Firland Foundation

1. About Firland Foundation Firland is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. The current workshop is located in Shoreline, Washington. The current facility was built in 1993, on the same grounds as the original Fircrest TB Hospital dating back into the early 1900’s. The Firland Foundation has a board of directors made up of local community leaders in the field of Business Improvement and Doctor’s and Nurses from UW and other local research agencies. The employee group consists of personnel who are skilled as machinists, part-markers, packers, de-burrers and assembly workers. Many who have been employed by Firland for 30-40 years. Our average LOS is 12 years. Our target is to maintain approximately 75% of our direct labor personnel with some degree of “disadvantages” that they face in daily life. We also work with students who are coping with getting into the market place while they are continuing their education and we can provide them flexible hours to work and continue their education. Many of Firland’s current (and presumably future employees) come from state supported roles—hiring them as full time employees gives them meaningful employment with full medical and retirement benefits. Moves people from a tax burden for the state to a “tax-payer” role. The workshop is managed by individuals who are skilled in dealing with disabled/disadvantaged personnel and other life skills and we make an effort to accommodate each of our employee’s unique situations. Our primary customer is the Boeing company, which has supported the “sheltered workshop” program for many years. We link directly to them via sophisticated planning and requirements software and are measured against daily Quality and On-Time Delivery metrics. The workshop manufactures precision machined parts, sheet metal fabrication, and assembly of aircraft components. Boeing places the orders through an on-line computer system with very detailed specifications and timelines. When completed, the parts are delivered to Boeing for integration into the manufacturing process of the aircraft. The shop also provides parts for grounded aircraft when requested, often on very short notice. Producing approximately 190,000 parts per year, the workshop maintains less than a 1% rejection rate. In 2011 Firland was honored by Boeing management as the first shop ever to go a full year without a single quality escape. Meeting Boeing’s commitment to quality management, Firland Workshop received its initial approval rating for the D1-9000 Boeing Quality Services program in April 1998. The Workshop annually maintains the AS9100C and ISO9001 certifications. 2. History The Firland Foundation can trace its beginnings to the Firland Tuberculosis Sanitarium, which first opened in 1911 in Shoreline. Started by the Anti-Tuberculosis League of King County (which later became the American Lung Association) for the care of tuberculosis patients, Firland Sanitarium was turned over to the City of Seattle in 1912. Seattle administration continued until 1945 when the State Legislature combined Seattle and King County tuberculosis institutions into one administration, governed by a board of managers from various state and local offices. In 1947, the Seattle/King County Health Department acquired the surplus Naval Hospital in north Seattle, and the Firland Sanitarium moved to this new site. During this era, the patient census in the hospital was as high as 1,230. In addition to caring for the tuberculosis patients, an agreement was made with the University of Washington Medical School to provide resident training opportunities at the hospital, and over 400 resident physicians were trained at the facility as well. - Original Firland Sanitarium The Firland Sheltered Workshop evolved due to the nature of patient life in the Sanitarium. At first, the period of confinement in a sanitarium was indefinite. The availability of new drug therapies in the early 1950’s decreased the duration of hospitalization for many patients, but a two-year stay was not uncommon. As a result, patients needed ways to cope with confinement and boredom. An exchange store, run by patients, and serving patient customers, was started by the Seattle Lions Club as a means to enhance the patient experience. Later, the store expanded its activities and became a patient workshop. Sanitarium patients made arts and crafts items for sale, and earned income from their sales at a time when they could not otherwise work. Over time, the Firland workshop evolved into its current status as a precision machine shop, and the Foundation and governing Board of Directors were established to provide ongoing policy direction. - Origins of Firland Foundation Grant Making By the late 1960?s, inpatient tuberculosis census was at an all-time low, due to the success of new medical treatments for tuberculosis. The Firland Sanitarium was finally closed in 1973 for lack of patients, but the Firland Foundation has continued to operate the sheltered workshop and fund grants related to tuberculosis and other chronic respiratory disease. The Firland Foundation is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. The Firland Workshop completed its new facility in 1993. The new shop provided increased floor space, greater production capacity, and an improved working environment for our employees. Boeing has been the principal customer for the machined products of the workshop and has been a gracious and faithful provider of work since 1955. We continue to see a bright future for this cooperative venture. Profits generated by the Firland Workshop fund grants by the Firland Foundation for the study, control, and elimination of TB and other chronic respiratory diseases worldwide. 3. Mission Statement: Firland Foundation’s mission is to provide employment for people with disabilities, in the fabrication, production and assembly of aerospace components. The purpose is to offer employees the opportunities to be self-supporting, so that they may lead productive and independent lives. The income generated from the workshop keeps it self-sustaining and provides funds for research and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) and other chronic respiratory diseases. Funds also support advocacy and capacity-building for the control and elimination of TB. 4. Firland Values — “ I React”: Integrity — ?Do the right things for the right reasons by everyone. Respect — Treat all others as you would like to be treated, fairly and with dignity. Excellence — Deliver the best outcomes and highest quality components through the dedicated effort of every team member. Accountability — If it is to be, it is up to me; if you see an issue raise your hand. Continuous Improvement — Is a way of life and part of everyone’s responsibility. Teamwork — Value the contributions of all, blending the skills of individual members in unsurpassed collaboration. 5. Board of Directors Firland Foundation and Workshop are guided by our Board of Directors in conjunction with our management staff. Together, we set the long-term goals and objectives for the Workshop and Foundation. Firland has an all-volunteer Board of Directors that meets once a quarter. Our Directors represent a wide and diverse set of experience in different industries. Directors are elected for 3-year terms. A Grants Subcommittee, comprised of Board members with medical backgrounds, offers funding recommendations for our grant applicants. President – Sam Adrian Vice President -Kip Nelson Treasurer – Tim Baer Secretary – Kip Nelson