Lockheed Martin Unit Receives 2012 Malcolm Baldrige Award for Manufacturing

Nov. 14, 2012
At a time when Lockheed Martin Corp. has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons lately, the company got some good news this week.

At a time when Lockheed Martin Corp. (IW 500/30) has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons lately, the company got some good news this week.

The U.S. Department of Commerce on Wednesday announced that Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control division is one of four recipients of the 2012 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for performance excellence.

The Missiles and Fire Control unit, which makes advanced-combat, missile, rocket and sensor systems, won in the manufacturing category.

Among the reasons why the National Institute of Standards and Technology chose Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control (MFC) unit, the agency noted that MFC has:

  • Achieved 99.4% on-time delivery despite a 1,000% increase in the number of annual deliveries over the past 11 years.
  • Cut $225 million in annual costs through time-reduction process- and performance-improvement programs.
  • Grown its return on investment at a compound annual rate of 23%.
  • Improved its customer-loyalty ratings by 18% since 2007. Its current ratings are best-in-class, according to NIST, with 100% of customers indicating that they "definitely or probably would select MFC for future business."

Perhaps most impressively, MFC scores high marks for employee satisfaction, with nearly 85% of workers saying they were proud to work for MFC in 2011.

"Receiving the Malcolm Baldrige Award is a tremendous honor for Missiles and Fire Control," said James Berry, president of Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control business. "It represents the culmination of a 15-year journey focused on performance excellence, which has been ingrained in all we do. It is a testament to our employees' dedication to excel in every aspect of our business and deliver unmatched value to our customers."

I should note that Lockheed Martin's MFC unit is no stranger to accolades. In 2011, MFC's Lufkin, Texas, operations received an IndustryWeek Best Plants award.

Congratulations to everyone at Lockheed Martin.

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

The Ultimate Ecommerce Excellence Checklist

Oct. 2, 2023
Scaling ecommerce operations is no easy task when your business is moving fast. Assess your current ecommerce maturity level and set optimization priorities with this practical...

How Digital Twin Technology is Empowering Manufacturers

Sept. 27, 2023
This FAQ delves into why this technology offers business value and considerations toward implementation.

Digital Production Tracking: How Connected Platforms with No-Code Deliver Value

Sept. 19, 2023
Manual tracking lacks the real-time visibility manufacturers need to identify root causes and remain competitive. Digital, connected production tracking is crucial for your operations...

The Benefits of Continuous Thermal Monitoring

Oct. 17, 2023
Read this eBook to learn more about collecting and using data intelligently to improve performance.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!