Randolph Center, VT

The Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC) has announced that the not-for-profit Center is now the local affiliate and point of contact for Vermont companies interested in learning about or applying for the Northeast Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence. Business Week Magazine has referred to the Shingo Prize Program as the "Nobel prize of manufacturing" because it establishes a standard for world-class excellence.

Because of VMEC's proven expertise implementing "Lean" solutions and Lean thinking since 1996, the administrator for the Shingo Prize in the Northeast United States, the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (GBMP), has signed an agreement making VMEC the sole Vermont affiliate of the Northeast Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence. VMEC is now the local point of contact for Vermont companies interested in learning about or applying for this coveted prize.

The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence is named for Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo who distinguished himself as one of the world's leading experts in improving manufacturing processes. Dr. Shingo has been described as an "engineering genius" who helped create and write about the manufacturing processes which comprise the renowned Toyota Production System. This prize recognizes business excellence in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It was established to create increased awareness, development, and implementation of "Lean" principles and techniques. The goal of the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence is to make manufacturing facilities and other industries more competitive in the global marketplace, illustrating how world-class results can be achieved through the implementation of "Lean" in core manufacturing and other business processes.