Arlington Heights, Ill. — In today’s economy, manufacturers worldwide all have the same question: How can we stay competitive and prosperous until this storm settles? Creating and sustaining organizational excellence is essential now more than ever, and it is possible with the help of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) and 40 industry-leading companies ready to demonstrate Lean practices in action through audited plant tours during the 2009 International Lean Conference.
From October 19–23, 2009 in Covington, Kentucky, Lean practitioners and business leaders from across the globe will converge to discover innovative Lean methods, and realize individual and organizational strengths through companies that continually demonstrate winning ways and experience incredible success.
As one of the most valuable activities at AME conferences, audited plant tours give participants the opportunity to observe first-hand how ideas and strategies are implemented on shop floors and used daily by company and industry experts. These demonstrations offer attending business leaders a unique perspective into practices they can tailor for their own Lean journey.
Some of the audited Lean plant tours scheduled for the upcoming AME Kentucky conference include:
- Fidelity Investments, a financial services and investment resource provider for individuals and organizations. Its Northern Kentucky plant provides literature, custom publishing, document imaging, mail and more.
- Goodrich, a multi-plant organization that provides products and services for commercial, regional, business and military applications. They design, develop and manufacture aircraft wheels and brakes at the Troy, Ohio plant.
- Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, the company’s largest production facility outside of Japan, produces engines and powertrain parts with an annual capacity of 500,000 vehicles.
- General Cable is a leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of copper, aluminum, and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, specialty and communications markets.
- Mazak Corporation, a global pioneer in the manufacture of productivity-improving machine tool solutions, has its Florence, Kentucky plant for the domestic production of the latest machine tool technologies and equipment.
In addition to audited plant tours, conference attendees may also take part in hands-on workshops led by industry-leading consultants and providers, each selected based on his or her industry-endorsed reputation. Among the workshops are Lean Product Development Implementation, Practical Steps to Creating and Sustaining a Lean Culture, and Evaluating and Improving Supplier Performance in a Lean Environment.
Twenty-five years ago, AME began their journey to greatness as a resource for manufacturing professionals to gain practitioner-to-practitioner and company-to-company learning, Lean tools and networking opportunities. Along with AME’s resources and continual support, Lean practitioners can obtain an interactive, direct learning experience by participating in these valuable plant tours. Don’t miss this opportunity to find what will set you and your organization up for success.
For more information on the 2009 International Lean Conference, including a complete list of plant tours and workshops, visit www.ameconference.org. With advance notice, press may also have the opportunity to participate in activities.
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