow on the cover. 


1990: Entertainment Weekly starts. 

7/8/14

Emergency Response Plan: Evacuation


The Emergency Response Plans are designed to protect all employees during emergencies. It is important to thoroughly understand proper precautions and procedures to avoid conflict and any additional hazards. 

For your reference, the Genera safety team and their extensions are listed on the right-hand side of this blog.

How to properly evacuate: 

  1.  As soon as you hear the fire alarm or order to evacuate, immediately evacuate the building via the stairwells. Never use the elevators during an emergency.
  2. Fire Warden's should aid in the evacuation of the building by directing others to the stairwells and out of the building. Fire Warden's should also check each office and close the door once the office is clear. Please leave the office doors unlocked, and quickly check the restrooms (if applicable). 
  3. Fire Warden's should station persons unable to exit via the stairs (i.e. handicapped person) in the stairwell landing and notify the fire department and Building Services of their location. 
  4. During an evacuation drill or actual emergency evacuation, please gather all employees at your designated Assembly Point, which must be one hundred feet from the building. 
  5. Do not allow anyone to re-enter the building until a local authority has given the order to return. 

7/1/14

July Announcements


Sandi: July 16th
John W: July 25th
Liz T: July 30th


Shaun: 8 years
John S: 1 year
Sharon: 21 years
Sandi: 30 years
Teresa M 12 years
John W: 11 years


Happy Independence Day on Friday, July 4th! The office will be closed in observance of the holiday.


Join us on Thursday, July 10th for "Celebrate Us"! Ice-cream sundaes and cake will be provided at 2 PM.


In an effort to become more environmentally friendly, please opt to use the available ceramic coffee mugs instead of paper. Please also do not forget to wash your cup once you are finished.

If you have not entered your Genera Solutions email address to be subscribed to new posts, please do so. On the left side of the blog, there is a way to follow the blog via email. Please enter your Genera Solutions email address there so you will be subscribed. Once you have entered your information, an email containing a link will come to you from “Feed Burner” to activate and confirm your subscription. This allows new blog posts to be sent directly to your email.

Kris: I have been cross-training with Kris Weigel recently and she was very detailed in the procedures she explained to me. She also answered all my questions thoroughly. She was a joy to work with.

Anne: She had a very kind voice with a smile in it and was very understanding as to why something wasn\'t completed on time. It was refreshing to talk to such a NICE person because these days that just doesn\'t happen anymore. She took her time in explaining to me, etc. Very nice person! She's a keeper!

Aruna: She always offers a helping hand, she has tremendous understanding of all the systems in IT and the business. She is a problem solver!

Maria: She has been a quick learner, she is always very supportive, positive and organized, always ready to take on new things and above all she is fun to work with.

Darryl: I've always noticed Darryl is a dedicated worker and always takes pride in doing a fine job in his department!

Uday: He was extremely helpful when we were having a problem with Oracle and importing files for our weekly allotment notices. He stayed late to make sure we could import the files we needed.

Sara: She has solved an urgent problem we were having with importing files for our weekly allotment notices. She stayed late to ensure everything was fixed and made sure we were set.

Kris: She was thorough answering of questions and inquiry regarding reporting

Alok: He is an excellent mentor! His patience in teaching and sharing information have helped me grow as an employee! Alok always has time to answer a question, review a problem, or offer insight in resolving software issues.  I appreciate the time he has spent helping me to increase my own knowledge of Sharepoint so that I can help others in the company too!

Carlyne: She is not only a breath of fresh air and one of the most kind people to work with, but she took the time to explain her role with check, Invoice, and payment processes so it would help me better understand my roles and responsibilities in accounting.

Liz C.: She has been a huge help for me lately with answering the door for deliveries and assisting with magazine deliveries. She has been signing and bringing over my monthly titles to display. It helps me tremendously and is very appreciated.