North American manufacturers—15 in all—were awarded the 2005 Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing at the 17th annual conference and ceremonies in Grand Rapids, Mich., in April. This year's awards recipients in particular demonstrate that Lean production disciplines are broadly adaptive, and capable of reducing costs and improving efficiencies wherever management resolve is demonstrated.
The Shingo Prize is named for Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo, who cocreated many aspects of the manufacturing practices known as the Toyota Production System. The prize was established in 1988 to promote awareness of lean manufacturing concepts and recognize companies in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico that achieve world-class manufacturing status via focused improvements in core manufacturing and business processes.
"The diversity of the 2005 Shingo Prize recipients clearly demonstrates the universal value of the lean enterprise among manufacturers in North America in terms of performance excellence for quality, cost, delivery, and business results," says Ross Robson, executive director of the Shingo Prize. "People understand that the best model for excellence is simply lean."
Shingo Prize 2005 manufacturers and what they make
Autoliv, Tremont, Utah: airbag and seat belt components
BAE Systems, Fort Wayne, Ind.: aerospace & defense safety products
The Boeing Co., Mesa, Ariz.: Apache Longbow attack helicopters
The Boeing Co. Weapons Enterprise Capability Center, St. Charles, Mo.: munitions
Boston Scientific, Maple Grove, Minn.: stent and balloon catheters
Celestica, Monterrey, Mexico: electronic manufacturing services
Delphi Ensamble de Cablas y Componentes, Nuevo Leon, Mex.: cables and components
Delphi Packard Electric Systems, Vienna, Ohio: plastic moldings
Delphi Sistemas de Energia, Coahuila, Mexico: automotive brake system components
GDX Automotive, New Haven, Mo.: vehicle sealing components
Hearth & Home Technologies, Lake City, Minn.: fireplace manufacturer
Lockheed Martin, Archbald, Pa.: high-tech systems, products, and services for the Department of Defense
Takata Seat Belts, three plants in Agua Prieta and Apodaca, Mexico: seat belts