Grand Rapids, MI – The Right Place, Inc., administrator of the Michigan Shingo Prize is pleased to announce that Autocam Corp., Irwin Seating Company and Metalworks have qualified for Bronze Level awards in the Michigan Shingo Prize.

The Michigan Shingo Prize is the state-level franchise of the North American Shingo Prize. Established in 1988 to promote awareness of Lean manufacturing, the North American Shingo Prize is named for Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo who distinguished himself as one of the world's leading experts in improving manufacturing processes. Dubbed the "Nobel Prize of manufacturing" by Business Week, the Shingo Prize recognizes outstanding companies that have achieved operational excellence by applying world-class manufacturing strategies and practices.

Michigan Shingo Prize finalists are awarded either a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze level award depending on how they scored against the Shingo criteria. The Bronze Level award is the first level of recognition of the Shingo Prize and represents a good level of performance in most areas with attention to goal setting and frequent use of human and technical resources to optimize company performance and efficiency.

“This is an incredibly rigorous process and represents a significant achievement for these companies,” noted Right Place Vice President Karen Wolf. Each company had participated in a yearlong Shingo user group convened by The Right Place to assist companies in preparing for and completing the award process, which included detailed documentation of corporate culture, operations, performance, and customer satisfaction. Companies were judged based on submitted documentation and an on-site evaluation. “The fact that three West Michigan firms successfully achieved this level of commitment to operational excellence speaks highly of the caliber of our manufacturing community. We are fortunate to have so many outstanding companies in our region.”

The Right Place has been contracted by Utah State University to lead the Michigan franchise of the national Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing.

Established in 1988 to promote awareness of Lean manufacturing, the Shingo Prize is named for Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo who distinguished himself as one of the world's leading experts in improving manufacturing processes. Dubbed the "Nobel Prize of manufacturing" by Business Week , the Shingo Prize recognizes manufacturing excellence in the United States , Canada and Mexico .

In an effort to make the recognition and process accessible to more manufacturers, Shingo award administrators began a state-level award franchise within manufacturing-heavy regions. The Michigan program managed by The Right Place is just the fourth such franchise. Other state-level programs are offered in Virginia , North Carolina , and a Northeast regional partnership comprising the states of Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Vermont and Rhode Island .

Right Place services under the Shingo program banner include a Shingo User Group. Launched in November, it assists companies in implementing or strengthening their lean practices in preparation for entering the Shingo Michigan award process. Also this fall, The Right Place and the Grand Rapids Community College began a Lean Certification program to develop lean team leaders as required by Shingo. Other Right Place Shingo services include administering the Shingo Michigan award process, providing application assistance, plant assessments, audit facilitation, and coordination with the national program. The Shingo Michigan program is championed by John Buchan , COO, North American Operations, for Autocam Corp. Buchan, a longtime member of The Right Place Manufacturers Council, led the team at Benteler Automotive's Hagen Exhaust Facility to receive the Shingo in 2001.

The Michigan Shingo Award program will be formally introduced this spring when The Right Place welcomes the national 17th Annual Shingo Prize Conference to Grand Rapids on April 18-22.