Lion Vallen Industries, a maker of protective equipment for military and emergency-services personnel, was named the Progressive Manufacturer of the Year for the small and mid-sized company category at the Manufacturing Leadership Summit in Palm Beach, Fla., USA.

The Dayton, Ohio, USA-based Lion Vallen was recognized for its Rapid Improvement and Optimization project, which transformed its supply chain by applying Lean Six Sigma principles and implementing technologies that allowed the company to synchronize demand and inventory management with customers in real time. According to the company, the process improvement project delivered $2.4 million in annual savings.

The award is given to those companies that have excelled in the use of transformational business thinking and advanced technologies to achieve outstanding business results. Winners are selected from among hundreds of nominations that are reviewed by a judging panel of manufacturing experts.

Read more…