Last week, representatives from Coastal Automotive traveled to Detroit, MI, to claim the 2024 Seraph Award for Operational Excellence in the Human Resources category. The award recognized Coastal Automotive’s exceptional commitment to its people and organizational culture as well as its leadership in the automotive industry.
The Three-Round Journey
The rigorous assessment process involved three phases: an online supplier questionnaire, an onsite assessment and a judging panel review.
Round One: Online Supplier Questionnaire
- The form covers questions across four key areas: operations, quality, human resources and logistics.
- The responses undergo scoring and the top eight applicants advance to round two.
Round Two: Onsite Assessment
- Seraph’s experienced manufacturing consultants analyze your facility for one day.
- Seraph’s team measures customer satisfaction, environment safety, inventory WIP level, equipment tooling state maintenance, and more.
Round Three: Judging Panel Review
- A panel of judges reviews the findings from the plant assessments to select the top five category winners.
A Culture of Camaraderie
At the heart of Coastal Automotive’s success lies its organizational culture. Team members champion a workplace environment where authenticity and genuine camaraderie thrive.
“Success is not just about the outcomes we achieve, but the positive impact we create in our work culture and the community,” said Shaun Sikora, President of Coastal Automotive. “It’s the collaborative spirit, the shared moments of triumph, and the collective effort to make a difference that truly defines our success.”
This philosophy emphasizes the importance of collaboration and its connection to success, no matter the challenge. Decisions and interactions at Coastal reflect a commitment to mutual respect and empowerment, nurturing an environment where every team member feels personally and professionally supported.
“This award is a Coastal-wide award,“ said Toby. “We collectively won this award because it takes everyone to make a culture. It’s about being empathetic and honest, and I think that there is a lot of respect for our team’s vulnerability and the trust we continue to build with each other.”
This collective mindset has both improved workflow efficiency at Coastal Automotive and strengthened the relationship between the business and its well-connected team of 125 employees.
Committed to Continuous Improvement
Director of Operations Toby Curry attributes the win, at least in part, to the company’s dedication to continuous improvement. Unlike traditional approaches that may position efficiency as a threat, Coastal’s team embraces the opportunity for innovation to advance the entire organization, strategizing beyond performance objectives.
Inspiring Continued Collaboration
When you visit the Coastal Automotive headquarters, you’ll often find team members high-fiving on the floor, sharing laughs during lunch, and even mentioning each other’s children and pets by name. By consistently prioritizing its people and fostering a culture of respect and continuous improvement, Coastal has proven that regardless of facility size, operational excellence can be achieved with the persistence of a motivated, unified team.
