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World-Class Manufacturing Facilities Witness manufacturing excellence first hand through on-site tours of state-of-the-art plants. Each attendee has the opportunity to witness manufacturing excellence first-hand by touring one of the state-of-the art plants listed below. Plant tour registration is NOW open. If you are already registered for the IW/AME Best Plants Conference and did not receive the notification that plant tour registration is open, please call Holly at 224-232-5980 x 223 to find out how to pre-register for the tour of your choice. If you are not registered for the IW/AME Best Plants Conference, you can pre-register for the tour you'd like to attend when you complete your conference registration. Register for the conference now and reserve your plant tour today! Confirmed plant tours include:
GM Powertrain Toledo Transmission, Toledo, Ohio  As the world's largest
supplier of automatic transmissions, GM Powertrain is able to offer a wide
range of smooth-shifting, reliable and efficient transmissions for cars and
trucks.
GM has transmission plants located in Michigan, Ohio, Canada, Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Hungary and Mexico. GM Powertrain's Toledo Transmission opened in 1916, and moved to its present location in 1955. In five of the past six years, Toledo Transmission has been ranked No. 1 in productivity by Harbour & Associates Inc.'s annual report on North American transmission and powertrain plants. The plant ranked No. 2 in 2005. The 1.8 million sq. ft. plant employs 3,440 hourly and salaried employees. Ford Motor Co. Dearborn Truck Plant, Dearborn, Mich.  Ford Motor Company's Dearborn Truck
Plant is Ford's flagship facility of 21st century manufacturing. Featuring
Ford's flexible manufacturing system, the Dearborn Truck Plant is a model work
environment that showcases state-of-the-art production in a setting that
emphasizes quality, flexibility, lean processes, worker safety, comfort and
environmental sustainability. It is the centerpiece of Ford's $2 billion
revitalization of the historic Rouge Center on Miller Road in Dearborn,
Michigan.
Detroit Gear & Axle, Detroit, Mich.  Detroit Gear & Axle is American
Axle & Manufacturing's (AAM) 1.8 million-square-foot flagship manufacturing
facility located on the AAM campus in the City of Detroit. Employing
approximately 4,000 associates, this state-of-the-art manufacturing facility
incorporates the latest advanced technologies used in gear cutting and the
manufacture of front axles, rear axles and independent rear drive modules that
are shipped to customers across the globe.
DTE Energy, Monroe Power Plant, Monroe, Mich.  Monroe Power Plant, a 3100 MW
(net) generating station located in Monroe, Mich., currently blends high
percentages of Powder River Basin coals with Central Appalachian coals to
maintain capacity while managing fuel costs. An extensive program of technology
implementation is in place to facilitate this activity including the use of
on-line coal analysis to determine the quality of the fuel being fed to the
boilers, burner modifications and upgrades, and extensive testing and computer
modeling. Future activities may include coal mill upgrades and other
investments in technology. The entire program is designed to manage high
percentage PRB blends through detailed combustion understanding and control.
Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance, LLC, Dundee, Mich.  The Global Engine
Manufacturing Alliance LLC in Dundee, Mich., manufactures a family of advanced
4-cylinder engines jointly developed by DaimlerChrysler, Mitsubishi Motors
Company and Hyundai Motor Company, which in alliance represent the largest
engine manufacturing operation in the world with empowered teams and leveraged
strategic partnerships achieving maximum economies of scale.
TRW Automotive Fowlerville Plant, Fowlerville, Mich.  Despite more than five ownership
changes in a decade, the Fowlerville TRW facility has maintained a flawless
launch of new and upgraded products, a finished-goods inventory level of 1.5
days or less, and a customer reject rate of 3 ppm in 2003. As a result of its
outstanding performance, this manufacturer of automotive slip systems has
garnered new business from Ford, as well its first overseas customer, SAIC
Chery Automobile Co in China. It's considered a flagship among TRW properties.
Teaming and Cross-Training Talent: Let TRW Automotive Fowlerville share its secrets to success, including a team-based approach and highly cross-trained employees. Seventy percent of the employees can do 90% of the jobs, estimates one worker. 100% On Time, Every Time: Enviable metrics from this plant include a 100% on-time delivery rate throughout the plant's history, which in 2003 meant it shipped more than 10,000 units a day to 13 General Motors assembly plants. Learn how workers do that. The TRW Automotive Fowlerville Plant was a 2004 IndustryWeek Best Plants award winner. You can read the profile here. Unisys Corporation: Plymouth Supply Chain Operations  Plymouth Supply Chain Operations is
a diverse team of 300-highly-skilled Unisys employees who are responsible for
the complex task of managing the supply chain for worldwide transaction
processing products and solutions. Over the years, the Plymouth facility has
created a Six Sigma Lean (SSL), fast-cycle manufacturing, integration and
assembly process. The foundation of this process is a system called BAMCS. This
system consists of tightly integrated modules for product definition and
structuring, order management, purchasing, pricing, inventory management,
picking, packing and distribution. Plymouth SCO uses a state-of-the-art radio
frequency (RF) system to receive, stock, pick, pack and ship products. This
highly automated system allows Unisys to ensure error-free shipments to
destinations around the world.
Merillat Industries, LLC, Adrian, Mich.  Since Orville Merillat began
custom-fabricating kitchen cabinets in 1946, Merillat has grown to become one
the largest manufacturer of cabinets in the U.S. by focusing on the needs of
their customers. Fueled by the post-war building boom, Orville and Ruth
Merillat's fledgling cabinet business grew quickly. Together, the Merillats
built the business and the brand on product innovation, quality products at the
best price, and fair treatment for employees, suppliers and customers.
By 1976 Merillat had grown to eight strategically located manufacturing/assembly plants. The ability to control materials and manufacturing processes gave Merillat a competitive edge in production and delivery. In 1985, the successful business merged with Masco Corporation, an industry leader in home improvement and building products. Today, Merillat has 11 manufacturing plants and over 4,200 employees. Cabinetry from Merillat is available in three distinct product lines:
Nemak -- Windsor Aluminum Plant, Windsor, Ontario  Nemak specializes in the
production of aluminum cylinder head and block castings used by the automotive
industry for the production of internal combustion engines. When compared to
cast iron versions, these castings not only provide a critical weight savings,
but also allow customers to utilize the excellent strength to weight ratio of
aluminum to achieve the desired engine performance characteristics.While this
has driven a growing demand for Nemak's products in the automotive market, the
company would not be able to respond without the utilization of their highly
sophisticated manufacturing processes.
The Windsor Aluminum Plant, located in Windsor, Ontario, was a 2004 Shingo Prize Finalist. Participants will be required to have valid proof of citizenship to cross the border, such as a voters card, drivers license, birth certificate or a passport. United Solar Ovonic -- Auburn Hills, Mich.  United Solar
Ovonic is the world's largest manufacturer of thin film solar products. It's a
company with years of experience in photvoltaics (PV) and is backed by a U.S.
technology leader in renewable energy, Energy Conversion Devices, (ECD Ovonics)
which holds 350 U.S. patents and 800 foreign patents.
PRECLUSION STATEMENT: IW/AME may be required to preclude attendees from taking part in certain plant tours. This step will be taken solely by IW/AME at the request of our host plant based upon the proprietary nature of information that is to be presented. The host plants' decisions are final and will be communicated to attendees in advance. Some participants on the tour may be asked to complete a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA). |
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