"Road to Excellence"

George Taninecz

Industry Week

July 2003, pp. 12-13

Industry Week magazine has announced the 25 finalists for its 2003 "Best Plants" awards:

1. American Axle & Manufacturing de Mexico (Silao, Guanajuanta, Mexico; front and rear axles)
2. Affordable Interior Systems (Hudson, MA; office furniture systems)
3. Autoliv Steering Wheel Facility (Columbia city, IN; steering wheels, airbags)
4. Batesville Casket Co. (Manchester, TN; steel burial caskets)
5. Boston Scientific Corp. (Maple Grove, MN; interventional cardiology devices)
6. Bridgestone/Firestone (Graniteville, SC; light truck and passenger tires)
7. Collins & Aikman (Greenville, SC; automotive carpet)
8. Collins & Aikman (Guelph, Ontario, Canada; plastic automotive components & instrument panels)
9. Collins & Aikman (Port Hope, Ontario, Canada; automotive instrument panels)
10. Collins & Aikman (St. Clair, MI; automotive floors, trunk interiors)
11. Collins & Aikman (Williamston, MI; automotive headrests, armrests, other interior components)
12. Dana Corp. (Owensboro, KY; automotive frames)
13. Delphi Adrian (Adrian, MI; automotive instrument panels)
14. Delphi Packard (Cortland, OH; plastic components for electrical systems)
15. dj Orthopedics de Mexico (Tijuana, Mexico; orthopedic arm and knee braces, slings, rib belts)
16. General Cable (Altoona, PA; aftermarket automotive ignition wire sets)
17. Honeywell Engine Systems & Accessories (Tempe, AZ; aerospace controls and systems)
18. Kautex-A Textron Company (Avilla, IN; automotive fuel tanks)
19. Kautex-A Textron Company (Lavonia, GA; automotive wind shield washer systems, fuel tanks)
20. Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems (Syracuse, NY; radar systems)
21. Maytag Cleveland Cooking Products (Cleveland, TN; gas and electric cooking products)
22. Maytag Herrin Laundry Products (Herrin, IL; washers and dryers)
23. North Star BHP Steel (Delta, OH; hot-rolled steel)
24. Northrup Grumman (Rolling Meadows, IL; electronic defense systems)
25. TRW Automotive (Fowlerville, MI; automotive slip control products)

Some of the performance data for the plants includes:

1. Median three-year change in annual sales per employee—23.4%
2. Median three-year manufacturing cost reductions—11.3%
3. Median operating equipment efficiencies—85%
4. Median three-year profitability increases—18%
5. Documented cost savings from specific improvement programs or projects—$6,500 per plant employee

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