Randy Woods

EverBank Commercial Finance, an equipment financing subsidiary of Islandia, N.Y., USA-based EverBank, has named Curtis C. Brantl, a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, as the company’s new operations and process leader.

According to the latest figures from iSixSigma’s 8th Annual Global Salary Survey, certified Black Belts in Europe earned an average of $71,500 in 2010, down from the $75,000 figure from 2009. Bonuses for Black Belts in Europe, however, fell by more than 34 percent compared to the previous year (close to the worldwide average), from […]

Nexteer Automotive, a manufacturer of steering and driveline systems, has reported significant operational savings at its plant near Saginaw, Mich., USA, by using motion analysis software commonly used by figure skaters.

Cetero Research, a clinical pharmacology research organization, has hired James “Jay” Dixon as its new senior vice president, quality and compliance.

According to a March 24 report from Objective Analysis, nearly 25 percent of the world’s semiconductor production capacity is in Japan, as well as more than 60 percent of the silicon wafers from which semiconductor chips are created. In 2010, industry analysis firm iSuppli determined that Japan held about 35 percent of the $31.5 billion […]

Regal Beloit Corp., a manufacturer of electric motors and motion controls, has promoted Master Black Belt Jonathan J. Schlemmer to the title of chief operating officer.

Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, in Hinsdale, Ill., USA, has appointed Master Black Belt Steve Brown as director of operational excellence, a new position that will focus on improving processes and operations.

Strong America Now, grassroots political organization based in Austin, Texas, USA, has helped draft legislation in the Texas Legislature with the intention of cutting billions of dollars of spending in the state by the application of Lean Six Sigma methods.

The executive search firm Avery Point Group has released the results of a study finding that demand for people with Lean and Six Sigma training has nearly doubled since last year’s study.

In a recent study of 100 senior manufacturing staff, British magazine Works Management (WM) found that the largest barrier to the adoption of continuous improvement (CI) programs is lack of cooperation from their staff.

Honda is only the latest of several automobile manufacturers to report production slowdowns in the wake of last month’s Japan earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis – triple catastrophes that have crippled global car production supply chains and reduced overall capacity by as much as 30 per cent, according to the British newspaper The Independent.

Epec Engineered Technologies, a provider of circuit boards and other electronic components, has appointed Michael Dolan as its new global supply chain manager.

The authors of two books on Lean and leadership, published by the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), received Shingo Research and Professional Publication Awards at the 23rd Annual Shingo Prize Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Follow the Learner: The Role of a Leader in Creating a Lean Culture, by Dr. Sami Bahri, and The Lean Manager, […]

Jan De Witte, president and CEO of GE Healthcare’s Performance Solutions division, has taken on the additional title of president and CEO of GE’s $1.4 billion Healthcare IT division. He succeeds Vishal Wanchoo, who has moved into the role of senior vice president of growth initiatives for GE India.

The International Six Sigma Institute and Secret Society for Imperious Professionals of Process Improvement (ISSISSIPPI) today announced that it will no longer charge customers for access to its industry-leading Lean Six Sigma training courses.

In a move to reduce waste and warehousing costs under its Six Sigma plan, Pepsi Beverages Co. has installed an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) and warehouse control system at its plant in Tampa, Fla., USA.

Cincinnati-based marketing operations firm Aero Fulfillment Services has hired Black Belt David Glew to the newly created position of quality assurance manager.

Soon after announcing the he was forming an exploratory committee for a potential bid for the presidency in 2012, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty was heard touting the virtues of Six Sigma process improvement for the government reform, according to the Politico blog.

Chris Collins, the County Executive of Erie County, N.Y., USA, and prominent advocate of the application of Lean Six Sigma in government, has announced formally that he will run for a second term in this year’s November election.

A record number of seniors and graduate students have applied for the University at Buffalo’s (UB) 2011-2012 Six Sigma Black Belt Student Certification program, according to a recent statement from the school, part of the State University of New York system.

With just a few days to go, excitement is building for the iSixSigma Live! inaugural Retail Forum for Process Excellence, March 28-31. For four days next week all eyes in the process improvement world will focus on the Twin Cities region, as business leaders and operational experts gather at The Westin Galleria, in Edina, Minn., […]

Senior Hargreaves, a British ventilation ductwork manufacturer, has adopted Lean methodologies to help the company add 28,000 square feet of new space to its existing facility in Bury, Lancashire.?

The 3M Co., based in Maplewood, Minn., USA, has offered to pay up to $12 million to roughly 7,000 current and former employees to settle a long-running lawsuit alleging that older workers faced age discrimination under the the company’s Six Sigma program.

WABCO, a supplier of components for the commercial vehicle industry, has opened a new production facility in Jinan, China, showcasing the company’s Lean Six Sigma program.