“Achievement is the word I choose to define our experience with Heartland's ESL program at our company.”
The challenge
Anchor Industries, founded in 1892, grew into a local manufacturing leader with over 300 employees and 350,000+ sq ft of production space. Many team members spoke English as a second language, creating friction when communicating technical specifications, safety procedures, and process improvements.
Our approach
- Placed an experienced ESL instructor on-site at Anchor's Evansville facility
- Weekly classes integrating grammar, vocabulary, conversational coaching, and role-play tied to Anchor's manufacturing workflows
- Custom curriculum: technical English for machinery, quality control terminology, safety communication, and collaborative problem-solving
Outcomes
- Employees confidently use technical terms in discussions, meetings, and handoffs
- Clear communication reduced misunderstandings and bolstered workplace safety
- ESL training is now integrated into Anchor's onboarding for limited-English team members
- A turnkey blueprint for onboarding and training future non-native speakers