Eaton Corp.'s residential products plant in Lincoln, IL, has remained innovative and cost-efficient, despite the challenging housing market.
“If you ever plan to motor West . . . get your kicks on Route 66” are lyrics from a popular song performed by Nat King Cole in the mid-1940s and Chuck Berry in the early 1960s. The legendary road winds 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Lincoln, IL, a rural town named for America’s 16th president several years before he occupied the White House, sits along Route 66 and is home to the world’s largest covered wagon. Another local landmark is the 2010 Assembly Plant of the Year.
The 380,000-square-foot Eaton Corp. factory has been visible to motorists driving along the “mother road” since the late 1950s. It assembles more than 5 million electrical devices annually.
A wide variety of products are produced by 436 Eaton associates in the 52-year-old facility, including load centers, metering devices, power outlet panels, air conditioner disconnects, and generator transfer switches. In addition, the plant houses a separate flex center that builds custom products to customer specification.
The products built in Lincoln are used in homes, apartment buildings and small businesses. Some items even show up in unusual places, such as offshore oil platforms and amusement parks. Eaton’s customers include electrical contractors, electrical supply wholesalers and distributors, builders, retailers, utilities and original equipment manufacturers.
The Lincoln plant is vertically integrated, with metal stamping and powder coat paint operations feeding multiple assembly lines. A team of on-site engineers support new product development and maintenance of line activities.
The 7th annual Assembly Plant of the Year award is sponsored by ASSEMBLY magazine and The Boston Consulting Group Inc. (BCG). Eaton Corp.’s facility in Lincoln was chosen for the award because it has remained innovative and cost-efficient, despite the challenging housing market. Specifically, the plant:
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