Lockheed Martin's Camden Operations has been selected as one of INDUSTRYWEEK magazine's "Top Ten Best Plants" for 2006. The Camden plant was selected from more than 200 potential candidate facilities from North America.

INDUSTRYWEEK, a leading manufacturing management magazine, annually recognizes outstanding manufacturing facilities that are on the leading edge of manufacturing efficiency and technology. The "Top Ten Best Plants" award, established by the magazine in 1990, honors outstanding manufacturing facilities in order to encourage others to adopt world-class practices, technologies and improvement strategies.

"We are elated with Camden Operations' selection as one of America's top 10 manufacturing facilities," said Jim Berry, president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "This selection highlights our commitment to excellence, and our single-minded focus on producing the absolute highest quality product possible for the warfighter."

Lockheed Martin's Camden Operations, which employs approximately 450 in southern Arkansas, is the final assembly site for the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) line of launchers and precision-strike rockets, the transformational High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher and the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile, the world's only fielded, battle-proven terminal air defense missile employing hit-to-kill technology.

Through the implementation of Lean/Six Sigma principles, the average total production lead time on these complex systems has been reduced from 18 months to 12 months, from customer contract award to first delivery. This is significant considering the fact that lead time is driven not only by Lockheed Martin's internal processes, but also by domestic and foreign major subcontractors and suppliers, who produce critical components. Camden Operations' personnel worked closely with the supplier base to assure that manufacturing efficiencies were driven down to all levels of the supply chain.

"We base our existence on delivering products that meet or exceed contractual commitments and customer requirements, while adhering to the highest ethical and professional standards," said Norm Anderson, general manager of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control's Camden Operations. "We don't just pay lip service to quality here in Camden ... it's ingrained in our culture at every level. And that includes our suppliers and subcontract partners."

Lockheed Martin's Camden Operations has a voluntary annual turnover rate of only one percent, significantly below the national averages for manufacturing plants. Additionally, the facility has been recognized by the National Safety Council and the Arkansas Department of Labor for its incredible track record of work hours without a lost-time accident, which has now exceeded three million hours. Camden fully embraces the Performance Management Team structure in which 100 percent of the production employees at the facility participate in empowered or self-directed work teams. These teams of employees are encouraged to make daily plant-floor/production-level improvement decisions that increase efficiency, speed assembly and enhance quality.

"Camden Operations has a focused workforce and a well-established culture of continuous improvement," Anderson added. "This plant is extremely proud of its heritage of performance, and we are truly honored to receive the INDUSTRYWEEK award."

In addition to the Camden facility's award, Lockheed Martin's Fire Control Factory in Orlando, FL, was a "Top 25 finalist" for the award. The Fire Control Factory is Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control's state-of-the-art factory for assembly and test of Electro-Optical Fire Control Systems. The facility is currently producing TADS/PNVS, Arrowhead M-TADS/PNVS and the battle-proven Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod. The Fire Control Factory has implemented lean manufacturing processes and is designed to be reconfigurable to meet customer requirements.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

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http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin