Autoliv Wins Prestigious "Manufacturer of Year Award"

CHICAGO--Nov. 10, 2011: Autoliv, the worldwide leader in automotive safety products, was named Manufacturer of the Year this week at the American Manufacturing Strategies Summit in Chicago, Ill.  Guy Morgan, president of Performance Improvement LLC presented the award on behalf of award sponsor, BBK.  Performance Improvement LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BBK.

The award recognizes exceptional all-around performance in manufacturing, representing the pinnacle of manufacturing excellence today and acknowledges the outstanding achievements of a single manufacturing enterprise that has successfully realized corporate growth.  Judges selected Autoliv for demonstrating significant success in manufacturing performance.

Autoliv's success is built largely on the lean principles of the Autoliv Production System. Its effective implementation of these principles has earned it the coveted Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing at 7 of its 14 production facilities in North America.  As part of the company's "culture of continuous improvement," Autoliv engages employees throughout the company for input. Last year in North America alone, Autoliv received more than 215,000 improvement ideas from employees.  At the same time, the company implemented 6,000 team improvement projects helping it reduce waste and improve labor efficiency at a record pace.  

"Autoliv does a lot of things right and is setting the standards for manufacturing in an evolving global marketplace," said Morgan.  "Others should take note if they also want to thrive and grow."    

About Autoliv

Autoliv Inc., with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, develops markets and manufactures airbags, seatbelts, safety electronics, steering wheels, anti-whiplash systems, seat components and integrated child seats as well as active safety systems which includes night vision, radar and camera vision technology. Autoliv supplies all the leading automobile manufacturers in the world, serving them from 80 facilities in 29 countries with nearly 48,000 employees. Products are typically delivered "just-in-time," sometimes several times a day, to a vehicle manufacturer's plants.

About BBK

BBK is an industry-leading business advisory and performance improvement firm that partners with clients to drive performance, spur growth and increase profitability.  BBK's business solutions solve complex financial challenges and improve operations through a strategic approach that is client-centered, process-driven, fully integrated and focused on results.  BBK's seasoned, executive teams bring years of knowledge and experience implementing industry best practices that have built BBK's reputation for a sense of urgency, excellence and outstanding results. Manufacturing clients consistently realize five to ten times ROI on the cost of BBK services.

BBK and its wholly owned subsidiary, Performance Improvement LLC, are headquartered in Southfield, Mich., and serve clients globally through offices in Los Angeles, Calif.; New York City, N.Y.; Nashville, Tenn.; Frankfurt, Germany; Landensberg, Germany and Shanghai, China.