“Recognizing organizations that are implementing lean manufacturing and management processes is one of the highlights of our conference,” said Paul Kuchuris, AME President. “It allows us to highlight businesses that improve their bottom lines and customer experiences with the best practices they gain through our outreach programs.”

In its review, the AME assessment team said they were impressed with the level of ownership employees felt about the process and the company’s performance. Committee members noted that, “All of the operators we spoke with had participated in improvement activities and were excited about what has been accomplished. They own the change within their cells. This was awesome to see!” IEC Albuquerque has also worked to create a culture of continuous improvement focused on emphasizing quality in every aspect of its client relationships, delivering work that is “Absolutely, Positively, Perfect and On-Time,” which is the company’s mission.

IEC Electronics Corp provides electronic manufacturing services to advanced technology companies primarily in the military, aerospace, medical and industrial sectors. The Albuquerque plant has more than 159 active products, employs 90 people and has 72,000 square feet of floor space. The plant is organized by customer work cells, designed to execute one-piece flow, enable immediate, visual feedback and minimize variation.

The AME Manufacturing Excellence Award recognizes manufacturing plants that have demonstrated excellence in manufacturing and business. The primary focus of the award is to acknowledge continuous improvement, best practices, creativity and innovation. This award supports AME’s mission “to inspire a commitment to enterprise excellence through experiential learning by bringing people together to share, learn and grow.”

The 2013 class of Manufacturing Excellence Award winners also includes:

• Bombardier Aerospace of Toronto, Ontario
• STIHL Incorporated of Virginia Beach, Va.
• MillerCoors of Eden, N.C.

About the Association for Manufacturing Excellence

The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is the premier not-for-profit organization dedicated to the journey of continuous improvement and enterprise excellence. AME’s membership is composed of a trusted network of volunteers who are committed to leveraging the practitioner-to-practitioner and company-to-company shared-learning experience. Through engaging workshops, seminars and plant tours, and industry-leading conferences, AME members are continually discovering and implementing new continuous improvement strategies and best practices. AME offers its members a multitude of valuable resources to help them stay abreast of current industry developments, and improve the skills, competitiveness, and overall success of their organizations. For more information, visit www.ame.org or email info@ame.org.