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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2003 |
For more information please contact: John Little Director of Operations Tel: 480-874-9100 |
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Tucson, AZ - Terry Peterson recently called on the Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership to help Sargent Controls of Tucson improve its standing with its customers by improving on-time delivery and overall quality. MEP’s project managers came through with flying colors. “The Arizona MEP has been very helpful in getting us involved with Lean techniques and keeping us on track as we continue down the long and arduous track of lean improvement,” said Peterson, VP Operations of Sargent Controls & Aerospace. A subsidiary of Dover Corp., Sargent Controls & Aerospace has approximately 215 employees and has been in business for more than 50 years, the last 14 in Tucson. The company manufactures hydraulic valves and actuators for submarines, surface ships, commercial/military aircraft, and specialized, coated, high-load, low-RPM ball bearings for military helicopters. “Recent new contracts are expected to accelerate the company’s growth over the next several years,” said Ian Ellison, project manager for the Arizona MEP, “and company officials are doing all they can to maintain their favorable position by keeping costs under control, while producing quality products.” For Sargent, Lean techniques make perfect sense, Ellison said. “A Lean transformation pathway is a great way to improve Sargent’s manageability and address cost issues at the same time.” According to Ellison, Sargent sent two individuals to its new Lean 101 Principles of Lean Manufacturing with hands-on Time Wise simulation-training program. “The participants learned 12 techniques for reducing eight types of waste throughout its manufacturing processes,” Ellison said, “and the participants actually applied the 12 techniques to a real manufacturing process, and measured and tracked the value of their improved performance over four rounds of simulation.” “I had some concept of what the Lean process was all about,” Peterson said, “but I had no idea of the amount of initial training that is needed. I think Lean is misunderstood by a lot of people, but the MEP certainly helped us understand the concept and keep us focused.” As a result of the training provided by Arizona MEP, Sargent Controls & Aerospace created a Lean Implementation Team, which is led by Bret Webster. The team then implemented 5-S Workplace Standardization and Organization principles in a key operating division and created pilot-test manufacturing cells to demonstrate the effectiveness of lean manufacturing techniques to the entire organization. Peterson said one of the real benefits of the program is the input the team is receiving from other employees. “Our people on the floor feel more engaged and empowered to offer ideas and improvements and they now understand the impact of what they do on other departments. “Without the assistance and training we received from the Arizona MEP, none of this would have been possible,” Peterson concluded. The Arizona MEP is an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the U.S. Department of Commerce. The national MEP is a network of manufacturing extension centers that provide business and technical assistance to smaller manufacturers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Through MEP, manufacturers have access to more than 2000 manufacturing and business “coaches” whose job is to help firms make changes that lead to greater productivity, increased profits, and enhanced global competitiveness. For more information on the Arizona MEP program call 480-874-9100. |
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