For manufacturing associates who spend their days building forklifts rather than sitting behind desks, receiving critical company information via email simply isn't an option. At Toyota Material Handling North America (TMHNA), digital signage plays a critical role in keeping those associates informed.
Mikala VanFleet, Corporate Communications Specialist, has taken ownership of that critical channel, strengthened its foundation, and helped lead its next phase of growth across TMHNA.
Mikala currently manages a network of digital displays across four manufacturing facilities, with plans to roll out signage to additional locations soon. On top of planning TMHNA’s digital signage expansion, Mikala oversees everything from content scheduling and maintenance to improvements that make the network easier to manage and more useful for associates.
For her initiative, technical expertise, and commitment to improving frontline communications, Mikala is the latest recipient of the Poppulo Impact Award.
Reaching Associates Where They Work
When Mikala joined the organization in December 2024, she became part of a two-person corporate communications team responsible for keeping almost 4,000 associates informed across multiple locations. Since then, the communications team has grown to four and is responsible for keeping over 6,000 associates informed—more than half of whom are frontline workers.
Mikala's involvement with Poppulo began under the guidance of her colleague and mentor, LisaMarie Delaney, who worked closely with Poppulo to introduce the digital signage platform at The Raymond Corporation in 2018. LisaMarie played an instrumental role in familiarizing Mikala with the platform and its day-to-day operations, eventually transitioning primary responsibility for managing digital signage to her. Since then, Mikala has built upon that foundation, continuing to enhance and expand the program while benefiting from LisaMarie's ongoing mentorship.
In April 2025, The Raymond Corporation and Toyota Material Handling integrated under Toyota Material Handling North America, bringing new opportunities to connect Associates across the organization.
Today, Mikala manages digital signage across Raymond manufacturing facilities in Greene and Syracuse, New York; Muscatine, Iowa; and Lebanon, Indiana, with plans to expand further into Toyota Material Handling locations nationwide.
For factory associates without company email accounts, these screens are often their primary source of company news and information.
"I often see factory associates stop at the displays, read the signage, interact with the interactive displays, and sometimes even take a photo to read a communication later,” Mikala explained.
The network includes both static and interactive displays, positioned in high-traffic areas where associates can access information throughout their workday.
At the Greene, New York facility, a communications nook, also known as “the Fork,” and a long hallway connecting the offices, factory, cafeteria, and Safety Dojo have become known as the information highway, with 11 screens displaying a rotating mix of company news, events, benefits, recognition, safety training, and other updates. Signage often includes QR codes to allow associates to access volunteer opportunities and benefits resources from their personal devices.
Elsewhere, interactive screens provide associates with more detailed information. Associates can read PDFs of the same communications shared with office associates, view the local weather, interact with the Raymond Facebook feed, and find whom to contact in the event of an emergency. One particularly popular application lets factory associates check upcoming overtime schedules, including shifts and department listings.
Beyond company communications, interactive displays also play an important role in workplace safety training. At three Raymond manufacturing facilities, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) teams use interactive displays to introduce new Associates to safety expectations on the factory floor. The interactive training experience allows trainers to walk through real-world safety scenarios, demonstrate potential hazards, and play sounds commonly heard in the manufacturing environment. This hands-on approach helps new Associates become more familiar with their surroundings and better understand how to navigate the factory floor safely.
Simplifying the Work Behind the Screens
While TMHNA’s frontline associates rely on digital signage to stay informed, Mikala has also been focused on making the network easier to manage.
One of her first major projects involved cleaning up years of outdated content and unused playlists. She reorganized the environment and established procedures to prevent unnecessary content from accumulating again.
She also improved the scheduling of content across facilities.
Previously, the communications team maintained separate playlists for similar content at different locations. By implementing labels, Mikala consolidated those into shared playlists that could be scheduled to the appropriate facilities without duplicating the work.
The change saves hours each week, allowing Mikala to focus on crafting more impactful communications.
For a four-person communications team supporting multiple facilities, those efficiencies add up. And they've laid the groundwork for more significant changes.
Modernizing the Associates Experience
One of Mikala's biggest priorities is improving the flow of content across the organization's communications channels.
Today, she and her team create announcements in SharePoint, distribute them through email, and then follow a separate process to convert and publish that information to interactive digital signage.
It's a time-consuming workflow that Mikala is working to simplify.
In collaboration with Poppulo, she's helping implement a SharePoint integration that will reduce the manual steps required to publish content across channels.
At the same time, she's playing an active role in the ongoing redesign of the interactive signage experience.
The redesign will simplify navigation, make information easier to find, and give frequently used features—such as overtime availability—greater prominence.
"We're working toward having a much cleaner, easier-to-use display," Mikala said. "It will save our team a lot of work, but more importantly, it'll make it easier for factory associates to find the information they need."
Both projects are still underway, but they represent an important step toward Mikala's goal of creating content once and making it available wherever associates need it.
Concept Mockup—Final Design Pending
Making Sure No One Is Left Out
As Toyota Material Handling North America continues to bring its communications programs together, Mikala is also considering how to reach associates beyond the factory floor.
The team is exploring a unified intranet and mobile communications platform that would give associates additional ways to access company information.
But Mikala recognizes that adding channels doesn't automatically mean everyone can use them.
When promoting volunteer opportunities, for example, she considers associates who may not have a smartphone to scan a QR code. Rather than leaving them out, she ensures the signage also explains how to register via an HR kiosk.
It's a seemingly small detail, but one that reflects how she approaches communications with associates.
"I want to ensure all Associates are receiving important communications," Mikala explained. "It's my duty to make sure everyone's staying informed and engaged."
For Mikala, the work is about more than publishing content. It's about ensuring associates have access to information that affects their work and lives.
Recognizing Mikala's Impact
In less than two years, Mikala has become a primary resource for digital signage across all Raymond manufacturing facilities and is now looking to add displays at additional TMHNA facilities.
Along with managing content and scheduling, she monitors the network, troubleshoots technical issues, and works closely with internal IT and Poppulo to keep the program running and moving forward.
Receiving the Poppulo Impact Award was a welcome acknowledgment of that work.
"I'm very honored, and I appreciate the recognition," Mikala said. "There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes with digital signage, from scheduling content and maintaining displays to troubleshooting issues and finding ways to improve things. It's really nice to have that work recognized by the team at Poppulo."
For Poppulo CEO Ruth Fornell, Mikala's contributions demonstrate how much difference a dedicated communications professional can make.
"Mikala has taken ownership of a critical communications channel and made it better for everyone who relies on it. She's improved how the network operates, helped make information more accessible to frontline employees, and is leading the project to extend the impact of digital signage to additional locations. Her initiative, attention to detail, and commitment to her colleagues are deserving of this award, and we couldn’t be more pleased to recognize her efforts.”
Congratulations to Mikala VanFleet on this well-deserved recognition as a Poppulo Impact Award winner.
About the Poppulo Impact Awards
The Poppulo Impact Awards recognize individuals and organizations using digital signage to create measurable business impact, strengthen communications, and deliver exceptional customer and employee experiences. Learn more at poppulo.com/impact-awards.
