BETHESDA, Md., May 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Manufacturing Leadership Council recognized Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] with four awards during the 2013 Manufacturing Leadership Summit in Palm Beach, Fla. on May 15.

Now in its ninth year, the Manufacturing Leadership 100 (ML100) Awards honor companies and individuals that are shaping the future of global manufacturing.

Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics business area received recognition for its Replenishment Center Redesign Project (in the Manufacturing Operational Excellence Category) and its Digital Thread Initiative (in the Innovative Enterprise Category), as well as a President's Award for winning ML100 Awards three years in a row. The Corporate Energy, Environment, Safety and Health (CEESH) organization earned an award for environmental sustainability efforts.

The Replenishment Center Redesign Project improved material flow at Aeronautics' Fort Worth headquarters by reducing handling and improving inventory accuracy for thousands of parts that flow through the facility every day. The Digital Thread is a multi-year initiative to develop and deploy a fully digital life-cycle environment for product conception, design and development, manufacture and support for highly complex products such as the multi-service 5^th generation F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter.

The environmental sustainability efforts include more than 1,700 energy and water conservation-related opportunities that are being applied across multiple facilities at Lockheed Martin. Projects that have demonstrated significant facility improvements include upgrades to heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and chilled water systems, as well as upgrades to lighting.  Once completed, these projects have the potential to avoid the equivalent of more than 201,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. 

The Manufacturing Leadership Council is an invitation-only executive network designed to define and shape a better future for manufacturers worldwide.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 118,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation's net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com

SOURCE Lockheed Martin