News & Press Releases

Employees Show Creativity at R&B Plastics Machinery: Company Wins First Prize in Holiday Parade

December 8, 2010

Saline, MI -- It started as a "triple-dog dare," at a Monday-morning staff meeting: A challenge to build the best float in the 35th Annual Saline Christmas Parade.

This was the first time the company had even entered the event; it typically featured more than 75 entries. Employees had just six weeks to build the float, based on the Chamber of Commerce’s theme of “A Christmas Story.” This focused on the 1983 TV-movie about Ralphie, a little boy in the 1940’s who dreams of the perfect Christmas gift while describing his anticipation and experiences leading up to the holiday. The movie is a holiday classic, often shown in 24-hour marathons. (Its theme: Ralphie has to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun is really the perfect gift. The movie includes several sub-plots involving neighborhood bullies, his “Old Man” father winning a life-size leg-lamp as a bowling prize, warnings about the BB gun plus “never put your tongue on a flagpole when it’s cold outside,” and more.)

How do you start such a project? It was a challenge with no drawings and a modest budget. Plus, machinery orders were in progress with deadlines fast approaching for several large machines. Enthusiasm was mixed, but brainstorming and creative ideas started. Soon some sketches and a plan developed.

For weeks, two women made oversized candies to decorate the float. Through suppliers, they improvised and found creative sources for materials. Meanwhile, the shop guys figured out how to build an extruder disguised as a giant BB-gun plus rig a hopper on top of a large box housing their sound-effect tools. The “fuel” from the hopper generated candy canes (including a dryer blowing red-and-white pellets to represent “candy” material). The famous fishnet-clad leg -- brought from a vendor in Detroit -- held up a giant barrel that even blew smoke and made a popping sound while it popped out candy canes.

Parade-watchers were amazed at the smoke and BB-gun’s sound. A generator powered the lights for two Christmas trees, decorations, a reindeer (complete with a glowing nose), and a sleigh, all on the second trailer with that famous kid stuck to the flag pole. Employees’ children and grandchildren rode on three benches, shivering and waving among the lights and excitement including one 10-year old dressed as Ralphie, complete with damaged glasses. R&B “elves” walked alongside the float side to hand-out handy canes.

Employees agreed it was a challenge that added a new spark to the holiday season, especially while closing on fourth-quarter orders.

"We learned a lot from this first-time effort, and already have ways to improve it for next year’s entry. Even with a new theme, this should be easier the second time around, especially since the foundation’s built,” Phil Smith, plant supervisor, explained. Competition motivates: R&B will challenge other area manufacturers to participate in this popular community event.

One day before deadline: R&B’s float sits in the plant’s warehouse area, waiting for its grand debut Saturday evening at the Saline, MI Holiday Parade.

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R&B employees made a makeshift extruder barrel to serve as the Red Rider “BB-gun”– dubbed the Candy Cane Maker -- complete with a popping sound, smoke rising and candy canes given to parade-watchers. A hopped filled with red and white beads (circulated by a dryer) simulated the source for the “candy”. The enclosure held two men with sound equipment while showcasing the Red Ryder BB-gun, hand-painted by Bob Phelps, Shipping/Receiving Manager.

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R&B Plastics Machinery staffers grinned proudly when they received their first-prize from the Chamber. (Plant Supervisor Phil Smith was out walking the parade route to check for possible obstructions.)

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Bob Phelps, warehouse manager, and Dave Abraham, paint-booth operator, beneath the Candy Cane Maker as the parade route bends.

R&B Plastics Machinery has 55 employees and has served the plastics industry over 32-years building extruders and blow molding machinery. For more information, contact Al Hodge, president.