Dana Structural Products Facility Third Dana Facility to be Honored in Four Years of Award DANA CORPORATION LOGO Dana Corporation logo. (PRNewsFoto)[DM] TOLEDO, OH USA 09/03/1999
31 October 2000
Dana Structural Products Facility Third Dana Facility to be Honored in Four Years of Award DANA CORPORATION LOGO Dana Corporation logo. (PRNewsFoto)[DM] TOLEDO, OH USA 09/03/1999
TOLEDO, Ohio, Oct. 31 Dana Corporation
announced that its Elizabethtown, Ky., Parish Structural Products facility has
been awarded the 2000 Kentucky Governor's Gold Quality Award. It was the
third year in four that a Dana facility has received the honor.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990903/DANA )
The Kentucky Governor's Gold Quality Award is the highest level of quality
recognition in the state. Dana's Parish Structural Products facility in
Hopkinsville received the award in 1999, and Dana's Victor Reinz gasket
manufacturing facility in Danville received award in 1997, the first year of
the program. The Elizabethtown and Hopkinsville facilities were runners-up in
1998.
Modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the award is
presented to organizations wishing to share in the benefits associated with
continuous improvement. The award process provides an objective review of
overall quality principles and practices in the operations of the applicant
and provides an incentive for continuous improvement. The results are
analyzed to identify areas of strengths and target areas for improvement to
promote the effective sharing of the data.
According to the state of Kentucky, the recipients of the quality award
demonstrate "world-class" processes and serve as role models throughout the
state and United States. They provide continuing support to the program by
sharing strategies for success and participating on the board of examiners.
Keith Auville, Elizabethtown plant manager, said, "We are all extremely
proud to receive the Governor's Gold Quality Award from the Commonwealth of
Kentucky, and to extend Dana's record of achievement in the state. It was an
honor for me to accept the award on behalf of our entire team. This
recognition once again illustrates the commitment and abilities of the people
working in the Elizabethtown plant."
The Elizabethtown facility manufactures frames for Ford Motor Company's F-
150 pick-up truck, including the Supercrew cab and Harley Davidson versions;
the Lincoln Blackwood pick-up; and the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator
sport-utility vehicles.
In July, Dana's Structural Products Group was recognized as one of "the
best of the best" among automotive suppliers by Automotive Industries magazine
in its annual Quest for Excellence Survey. The group was honored in the
Chassis/Suspension Systems category for "consistently high rankings in the
areas of quality, price, delivery, service/response, and innovation."
The group also has twice been a finalist for the Automotive News PACE
Award and was recognized last year for its innovative magnetic-pulse welding
technology at the Frankfurt International Motorshow, winning the Automotive
Manufacturing Award. Dana's Structural Products Group is using magnetic-pulse
welding along with its hydroforming processes to enhance the total performance
of its structural products.
The Elizabethtown plant is the ninth Dana facility to win its state's
highest quality award this year. Dana facilities have also been honored by
the states of Florida, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and South
Carolina. Fifteen Dana facilities were recognized in 1999.
Dana Corporation is one of the world's largest independent suppliers to
vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket. Founded in 1904 and based in
Toledo, Ohio, the company operates some 320 major facilities in 32 countries
and employs more than 80,000 people. The company reported sales of
$13.2 billion in 1999. Dana's Internet address is http://www.dana.com .