New logo and new TED video for our Mission Statement!

The people, communities, and generations we intend to serve are diverse. From schools in small towns full of energetic children to multinational corporations developing cutting edge technology. They are ever changing and timeless all at once. Our service is more than just data, it is data that influences the quality of life for many!

With that, we never want to lose sight of the reasons why we do the work that we do. To help us keep our work in perspective, we scour the web looking for interesting videos, photos, and sites that challenge us to keep a sharp mind and the desire to strive for greatness!

Today, we have two new multimedia resources that do just that. First, we finally have a logo for our very own Mission Statement. Second, we’ve posted a new TED video on our Mission Statement page of a great talk given by Nate Garvis titled Creating the Common Good by Habit. The video is short (10 minutes) but holds a powerful message…so sit back and enjoy the show!

MISSION STATEMENT: DELIVER DATA FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES, AND GENERATIONS

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Pool Water Sampling Capability Expanded

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As a public swimming pool owner in the State of Michigan, you are required to have your pool water tested under the Public Health Code Act 368 of 1978, R 325.2195. Although many local health departments (LHD) have offered this service in the past, you are not required to have them perform the sample collection and testing of your facility. In fact, this option may no longer be available to you, as many local health departments are looking more closely at the services they provide in these tough economic times and choosing to discontinue this service!

With that, we have expanded our Pool Water Sampling capabilities to include a larger area in Metro Detroit.

Our expanded service offering now includes both LHD acceptable test results AND complete sampling programs where you can simply provide us access to your facility and we’ll do the rest! To learn more about our expanded services, please visit our site.

EXPANDED POOL WATER SAMPLING CAPABILITIES

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ADF7 – February, 2012 Event Details

ADF7 Logo

It’s almost time for our next ADF7 event!

Details have just been posted on our website.

To view the details, visit our ADF7 page.

Quick Summary: Sledding at Kensington Metropark followed by dinner at Milford House, Sunday, February 19, 2012 starting at 2:00 PM.

Although the events are geared towards our staff, customers and vendors are always welcome to join in the fun! To coordinate joining our group for the event, please contact John Parmentier by phone at 734.469.5607 or by email at jcparmentier@paragonlaboratories.com.

Like our last event, we’re looking forward to getting a big group out for this event and enjoying an afternoon of healthy outdoor fun!

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IDSE Stage 2 Disinfection By-Products (DBP) Analysis Special Offer!

waterPlan ahead and save hundreds of dollars this year on your outsourced WSSN Permit, SMP, and IDSE Stage 2 analytical needs!

SAVE MONEY

With a handful of the most commonly requested procedures billed at costs lower than the State of Michigan Drinking Water Laboratory, Paragon is saving new clients hundreds of dollars each year! Procedures priced lower than the state lab, include: Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs); Halo Acetic Acids (HAA5s); Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs); SOC – Carbamates; SOC – Herbicides; SOC – Pesticides; Lead and Copper (First Draw for Corrosion Control).

AND THEN SAVE EVEN MORE MONEY!

If you’re required to sample for IDSE Stage 2 Disinfection By-Products (DBP), including Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Halo Acetic Acids (HAA5s), plan ahead and save even more!

Available to new clients with Schedule 1 requirements only, sign up now and receive an extra 10% off your DBP analysis when you commit to using Paragon Laboratories, Inc. for your 2012 analysis by February 29, 2012. The savings from this promotion alone can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of the year!

To learn more, visit us at:

DRINKING WATER TESTING DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS (DBP) 2012 PROMOTION

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My Possibility

Centrality logo

When I went through The Landmark Forum, they asked us to “create a possibility” for our lives. A possibility should include ourselves and the people around us. My possibility is that I want to create an atmosphere where everyone around me feels fulfilled in their lives!

I personally believe that Centrality 2.0 is a great way to achieve this possibility! I believe a big part of feeling fulfilled in your life is feeling powerful and the biggest aspect in gaining power is having control over your life. Through the Centrality program, we are being offered a way to take control of our lives in the form of self management. Through self management, we can all start to take control of our work lives, from how we handle work flow to how we handle interactions with our coworkers. The different parts of the Centrality program give us the tools we need to be able to handle all these aspects of self management.

Most people know that I have taken on the Centrality 2.0 program with a lot of vigor. I have currently completed close to 70% of the program and I plan to be completed by the end of March. While not everyone understands my reasons for taking on the program at the speed that I have, there have been a number of people who have been very supportive of my efforts! I want to personally thank Sharon Oliver and Lindsay for all the support and encouragement that they have shown me through this process. From chatting with me about our experiences, to participating in the peer aspects of the program with me, to, in Sharon’s case, showing up at my Landmark Forum session, they have been a consistent source of positive energy for me and I appreciate them for that. I also appreciate the assistance that I have received from my work group; Gerard, Dave and Shaelah. They all stepped in and helped out while I was at The Landmark Forum. They did a great job of covering extractions while I was gone. When I returned from Landmark my workload was very manageable, which allowed me the luxury of being able to answer others questions about my experience at Landmark without feeling rushed or stressed. I appreciate the awesome team work they showed in handling this.

