The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) honored STIHL Inc. with the 2013 Manufacturing Excellence Award, an award that recognizes manufacturing plants that have demonstrated excellence in manufacturing and business.

“Recognizing organizations that are implementing lean manufacturing and management processes is one of the highlights of our conference,” said Paul Kuchuris, AME President. “It allows us to highlight businesses that improve their bottom lines and customer experiences with the best practices they gain through our outreach programs.”

In its feedback report about STIHL Inc., the AME assessment team noted our facility’s strides toward the establishment of a continuous improvement system, focusing on the implementation of advanced technology, integration of automation, data systems, work instructions, signaling devices and steps toward the establishment of flow. Outstanding practices the committee focused on include the total-cost thinking used for our new product and process development projects and the use of inventory flywheels to balance high service levels and low-cost production linearity goals.

Christian Koestler, our vice president of operations, was at the award ceremony in Toronto.  “I was honored to accept the award on behalf of all STIHL employees, who continuously demonstrate their dedication to our company’s mission and values. Fostering a culture of innovation and excellence is fundamental to American manufacturing success, and encouraging employees to embrace automation and rewarding them for their ideas establishes this culture from the ground up.”

The award’s primary focus is to acknowledge continuous improvement, best practices, creativity and innovation and supports AME’s mission “to inspire a commitment to enterprise excellence through experiential learning by bringing people together to share, learn and grow.”