Chrysler's Engine Plant Receives Excellence Award

Anthony Fontanelle
February 13, 2008

Chrysler's engine assembly facility in Dundee, Michigan has recently been given the Shingo Silver Medallion for operational excellence. The Auto Channel reported that the said prestigious award was given to the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance engine facility.

The said award was started in 1988. It was established to recognize excellence in manufacturing operations. This award is given to deserving companies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

During the announcement of the winners for the Shingo Prize, the committee said: "We congratulate this year's recipients in expanding their lean focus to all their business processes."

"This year's recipients have demonstrated various best practices in world- class processes and have achieved outstanding results delivering high quality, competitive cost and high customer satisfaction."

The Shingo Awards has been considered by many as the Nobel Prize of manufacturing. Naturally, Chrysler should be enthusiastic that their engine assembly facility was given the said award.

Richard Chow-Wah, Vice President for manufacturing at Chrysler LLC and a member of the GEMA Board of Directors, said: "We are pleased to have been recognized by the Shingo Award organization for our GEMA plant. At GEMA, our mission is clear - to set the pace in engine manufacturing with cutting-edge people, processes, systems and technologies. This award is further confirmation that we are accomplishing that mission."

Chrysler should really be proud of the engine facility receiving the said award as it is the only automotive facility to receive a Shingo. For the automaker's part, Bruce Coventry, the president for Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance, said: "Our success starts with great people, and the Shingo Silver Medallion is a tribute to the commitment and hard work of our GEMA team members who make our Michigan facility one of the finest manufacturing operations in the world."

"At the same time, in the spirit of continuous improvement we recognize there are many opportunities in our processes. We understand that manufacturing excellence is a never-ending journey, not a final destination," continued Coventry.

The engines that the aforementioned engine assembly facility manufactures are being used on the Dodge Caliber, Avenger, and Journey, the Jeep Compass and patriot, as well as the Chrysler Sebring sedan and the convertible variant. These vehicles equipped with the fuel efficient engines manufactured at the Chrysler engine facility produces less greenhouse gases than Acura vehicles equipped with Acura exhaust parts.

Bruce Baumbach, plant manager at GEMA, concluded: "We stay focused on the core business - to manufacture and assemble best-in-class engines, with high quality and great affordability. That means we rely on our service providers to give us the expertise we need to accomplish that task. The knowledge and experience of each of our team members is critical to our success."

Source:  Amazines.com