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As editor of MRO Today, I visit plenty of manufacturing plants. Many of them are interesting, some are very good and a select few fall into the category of “plants that impress the hell out of me.”

So, when I began developing the content for “Lean Manufacturing University,” the conference MRO Today and the University of Wisconsin will present on Nov. 10-11 in Madison, Wis., I offered speaker opportunities only to those found in that latter group.

Lucky for me and those who will be in attendance, most of these “A List” companies were able to fit the conference into their busy schedule.

Who impresses the hell out of me? Who wants to share their road map to lean success with you? The lineup includes:

Ariens: This small, Wisconsin-based maker of power equipment transformed itself from a seasonal, batch manufacturer to one that is lean, and customer- and market-focused. In my book, Ariens is the lean leader among firms its size.

Batesville Casket Company: If any of the Big Three automakers visited Batesville’s plant in Indiana, they would think they had died and gone to heaven. It has few peers when it comes to cellular manufacturing and build-to-order.

Boeing: Simply put — as the headline for my April/May 2002 cover story said — “Boeing Knows Lean.” I bow before this airplane-manufacturing giant.

DaimlerChrysler: DCX nearly closed its Kenosha, Wis., engine plant in 1988. Union/management teamwork and a Product Quality Improvement initiative saved the day. Now, the plant’s future has never been brighter.

Dow Chemical: This global chemical manufacturer experienced powerful growth by injecting lean concepts into its Six Sigma implementation.

Flexible Steel Lacing Company: Flexco’s suburban Chicago plant put lean in the hands of its empowered workforce. The results make your jaw drop.

Harley-Davidson: You know you have a special company when employees tattoo the company logo on their bodies. H-D is as lean and mean as the folks who drive its bikes.

Raytheon Missile Systems: When you make Tomahawk cruise missiles, you had better be good. Fortunately, Raytheon’s Tucson, Ariz., plant is scary good.

Tenneco Automotive: Tenneco’s shock absorber plant in Paragould, Ark., is a kaizen kingpin. It captured an IndustryWeek best plants award in 1998.

The keynote presenters will be George Koenigsaecker, chairman of the board for the Shingo Prize, and Keith Nosbusch, president of Rockwell Automation.

This article appeared in the August/September 2003 issue of MRO Today magazine. Copyright, 2003.

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