At NFI, frontline inclusion isn’t a talking point. It’s a daily practice.

Kristie Maciolek Small, VP of Diversity & Inclusion at NFI Industries, has spent the past three years transforming well-meaning Diversity and Inclusion initiatives into a scalable, strategic force for inclusion. Her approach? Start small, stay legally sound, and meet the workforce where they are—literally.

“We already had great Diversity & Inclusion initiatives when I joined,” Kristie shared. “But I helped us answer the ‘why.’ Why are we doing these things? What are we trying to accomplish?”

Inclusion that reaches the employee floor

One of the biggest challenges Kristie and the broader HR team face is one shared across logistics, distribution, and manufacturing: reaching frontline employees who don’t have email or access to company intranet tools.

Rather than see this as a blocker, the team partnered with NFI’s Diversity & Inclusion Council to turn it into an opportunity for creativity and trust-building.

One of the solutions? Celebrations in a Box.

This simple-yet-powerful program delivers pre-packaged, culturally relevant kits to locations across the U.S. and Canada. Each box includes decorations, educational materials, and curated resources from NFI’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

And it’s working.

At one site, a general manager was so moved by the Hispanic Heritage Month box that he purchased flags to represent each employee’s country of origin and hung them throughout the warehouse.

“It matters to employees when their culture is recognized. We saw genuine pride from team members who felt seen, maybe for the first time.”

From performative to practical

While many organizations are scaling back Diversity and Inclusion efforts in light of shifting regulations and public scrutiny, NFI remains steadfast in its commitment.

“We’ve never used quotas. We’ve never done anything performative,” Kristie emphasized. “Our work is aligned with the law and with our values.”

This work has resulted in programs that have a real impact. Initiatives like:

• Two diversity-related events per site per year, led by HR business partners and now a standard part of operations.
• A monthly bilingual Diversity & Inclusion newsletter posted on physical boards for accessibility.
• An executive-led Diversity & Inclusion road trip to visit frontline employees, gather real feedback, and shape future programming.

While participation in ERGs is more limited among frontline workers due to time and access constraints, Kristie is clear-eyed about the solution: “It’s not about forcing one-size-fits-all engagement. It’s about designing with the frontline in mind.”

Looking ahead: Inclusion by design

So what’s next for NFI’s Diversity and Inclusion program?

Kristie has two big goals for 2026:

1. Build continuous communication loops with frontline employees—possibly through confidential SMS or mobile-based engagement.
2. Launch a startup-specific ‘Inclusion in a Box’ kit, embedding cultural celebration into new site launches from day one.

Why start at launch? Because Kristie has seen firsthand that building inclusion into the foundation of a culture is far easier than changing it later.

Key takeaways for Ops and HR leaders:

• Inclusion can be operationalized. Tools like “Celebrations in a Box” don’t require a corporate playbook, just thoughtful execution.
• Start with what aligns. Use existing values (e.g. family, service, safety) to launch relevant Diversity & Inclusion efforts.
• Keep listening. Communication with the frontline isn’t one-and-done. It’s a loop. And loops require tools and intention.

At WorkStep, we believe in meeting the frontline where they are, just like Kristie. That’s why we build tools that help HR and Ops leaders listen continuously, take targeted action, and build resilient cultures across every site, shift, and role.