CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--USG Corporation (NYSE: USG), an industry-leading manufacturer of building products and innovative solutions, received the 2018 Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Project of the Year Award from the American Quality Institute. This award, presented to USG at the Lean & Six Sigma World Conference on April 3, 2018, recognizes the most outstanding process improvement project.
USG earned this award for reducing costs and production variations in its USG Sheetrock® Brand UltraLight Panels which saved the company millions of dollars in raw materials and made it easier to measure, understand, and target a key process input that provides increased strength at lighter weight. Launched in 2012, this project improved the formulation process and created a new measurement system to control key variables during production. The project’s success led USG to repeat the process across the UltraLight portfolio and with numerous other products. Altogether, the team implemented 38 projects between 2013 and 2017.
“We are honored to be recognized for our Lean Six Sigma efforts for the second year in a row, which reflects the hard work and commitment of our talented corporate excellence teams,” said Ken Banas, USG’s vice president of advanced manufacturing and corporate excellence. “Our employees are empowered to create new efficiencies and process improvement initiatives which have a significant impact and contribute to our business in a meaningful way.”
USG implemented LSS in 2010 to improve profitability, strengthen capabilities and engage manufacturing plant teams in continuous improvement. Its high-performing employees undergo extensive training to become LSS leaders, or “Belts,” who oversee the planning and execution of LSS projects and play an instrumental role in their successful deployment. There are more than 400 USG employees who have at least a minimum of Green Belt training in LSS, with many advancing to achieve Black or Master Black Belt status. USG’s LSS leaders have overseen the completion of more than 1,300 projects across the company’s manufacturing, corporate and former distribution divisions.
About USG Corporation
USG
Corporation is an industry-leading manufacturer of building products and
innovative solutions. Headquartered in Chicago, USG serves construction
markets around the world through its Gypsum, Performance Materials,
Ceilings, and USG Boral divisions. Its wall, ceiling, flooring,
sheathing and roofing products provide the solutions that enable
customers to build the outstanding spaces where people live, work and
play. Its USG Boral Building Products joint venture is a leading
plasterboard and ceilings producer across Asia, Australasia and the
Middle East. For additional information, visit www.usg.com.
About the Lean & Six Sigma World Conference
The
Lean & Six Sigma World Conference, organized by the American Quality
Institute, is the leading conference on quality management standards and
Lean and Six Sigma principles. Companies who are interested in having
their projects recognized should consider applying when registering for
the 2018 conference. For additional information, visit www.leanandsixsigma.org.