When Jim McNerney took the helm at Boeing Co. (IW 500/16) in July 2005, the aerospace giant was reeling. Rival Airbus SAS had seized the throne as the world's top commercial-airplane manufacturer, and Boeing's reputation had taken a nosedive after its two previous CEOs had resigned in disgrace....More
The seeds of the merger that spawned the world's largest defense contractor were planted in the late 1980s, when Norm Augustine -- then CEO of Martin Marietta Corp. -- realized that deep defense-spending cuts were on the horizon....More
Paul O'Neill's contribution to manufacturing -- and to the world -- is profound. Over the years, he has collected hundreds of prestigious professional affiliations and accolades along with 15 honorary doctorate degrees for his service....More
If Dick Dauch had stopped working at 50, he would have had a legendary career. By then, the Ohio farm boy had played football at Purdue, gone to work as an engineer at General Motors Co. (IW 500/4) and become the youngest (30) plant manager in the Chevrolet division....More
You cannot have a discussion about the early proponents of lean manufacturing in the United States without placing Robert "Doc" Hall high on that list....More
Robert Curl Jr. longed to be a chemist from the age of 9, when his parents gave him his first chemistry set. Curl, now 79, admits that a large part of his initial attraction was the prospect of seeing things explode....More
Before Scott Crump set to work with a hot-glue gun in his kitchen back in 1989, 3-D printing didn't exist outside of fantasy novels and sci-fi movies....More
