Fort Worth, Texas, 20-APR-00 -- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company has been awarded the coveted Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing. The prize, given to the company’s military aircraft design and production facility in Fort Worth, is considered the premier manufacturing award and recognition program available to manufacturers in North America.

Lockheed Martin earned the award for several outstanding achievements, including substantial progress in implementing lean manufacturing principles in the production of the F-16, F-22 and Japan F-2 fighter aircraft. Other award criteria included the company’s successful partnering with customers and suppliers, application of innovative product development and manufacturing technologies, effective deployment of the company’s strategic business plan and the promotion of constructive employee behaviors, such as intrinsic engagement and a personal sense of urgency.

Aeronautics is the largest single company and the first aerospace prime contractor ever to receive the award, which is administered by the College of Business of Utah State University in partnership with the National Association of Manufacturers. Only a few companies in the United States, Canada and Mexico receive the prize each year.

This recognition culminates many years of diligent effort by the employees of our Fort Worth unit, who have consistently pursued continuous improvement and customer satisfaction in every aspect of our operations, said Dain M. Hancock, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. The award further validates that we are making steady progress on a credible path toward reaching our goal of being recognized as the best military aircraft company in the world, bar none, Hancock said.

The Shingo Prize is named after internationally acclaimed industrialist Shigeo Shingo of Japan. Shingo Prize examiners are drawn from companies throughout North Shingo Award.

America for their experience and expertise in lean manufacturing. The philosophy of the award is that world-class status can be achieved by focusing improvements in core manufacturing processes, implementing lean just-in-time philosophies and systems, eliminating waste and achieving low rates of defects, while continually improving products and lowering costs. The Shingo Prize is considered one of the triple crown of industrial excellence awards, along with the Baldrige Award and the Deming Prize.

Lockheed Martin representatives will accept the award on May 11 at the 12th Annual Shingo Prize conference and award ceremony in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

This is the second major manufacturing award received by Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth plant within the last two years. In October 1998, Industry Week magazine honored the operation in the magazine’s annual list of North America’s 10 Best Plants.

Awards of this type are important for employee morale and pride, but they also send a strong message to our customers, especially when we demonstrate that we have the ability to win them consistently, Hancock said. These honors rate us as a superior, world-class manufacturing facility, and you can bet we will mention them in our proposal for the new Joint Strike Fighter aircraft when we submit it in the fall.

Lockheed Martin is competing against Boeing for the contract to develop and produce the Joint Strike Fighter, which is to be decided in the spring of 2001.