My progress through the Centrality program would not have been possible without the help and support of my coworkers. I would like to be able to offer this same level of support and assistance to anyone who would like it. After seeing all the positive benefits I have received from this program, I would like as many people as possible to complete it. Any assistance I can provide someone interested in completing the program, I would be more than happy to do. This can range from answering questions about my experiences, to attending someone’s final night of The Landmark Forum, to assisting with workloads where I can.

Not only would I like as many people as possible to complete the program, I have no doubts that EVERYONE can complete the program. I think a goal of 80% of the company completing by the end of 2012 is entirely reachable. I believe with a positive attitude and a lot of team work, everyone can earn their self managed status (not to mention that $4000 raise) and greater fulfillment in their work life!.

Written by Amanda Houston

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TTHM and HAA5 PT Sample Results – Q1 2012

water

Congratulations to Dave Mote and Gerard Mahalak for the near perfect PT sample results for Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Halo Acetic Acids (HAA5s) for the first quarter of 2012! The Z Score, a statistical measure of accuracy, was near or below 1 for all compounds on these two analyses. Specific results are available in the charts below.

More information is available on our site for our PT Program participation and Quality System.

TTHM-PT-Q1-2012 Results

HAA5-PT-Q1-2012 Results

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Disinfection By-Products Analysis Special Offer!

waterPlan ahead and save hundreds of dollars this year on your outsourced WSSN Permit and SMP analytical needs!

SAVE MONEY

With a handful of the most commonly requested procedures billed at costs lower than the State of Michigan Drinking Water Laboratory, Paragon is saving new clients hundreds of dollars each year! Procedures priced lower than the state lab, include: Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs); Halo Acetic Acids (HAA5s) and Dalapon; Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs); SOC – Carbamates; SOC – Herbicides; SOC – Pesticides; Lead and Copper (First Draw for Corrosion Control).

AND THEN SAVE EVEN MORE MONEY!

If you’re required to sample on a quarterly basis for Disinfection By-Products (DBP), including Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Halo Acetic Acids (HAA5s), plan ahead and save even more!

Available to new clients only, sign up now and receive an extra 10% off your DBP analysis when you submit your DBP samples in the first month of each quarter in 2012. The savings from this promotion alone can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of the year!

To learn more, visit us at:

DRINKING WATER TESTING QUARTERLY DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS (DBP) 2012 PROMOTION

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ADF7 – January, 2012 Event Details

ADF7 Logo

It’s almost the start of a new year and we have an exciting lineup of ADF7 events planned for 2012!

First up is our January event, for which the details have just been posted on our website.

To view the details, visit our ADF7 page.

Quick Summary: Ice skating at Campus Martius followed by lunch at Vincente’s Cuban Cuisine, Saturday, January 7, 2012 starting at 12:00 PM.

Although the events are geared towards our staff, customers and vendors are always welcome to join in the fun! To coordinate joining our group for the event, please contact John Parmentier by phone at 734.469.5607 or by email at jcparmentier@paragonlaboratories.com.

Like last year, we’re looking forward to getting a big group out for this event and starting the year with an afternoon of healthy outdoor fun!

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Centrality 2.0

Centrality logo

In early 2011, we announced a new program for our staff titled Centrality, which was developed to encourage staff to live and work to their full potential. Although the program was initially well received, it never gained the traction we had hoped for.

The Centrality program was developed from an area of research known as social network analysis, which tries to establish how much influence a person has in their social networks. Our thought process being: the more that staff invest in themselves, the more influence they can gain in social networks, the more success they can enjoy in life, and by association, the more success we can enjoy as an organization serving our clients to the best of our abilities.

Despite the limited adoption of the Centrality program in 2011, our commitment to developing and appreciating our staff, with the desire to encourage and challenge them to explore their full potential has not diminished. Actually, quite the opposite!

As we move into 2012, we’ve decided to give the Centrality program a facelift and also a giant shot in the arm. We believe in the personal and professional benefits the Centrality program can provide, so much so, that we’re putting our money where our mouths are. Starting today, any employee that completes the new program requirements will earn a $4000.00 raise in the process!

Congratulations to all that choose to participate in the program this year, you’re investing in yourselves and driving positive change for those around you!

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It’s our birthday!

It’s our birthday, and it’s a big one, 15 years!!

The 15th being the best in our history with record setting revenues and strong profits, even in a down economy. With our success, we’ve added over a dozen new procedures, replaced aging equipment, and continued to invest in our staff through training and appreciation programs.

As we move into the new year, we’re going to continue to focus on developing and appreciating our staff, with the desire to encourage and challenge them to explore their full potential. To kick off the year, next week we’ll be announcing the full 2012 ADF7 schedule and releasing the design for our 15th Anniversary t-shirts/sweatshirts!

Many thanks to all our customers, vendors, and employees who have made it all possible, and here’s to another 15 years of success!

Posted in Culture, News | 2 Comments