AKRON (April 1, 2011) — Goodyear's manufacturing plant in Americana, Brazil, has earned the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence.
The prize, established in 1988 to educate, assess and recognize organizations creating a culture of continuous improvement, is named after Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo, who worked to develop many aspects of the revolutionary manufacturing processes used by Toyota Motor Corp. It's administered by the John M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.
Goodyear representatives attended the 2011 Shingo Prize Global Summit on Operational Excellence and awards ceremony March 31 in Cincinnati to accept the honor, which marks the tire maker's second Shingo award in as many years. Goodyear's facility in Lawton, Okla., received a Shingo Silver Medallion in 2010.
“The Shingo Prize is the greatest proof that investing in people is the only way to achieve a culture of full commitment to continuous improvement through innovation,” said Jaime Szulc, president of Goodyear's Latin American region.
“The honor that we have received in accepting this prize is evidence of Goodyear's pursuit of excellence, and of our ability to differentiate our self in the marketplace.”
The Americana plant, built in 1971, produces passenger, light truck, commercial truck, farm and OTR tires and employs about 2,000 associates, according to Goodyear.