Overview
In 1990, IndustryWeek magazine established a prestigious newcompetition, the America's Best Plants Award, designed to recognizeand honor the top manufacturing operations in the nation. To date,sixty-two companies—from such well-known names asHewlett-Packard, Sony Electronics, Steelcase, and Xerox to smallercompanies such as Zytec, John Crane Belfab, and LordCorporation—have earned the illustrious designation of beingone of America's Best Plants.
Now these award-winning plants are profiled in America's Best, aunique reference that takes an in-depth look at leading-edgemanufacturing practices. Detailing the individual components ofworld-class manufacturing, while providing personal experience fromthe field, America's Best offers practical guidelines that willhelp managers make strategic decisions regarding their ownorganizations.
The book begins with the nine essential components ofworld-class manufacturing, their individual make-up, and how theyinteract with each other. These components—customer focus,quality, agility, employee involvement, strong supplier relations,technology, new product development, green manufacturing, communityinvolvement—come together to create the basis ofmanufacturing excellence and will serve as a road map for improvingyour organization, your products, and your people.
Profiles of each of the 62 Best Plant winners celebrateindividual excellence in the field. Highlighting these profiles areon-site visit reports by IndustryWeek editors; detailed coverage ofthe many unique programs, tools, and techniques currently in use ateach plant; and a listing of contact information for individualplants. Also included is a complete set of the winners' statisticalmeasurements for use in benchmarking your own organization, as wellas an assessment survey to help you determine how your plantmeasures up against the best.
Filled with helpful data, advice, "lessons," and firsthandstories from Best Plant leaders and employees, America's Best willbe essential reading for managers in executive suites to the shopfloor who are charged with the success of their manufacturingorganization.
"A clear and exciting depiction of the dramatic changes takingplace in manufacturing and the innovative approaches used tosustain world-class excellence." — Jerry J. JasinowskiPresident, National Association of Manufacturers
"Highly readable and packed with relevant examples of what makesthe best, best." — Carla O'Dell, PhD President, AmericanProductivity & Quality Center
"A rousing standing ovation for Ted Kinni and the editors ofIndustryWeek. America's Best is a benchmark book, and Kinni andcolleagues have pulled off an Olympian feat. . . . If you've set acourse for excellence, you must read this book." — JimKouzes, coauthor The Leadership Challenge and Credibility, Chairmanand CEO The Tom Peters Group/Learning Systems
Advanced Filtration Systems, Inc.
Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.
Allen-Bradley Company
Baxter Healthcare Corp.
Chesebrough-Pond's USA Co.
Cincinnati Milacron, Inc.
Coherent, Inc.
Continental General Tire, Inc.
Copeland Corporation
Corning, Inc.
Dana Corporation
Digital Equipment Corp.
Edy's Grand Ice Cream
Engelhard Corporation
Exxon Chemical Co.
Fisher-Rosemount, Inc.
Ford Electronics & Refrigeration Corp.
Ford Motor Co.
The Foxboro Company
GE Fanuc Automation NA, Inc.
General Electric
General Motors
General Motors Corp., Cadillac
Gilbarco, Inc.
Hewlett-Packard Company
Honeywell, Inc.
IBM Corporation
John Crane Belfab
Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc.
Kennametal, Inc.
Lockheed Martin Corp.
Lord Corporation
Marlow Industries, Inc.
MEMC Electronic Materials
Mettler-Toledo, Inc.
Milwaukee Electric Tool
Motorola, Inc.
New United Motor Mfg., Inc.
Nippondenso Mfg., USA, Inc.
Northrop Grumman Corp.
Pella Corporation
Rockwell International
Siemens Automotive
Sony Electronics, Inc.
SPX Corporation
Steelcase, Inc.
Stone Construction Equipment, Inc.
Super Sack Manufacturing
Symbiosis Corporation
Tennessee Eastman Company
Texas Instruments, Inc.
The Timken Company
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems, Inc.
Unisys Corporation
Varian Associates, Inc.
Wilson Sporting Goods Company
XEL Communications, Inc.
Xerox Corporation
Zytec Corporation
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