Siemens has scooped the top award at the 2010 Best Factory Awards held at The Grand Connaught Hotel on Friday (17 September). Siemens Traffic Solutions in Poole won the headline Best Factory of the Year Award. In addition to beating finalists from 16 other UK manufacturing plants to win the prestigious Best Factory of the Year Award, Siemens Traffic Solutions collected the award for Best Electronics and Electrical Plant, and received a highly commended accolade in the award category for People Management and Skills Development.
Siemens Magnet Technology, based in Eynsham, Oxford ensured Siemens achieved a double award winning success. The business, which designs and manufactures superconducting magnets for medical scanners used around the world, was recognised by the judges as having undergone ‘a period of improvement worthy of widespread industrial acclaim’.
Andreas J. Goss, Chief Executive, Siemens plc, said: “We are delighted to have won these prestigious awards. Being recognised again in this way is testament to our highly skilled, innovative and flexible UK manufacturing employees who continue to produce the world’s best Traffic Solutions and superconducting magnets for MRI systems. Our double success at the Best Factory Awards demonstrates high technology manufacturing is alive and well in the UK.”
Siemens Traffic Solutions Managing Director, Gordon Wakeford, commented: ‘The team at the Siemens Mobility facility in Poole has always aspired to win this most prestigious accolade in UK manufacturing. Winning the award amongst such strong competition is testimony to our innovative and committed employees who are heading off overseas competition every day.’
Dr Marek Szwejczewski, Director of the Best Factory Awards said: ‘The Siemens facility in Poole is a factory of distinction, and provides a benchmark of manufacturing excellence, for others to strive for. Lean manufacturing is at the core of its success. Key elements deployed include one-piece flow, 5S workplace organisation, an employee suggestion scheme offering around 3,500 potential improvements in the past three or four years and cellular manufacturing.’
Ralph Seidler, SCM Director at Siemens Magnet Technology, said: “This is a fantastic achievement which recognises the journey we have undertaken at SMT in the last few years and clearly demonstrates that we are on the right track. These awards in particular highlight the contribution of all our employees in transforming our business not only into one we can all be proud of, but also one in which they have made a substantial business impact. We aim to continue our journey utilising our award winning best practices to assist our supply chain in driving our business to the next level.
Since 1992 more than 1,600 manufacturing plants have taken part in the Best Factory Awards. The Awards are part of a unique programme for those who manage, operate and maintain engineering and electronics plants and factories; those who look after people, training, health and safety; those who inspire innovation or secure links in the supply chain in manufacturing enterprises large and small, up and down the country. Each plant that enters benefits from an audit report comparing its performance with other plants in the same sector.
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Notes to editors:
About Siemens in the UK
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 167 years ago and now employs 16,915 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £4.2 billion. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk
For more information, contact:
Anne Keogh
Siemens plc
Tel. +44 (0)1276 696312
Mob: +44 (0)7808 823545
Anne.Keogh@siemens.com
Reference Number: SiemensReferenceNumber
