Penton's IndustryWeek Names Best Manufacturing Facilities in North America

NEW YORK, Jan.12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IndustryWeek, the leading publication serving executive and operations leaders in the manufacturing industry, has announced the winners of its 22nd annual IW Best Plants Award Program, which annually salutes 10 outstanding manufacturing facilities on the leading edge of efforts to increase competitiveness, enhance customer satisfaction, and create stimulating and rewarding work environments.

The 2011 IndustryWeek Best Plants winners, profiled in the January issue, are, in alphabetical order:

• Carrier Collierville (Collierville, Tenn.)
• Ethicon Inc. (Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico)
• General Cable Corp. – Lawrenceburg Plant (Lawrenceburg, Ky.)
• General Cable Corp. – Lincoln Rhode Island (Lincoln, R.I.)
• Klein Steel Service (Rochester, N.Y.)
• L.B. Foster Co., Allegheny Rail Products (Pueblo, Colo.)
• Life Technologies (Austin, Texas)
• Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Lufkin Operations (Lufkin, Texas)
• Swagelok Company Main Plant (Solon, Ohio)
• Toyota Industrial Equipment Mfg. Inc. (Columbus, Ind.)

"IndustryWeek's Best Plants winners illustrate the recipe for manufacturing excellence: empowered employees, strong leaders and continuous-improvement mind-sets," said Patricia Panchak, IndustryWeek's Editor-in-Chief. "IndustryWeek applauds their success and is proud to share their stories."

IndustryWeek's Best Plants Award Program, which began more than two decades ago, is an institution in manufacturing, with many companies using the entry form as a template to guide their own continuous improvement and benchmarking efforts at facilities throughout their enterprises.

Participants are evaluated on a comprehensive set of criteria that includes management practices, level of employee involvement and various improvement programs, as well as quantifiable performance indicators and evidence of competitiveness.

The winners will be honored during an awards ceremony at the 2012 IndustryWeek Best Plants conference (www.iwbestplants.com), where they also will share their stories of operational excellence and continuous improvement. The conference is April 23-25 held in Indianapolis.

Profiles of the winning facilities can be found online at http://www.industryweek.com/articles/2011_iw_best_plants_winners_the_best_never_rest_26325.aspx.

About IndustryWeek
From automotive to solar, from Chicago to Beijing, IndustryWeek reports on the news, trends and opinions shaping manufacturing.  A Penton Media publication, IndustryWeek has been providing exclusive insights from the world of manufacturing for more than 40 years .  For more information on IndustryWeek, please visit http://www.industryweek.com and follow IW on Twitter and Facebook.

About Penton
As a leading, independent, business-to-business media company, Penton knows business and how to create and disseminate the vital content that moves markets. Penton is where professionals turn to gain the critical insight, expert analysis, and relevant connections needed to compete and succeed. Headquartered in New York City, the privately held company is owned by MidOcean Partners and U.S. Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP, and its co-investors. For additional information on the company and its businesses, visit www.penton.com.

Media Contact:
Jill Jusko
Penton Media, IndustryWeek
Phone: (216) 931-9311
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Penton Media