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US Synthetic Receives World’s Top Manufacturing Award, The Shingo Prize
Industry-leading industrial diamond manufacturer recognized for enterprise excellence
Orem, UT, June 20, 2011 – US Synthetic Corporation, a Dover Company (NYSE: DOV) and the leading provider of polycrystalline diamond cutters (PDCs) for oil and gas exploration, announced today that the company has received the world’s most prestigious award for operational excellence, The Shingo Prize (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU7a7ar8kMg). US Synthetic was honored as an enterprise award recipient, recognizing excellence across all of its products and brands including US Synthetic (drill bit inserts), USS Bearings (process-lubricated bearings), USS Wire Dies (wire drawing dies), Brady Mining (underground mining tools), and Suncrest Diamonds (natural gem diamond color enhancement).
Called "the Nobel prize for manufacturing" by BusinessWeek, The Shingo Prize was established in 1988 for the purpose of educating, assessing and recognizing world-class companies for creating a culture of continuous improvement through employee engagement and effective leadership. The Shingo Prize was named for world-renowned industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo, who distinguished himself as one of the leading experts in improving manufacturing processes.
"In 2008, The Shingo Prize qualification criteria became much more rigorous and focused on behaviors and principles across the enterprise, rather than just in operations," said Bob Miller, executive director, The Shingo Prize. “US Synthetic is one in only a handful of companies to receive this prestigious award since the bar was raised. We congratulate US Synthetic for the culture and practices which qualify them for The Shingo Prize, and commend them for the world-class company and people we observed while evaluating their business.”
"Unlike many companies that adopt continuous improvement programs to cut costs and regain a competitive financial position, US Synthetic started its Lean journey with a focus on enterprise excellence in serving our customers and delivering value through rapid customization, innovation, on-time delivery, and superior quality," said Rob Galloway, president and CEO, US Synthetic. “Our lean efforts come from a desire to continually improve what we do, to engage the minds of all our people throughout the entire organization, to effectively deploy company strategy, and to stay ahead of our customers’ expectations from both a capacity and a technology perspective. We are grateful to have been awarded The Shingo Prize, and we view this award as a mile marker on our Lean journey, rather than the finish line.”
As an enterprise, US Synthetic has averaged 23 percent growth in annual revenues since beginning its Lean journey in 2005. This growth would not have been possible without continuous improvement efforts to free up capacity and space for growth, and the ongoing support of its parent company, Dover Corporation. Employee headcount over the same period has risen only 16 percent annually, and building space has only grown by 17 percent annually.
US Synthetic is the first and only company in the upstream oil and gas industry and in the industrial diamond industry to receive the award. Company representatives will attend the 2012 Shingo Prize Global Summit and awards ceremony in Atlanta next spring, where they will be formally recognized, along with other companies around the world, for their achievement.
“This award is a compliment to our people and their attitude towards continuous improvement which aligns with our customers’ needs,” said Eric Pope, vice president of operations, US Synthetic. “Throughout US Synthetic, our people find ways to help our customers succeed in their jobs and with the products they make. Regardless of title or functional area, every US Synthetic employee works together to deliver the value our customers have come to expect from us.”
About US Synthetic
US Synthetic, an operating company within the Energy platform of the Dover Corporation (NYSE: DOV) Fluid Management segment, is the leading provider of polycrystalline diamond cutters (PDCs) for oil and gas exploration, and provides solutions for a variety of additional engineering challenges using the unique material properties of diamond. Thanks to constant innovation, proven quality, and superior customer service, more of the world’s energy suppliers rely on US Synthetic than any other PDC manufacturer. US Synthetic has spent more than two decades perfecting its products to drill faster and last longer—in conditions that test the limits of the most durable drilling equipment. For more information about US Synthetic, please visit www.ussynthetic.com.
About Dover Corporation
Dover Corporation is a global manufacturer providing innovative components and equipment, specialty systems and support services for a variety of applications in the industrial products, engineered systems, fluid management and electronic technologies markets. For more information, please visit www.dovercorporation.com.