 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Great Lakes Window® Honored as Most Innovative Plant
Commitment to Operational Excellence wins 2007
Crystal Achievement Award from Window & Door magazine
TOLEDO, OH, 2007 – Deliver the highest quality and best service, 100 percent on time and complete, any window of any size, to any customer in the Great Lakes Window service area in 10 days or less. That’s the goal of the Operational Excellence Initiative the company launched last year at its plant in northwest Ohio.
The success of the initiative has earned the company a prestigious 2007 Crystal Achievement Award from Window & Door magazine. It was named Most Innovative Plant for the dramatic impact its commitment to Operational Excellence has had on its safety, quality and productivity.
In 2007, the plant has experienced a near-perfect safety record and associates have achieved an OSHA incident rate that is the lowest in the company’s history – and well below the window industry’s national average.
The focus on operational proficiency resulted in an unprecedented 35 percent reduction of unnecessary plant overtime, an overall staffing and efficiency improvement of 30 percent, and a sustained 50 percent improvement in daily customer backorders.
In early 2006 Great Lakes Window defined a set of quality guidelines and practices that would be integrated into the company’s core strategy to create a working environment that promoted sales growth and exceeded customer expectations.
“Our ultimate goal is to significantly enhance our overall level of service. That starts with our production processes and ends in complete customer satisfaction,” says Jim Smercina, plant manager.
“Utilizing the principles of lean and Six Sigma manufacturing, Operational Excellence focuses on eliminating waste during the manufacturing process so that quality is central, production time is condensed and cost is reduced,” Smercina adds.
The company has also created a supporting Web site focusing on the Operational Excellence Initiative (www.greatlakeswindow.com/operationalexcellence). The site allows users to tour the plant virtually, learn more about its manufacturing metrics and see how Great Lakes Window is creating value for its customers by consistently delivering quality products.
About the Crystal Achievement Awards
Window & Door gathers a broad range of input for the Crystal Achievement Awards program. They solicit manufacturers, suppliers and others representing all aspects of the industry to serve as judges. Participants include executives involved in the wood, vinyl, aluminum, fiberglass, steel and composites segments of the industry, as well as suppliers of glass and glazing products, hardware, software and equipment. Each judge receives a packet of nominations, submitted by magazine readers and others, and is asked to rank the nominees in any categories they choose. Judges cannot vote for their own companies. Winners are determined by the cumulative rankings of the judges.
About Great Lakes Window
Great Lakes Window®, headquartered in Toledo, Ohio , has been custom manufacturing vinyl replacement windows and patio doors since 1981. Great Lakes Window markets its products to a nationwide network of dealers under the UniFrame®, PlyGem LifestylesTM, SeabrookeTM and BayshoreTM brand names and distribution channels with the Napco® Window Systems and GrandViewTM series. The company has earned a reputation for operational excellence, continuous innovation, dedication to quality and commitment to energy-efficient products – including double and triple glazed window and door units with Low-E and gas-filling – across the full range of window styles. For more information about products by Great Lakes Window, visit www.greatlakeswindow.com.