Leading Edge Best Practice Tour:
R.C. Bigelow, Inc. Charleston
Tea Plantation South Carolina
Founded in 1945 by Ruth Campbell Bigelow, R.C. Bigelow, Inc. is dedicated to being a premier packer of truly fine quality teas. At R.C. Bigelow the consumer is number one. Therefore, it is essential that we provide a product that satisfies all of their expectations. Our primary focus is to produce teas that offer a unique and truly gratifying experience.Good flavor and product freshness are the prime considerations in the creations of our teas. We are all about buildinng strong relationships with our customers and suppliers. We realize that it is through a dedication to excellence, that we grow and prosper together by providing our employees with a challenging and positive environment in which to work. We strive to motivate and satisfy our employees as well as promote individuals based on merit and contribution. We pride ourselves in being Good Corporate Citizen: Our company has been, and always will be based upon strong ethical business practices and is dedicated to only the highest standard of behavior in all areas. We will take a trolley ride to see the fields where the tea is harvested, the machinery used to harvest, the factory and see green tea being processed. Taste a fruit-flavored iced tea and receive a goodie bag with a DVD. Also, we will have our boxed lunch at the Angel Oak.
Note: spouses are invited on this tour.
Visit R.C. Bigelow, Inc.'s website
Leading Edge Best Practice Tour:
Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc.
North Charleston, South Carolina
Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. is an independent aerostructures company. Vought Aircraft Industries’ has annual sales exceeding $1 billion, with a workforce of more than 6,000 employees and is well known for product quality and craftsmanship.
We are committed to being the global partner of choice for integrated major airframe structures. Supporting a brand new commercial aircraft manufacturing program, Vought Aircraft Industries’ North Charleston, S.C. facility provides an ideal canvas for a Lean / continuous improvement journey. Experience the company’s mission of manufacturing and assembling the composite aft fuselage of Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner.
Join us to see how Lean SixSigma and continuous improvement has contributed to the increased quality, product delivery, and employee engagement at the three-year-young facility. Participants will learn about Vought's Operating System, kaizen events, employee engagement and see first-hand some of the company’s lean manufacturing processes on the factory floor. At the end of the day, Vought will be conducting a "feedback" session to solicit attendees' input relative to your lean journey successes.
Please Note: All attendees must be U.S. Citizens, Cameras/camera phones will not be permitted, Open-toe, open-heel shoes will not be permitted, all participants are required to go through a FOD briefing session prior to the tour. AME, on behalf of our host plants, may have to preclude some attendees from participating due to the proprietary nature of some of the information to be presented.
Visit Vought Aircraft Industries' website
Leading Edge Best Practice Tour:
Parker Racor Filtration
Beaufort, South Carolina
With annual sales exceeding $12 billion, Parker Hannifin Corporation is the world’s leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company’s products are vital to virtually everything that moves or requires control, including the manufacture and processing of raw materials, durable goods, infrastructure development and all forms of transport.
A tour of Parker Racor Filtration will give the attendees a full view of many of the tools of Lean Manufacturing and the tracking of benchmark hourly to ensure that all metrics are being met or improved on. You will be introduced to Parker Hannifin Corporation Lean Information that sets the stage for the Lean Manufacturing strategy the employ. You will visit their office tracking center, site and value stream mapping centers, continuous inprovement area to explain their Kaizen and 3P process.
Your tour will also include a review of Parker Racor Filtrations’ use of the Heijunka pull system and Andon status system as a finished goods strategy.
Restrictions:
- No open toed shoes
- No heels higher than 1 inch
- Photos restricted to asking before taking the picture
- If attendees have their own safety glasses they are asked to bring them
