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2008 Highlights 2007 Highlights 2006 Highlights 2005 Highlights About IW Best Plants 
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Conference
Program General Sessions
Developing Your Continuous Improvement Strategy: Advice From IW Best Plants Winners 8:50 a.m. -- 9:50 a.m. Moderated By John Brandt, CEO, The MPI Group You've determined that the only way to regain or maintain your competitive edge is to fully embrace continuous improvement across your operations. You're less certain, however, about how to approach this effort. Attack waste on all fronts simultaneously? Involve all employees or just management? And will this cost money? In this panel discussion, several IndustryWeek's 2006 Best Plants winners will discuss how their journeys to continuous improvement began, outlining the steps they took in devising a plan of action. Panelists  H.B. Kincaid, General Manager, AK
Steel -- Rockport Works (2006 IW Best Plants Winner)
H.B. Kincaid joined AK Steel in 2001 as manager of hot rolling at Middletown Works. Prior to joining AK Steel, he held several positions of increasing responsibility with Beta Steel, including senior director of business development and financial planning, director of sales and marketing and director of manufacturing. Kincaid began his steel career in 1981 as a process and product engineer for U.S. Steel and advanced through a number of positions including in customer technical services and as area manager of hot rolling at Mon Valley Works. He held various operating area manager positions at U.S. Steel's Gary Works, Tin Products Division from 1993 to 1995. He was director of hot rolling for National Steel's Great Lakes facility from 1995 to 1998. Kincaid holds a bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering from Grove City College and a master's in business administration from Duquesne University. Gary Lopez, Plant Manager, Cordis de Mexico S.A. de C.V. (2006 IW Best Plants Winner) Rick Reed, Corporate Lean Training Manager, Siegel-Robert Automotive Farmington (2006 IW Best Plants Winner) Wednesday, April 25 Motivating Your Employees: Advice From IW Best Plants Winners 8:00 a.m. -- 9:00 a.m. Moderated By David Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief, IndustryWeek Manufacturers can't drive manufacturing excellence throughout their organization without the cooperation and engagement of the entire workforce. And when continuous-improvement efforts falter or fail, the fault is frequently, although improperly, laid at the feet of "unmotivated" workforces. A lack of motivation is not an issue with IndustryWeek's Best Plants winners, who universally identify their employees as their greatest assets. This panel discussion will discuss specific strategies and tactics IW Best Plants winners employ to create entire workforces with singular goals of excellence. Panelists  Greg Jarvis, Assistant Plant Manager
& Quality Assurance ManagerScotsman Ice Systems (2006 IW Best Plants Winner) Greg Jarvis is the assistant plant manager & quality assurance manager. He has a bachelor's in mechanical engineering. He joined Scotsman as a product engineer in 1990 and in 1995 became the quality assurance manager. In 2000, he took on additional responsibilities as the assistant plant manager. Jarvis is the process owner for productivity improvement at the plant and manages the kaizen activities. Jarvis reports to the VP of manufacturing, Gene Klosterman. On the lean journey since the late 1980's, the Scotsman plant at Fairfax, S.C. has implemented a team culture dedicated to continuous improvement. Scotsman has steadily utilized benchmarking as a method for process excellence discovery and culture change. Many Scotsman managers and associates, including team leaders, have participated on benchmarks. Jarvis has over 30 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing and quality operations for small to medium size refrigeration systems; ranging from drinking water coolers to commercial ice machines.  Steve
LePage, Plant Manager, National Gypsum -- Wilmington Operations (2006 IW Best
Plants Winner)
Steve LePage is a 17 year veteran of the gypsum manufacturing industry. He started his career with Domtar Gypsum, later purchased by Georgia Pacific. He was involved in Domtar Gypsums green-field start up of their Newington, N.H., facility. This facility was the first high speed gypsum line commission in North America and started with self directed work teams. LePage has spent the last 10 years with the National Gypsum Company as plant manager at their Portsmouth, N.H. and Wilmington, N.C. facilities. Since his assignment to the Wilmington facility, there has been cultural change leading to significant innovative quality, productivity and efficiency improvements. LePage is a firm believer that sustained improvement of any significance is built on the foundation of employee commitment and effort. He believes this commitment and effort must be earned much the same as one might earn respect. Rick Cox, HR Manager, Batesville Casket - Batesville Operations (2006 IW Best Plants Winner) Sustaining Your Continuous Improvement Efforts: Advice from IW Best Plants Winners 1:30 p.m. -- 2:30 p.m. Moderated By Traci Purdum, Senior Editor, IndustryWeek It's one thing to start on the road to manufacturing excellence. There's the newness of the endeavor, the quick wins as picking off "low-hanging fruit" leads to immediate performance improvements. Much harder is maintaining the drive to excel once it becomes clear that continuous improvement has no finish line, but instead is ongoing. Panelists at this general session will share their lessons learned in creating and maintaining a continuous-improvement culture. Panelists  Kyle
Hamm, Director of Manufacturing Excellence, North American Operating Division,
Schneider Electric -- Peru Operations (2006 IW Best Plants Winner)
Kyle Hamm is currently the director of manufacturing excellence for the North American Operating Division. He previously held positions as the lean manager, manufacturing engineering manager, and senior manufacturing manager in the Peru, IN panelboard manufacturing facility. During this time, he was responsible for implementing the fundamental elements of Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma on the shop floor and improving the competitive position of the operation. He directed the efforts to apply for and ultimately receive IndustryWeek's Best Plants award for 2006. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, is a licensed Professional Engineer and has a master's in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.  Greg
Tharp, Operations Manager, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control -- Camden
Operations (2006 IW Best Plants Winner)
Greg Tharp graduated from Valley View High School in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He attended SAU Tech in Camden, Arkansas where he received an associate's degree in electronic engineering and an associate's degree in electronics technology. In 2000, he received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Kennedy Western University. He is also a Master Electrician and is certified in Robotics. Tharp has 22 years of experience in the field of manufacturing. This experience consists of managing multiple departments including industrial engineering, tool design, manufacturing engineering, facilities, and production. He has managed various program startup activities and has also been heavily involved in the startup of two major manufacturing facilities in the Camden area, General Dynamics and Vought Systems. Employed by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control since 1983, Tharp has held positions as an electronics engineer, an electronics controls engineer, a senior manufacturing engineer, a manufacturing engineering manager, a production engineering manager, and a manufacturing engineering senior manager. As the operations manager at Lockheed Martin, Tharp is currently responsible for the management, budgeting, and staffing of Camden Operations' tool design, manufacturing engineering, planning, facilities, and production departments. Tharp has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the prestigious Lockheed Martin Excellence Award. He was also presented the Center for Suggestion System Development's Advocate Award for his continuing role in promoting and supporting employee involvement and team engagement programs.  Luis
Rosete -- Plant Manager & Black Belt, General Cable de Latinoamerica S.A. de
C.V. (2006 IW Best Plants Winner)
Luis Rosete has over 20 years of engineering and manufacturing experience, primarily in the cable industry. As plant manager at General Cable de Latinoamerica, and a six sigma black belt, he leads the lean six sigma efforts at the 256-employee plant. Rosete also is an industrial engineering professor and teaches such topics as project management, quality and production models. He holds an bachelor's in industrial engineering and a master's in quality engineering. Conference speakers, topics, and sessions are liable to change at any time. Last Updated April 12, 2007. |
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