6 June 2007
AddisonMckee wins world-class manufacturer award

World-leading tube manipulation solutions provider, AddisonMckee, has been awarded the coveted ‘World-Class Manufacturing Award’ as part of The Manufacturer Awards 2007. ‘The Manufacturer’ is a resource organization for manufacturing decision makers and uses its annual awards ceremony to highlight those organizations promoting world-class levels of manufacturing excellence in the United States.

AddisonMckee was the single recipient of one of seven separate awards announced during a conference luncheon entitled ‘The Manufacturer Live’ and held on May 30th, in Chicago, Illinois. The World-Class Manufacturing Award presented to AddisonMckee recognizes excellence in an organization’s ability to benchmark, examine and make continuous improvements in everything from lead times to customer returns, from work content to labor minutes per unit, and from inventory levels to cycle times.

For 2007, the judging panel included such esteemed bodies as The Ohio University of Industrial Technology, World Trade Magazine, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), the National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery, MIT, the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services, the Chicago Tribune, the Lincoln Awards for Performance Excellence (also associated with the Baldridge Awards) and the Economist Intelligence Unit.

AddisonMckee President & COO, Joe Eramo, made the announcement of the award last week to the 145 employees located at the Lebanon, Ohio, USA facility in an impromptu gathering and commented “this award serves as recognition of the dedicated work ethic of our 325 global associates, our strong commitment to total customer satisfaction, and a never-ending quest for continuous improvement of our processes through lean manufacturing techniques”. He further added, “this award provides evidence of our ability to expand globally while continuing to grow our US manufacturing base by embracing the chaos created by demands for reduced lead times for innovative products, while reducing costs, in order to satisfy our customers. This event represents an important and impactful achievement for our company, and we remain committed to providing quality service, solutions and products in order to obtain complete customer satisfaction.”

Describing AddisonMckee’s win, The Manufacturer’s Editor in Chief, Dann Anthony Maurno, said “What impressed me is their introspection. They measure their improvements carefully and can tell you exactly how they achieved them, like reducing lead times by about 50 percent. I was impressed too by their consultative approach with customers, beyond the product and into their operations. And a company like AddisonMckee, that improves revenue growth by 107 percent over five years, has much to tell.”

Proven manufacturing credentials

AddisonMckee operates from its state-of-the-art manufacturing centers in the USA, United Kingdom, Canada and China. In the USA, AddisonMckee employs over 140 people and occupies 78,000 sq. ft. in Lebanon, Ohio. Indeed, the new purpose-built facility also accommodates plans for future expansion of an additional 85,000 square foot of manufacturing space in order to meet rapidly growing sales projections.

Comments AddisonMckee Global Marketing Director, Christian Rogiers, “As the single recipient of the World-Class Manufacturing Award – despite the fact that the category was the awards program’s most competitive category – AddisonMckee has more than proven its world-class manufacturing credentials. He continued, “In winning the 2007 award we have demonstrated that, not only is AddisonMckee a world-leading manufacturer, but also that every aspect of our company is focused towards delivering thehighest possible levels of value,quality, care, flexibility and choice for our customers globally.”

About AddisonMckee

Globally renowned for the design, manufacture and supply of some of the world's finest tube bending and end forming technologies - for increasingly complex automotive, aviation, truck and shipbuilding requirements - AddisonMckee also offers highly innovative tube measuring solutions, tube perforation, piercing and louvring technologies, hydraulic press machinery, muffler assembly solutions, plant automation and complete workcell integration.

In addition to these capabilities, a whole range of tooling and accessory options are also provided, as are comprehensive maintenance and service contracts, training and education programs and financial services. Where applicable, AddisonMckee is also able to offer customers the opportunity of machine rebuilds, refurbishment, upgrades and trade-ins.

From its state-of-the-art manufacturing centers in the USA, United Kingdom, Canada and China, AddisonMckee is committed to providing rapid solutions to market and also regularly assists clients in product prototyping, parts development, small production runs and pre-production sample development.

AddisonMckee is principally owned by WHI Capital Partners (WHICP), a Chicago-based private equity group that invests in middle market, industry-leading companies with solid financial fundamentals and proven management teams. WHICP is an affiliate of William Harris Investors, Inc., a family-based asset management firm founded by Irving B. Harris in 1987.

For further information please contact:

Rachel Thomas – BHL Marketing
E-mail: rachel@bhlmarketing.com
Tel:  +44 (0) 1244 851850
Fax: +44 (0) 1244 851888

Christian Rogiers, Global Marketing Director – AddisonMckee
E-mail: crogiers@addisonmckee.com
Tel:  +1 513 228 7076
Fax: +1 513 228 7226