Nordson Corporation's
The Nordson Swainsboro facility produces ProBlue adhesive melters, the world's leading hot melt dispensing systems, dispensing guns, modules and nozzles. The plant will also add new ProBlue Fulfill integrated fill systems and Classic XIV melters to its portfolio in 2008. These systems are used in the packaging of consumer products and in a wide variety of general industrial assembly applications.
Established in 1990, the annual competition salutes plants that are on the leading edge of efforts to increase competitiveness, enhance customer satisfaction and create stimulating and rewarding work environments. The competition encourages manufacturing managers and work teams to emulate the honorees by adopting world-class practices, technologies and improvement strategies.
Entrants are judged on criteria including: proactive environmental and safety practices; operational improvements; agile production systems; supplier partnerships; customer focus; employee empowerment; quality systems; management practices; and manufacturing capability.
"We entered the competition with the goal of learning and benchmarking ourselves against world-class manufacturers," says Jim DeVries, vice president, operations Nordson Adhesive Systems Group. "Even though we're pleased to be a finalist, it's really all about learning. For example, as a result of participating in the competition, we've redefined the way we measure quality. We now see a direct connection between what customers are thinking about our quality and what comes out of the Swainsboro facility."
IndustryWeek selected Nordson from more than 200 entries in 2007. The top 21 are recognized as finalists. Ten winners are then selected and featured in Industry Week issues throughout the year.
