Firm snags Shingo Prize, called “Nobel Prize for Manufacturing.”
Ryan Lengerich (News Sentinel)

The Fort Wayne wing of an international information and electronics systems company has won a prestigious national manufacturing award. BAE Systems was awarded the Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing on Monday at its Taylor Street location.

The Shingo Prize – dubbed the “Nobel Prize for Manufacturing,” by Business Week magazine – recognizes manufacturers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico each year. The Utah State University business college and the National Association of Manufacturers have presented the honor since 1988.

About 300 BAE Systems employees heard praise from Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd district, Fort Wayne Mayor Graham Richard and several others.

“While we have had a lot of changes here, in fact we have done better than the rest of the country because of the proficiency of our work force, the reinvestments by the companies and things like this award,” Souder said.

Based in Johnson City, N.Y., BAE Systems has 13 plants scattered throughout North American and the United Kingdom. The company employs more than 30,000 people including about 700 in Fort Wayne, and generates more than $5 billion in annual sales.

The Fort Wayne plant produces and services electronic control equipment that flies on various commercial aircrafts. About 40 percent of production is subsystems for military aircraft, including the F/A-22 Raptor fighter jet, KC-135 tanker and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

“It’s a big honor to win the Shingo award,” said Betty Swain who has been an assembler at the plant for 37 years. “I really love my job, I enjoy my job and I try to do the best I can, knowing that people’s lives are in my hands.”

BAE Systems officials said recent plant achievements include a 45 percent improvement in labor productivity, tripling of production inventory turns, a 50 percent reduction in scrap and rework costs and a 60 percent reduction in cycle time for new product introductions.

The Fort Wayne operation was honored in 2000 as one of Industry Week publication’s “best plants.”

Shelli Cawood has been worked in finance five years and said the Shingo Prize is an even more prestigious honor than the 2000 award.

“Definitely preventing accidents, it’s a big deal,” Cawood said of the company’s responsibility. “Especially with all the terrorism, it comes into light what we do.”