Assembly Plant of the Year Award

2019 Assembly Plant of the Year: Refrigerator Production Heats Up at GE Appliances

Lean manufacturing and vertical integration thrive in Decatur, AL.

October 1, 2019

Refrigerators are one of the only appliances found in nearly every type of home, whether it's an apartment in suburban Atlanta, a high-rise condominium in downtown Chicago, a beach house in Hawaii or a trailer in Texas. The humble refrigerator is also the hardest working household appliance. Day and night, it's constantly running to keep all types of food and beverages cool, fresh or frozen.

2017 Assembly Plant of the Year: AGCO Leads the Field With Lean Technology

Wearable devices help build better tractors in Jackson, MN.

Austin Weber

October 4, 2017

JACKSON, MN--Farmers never take a day off. Nor do their tractors. Growers rely on their machines to plow, plant, till, spray, bale and harvest a wide variety of crops in all sorts of conditions.

2016 Assembly Plant of the Year: Bosch Rexroth Flexes Its Lean Production Muscle

High-mix lines and continuous improvement drive growth in Fountain Inn, SC.

Austin Weber

October 1, 2016

Construction equipment, farm tractors and other off-highway machines need more than just diesel engines, big tires and metal tracks to operate. They require hydraulic mechanisms to steer, raise booms, open buckets or tilt blades.

2015 Assembly Plant of the Year: Flexibility Shines Bright at Polaris

Austin Weber

October 2, 2015

Multiple motorcycle models are mass-produced in Spirit Lake, IA.

Call for Nominations – 2015 ‘Assembly Plant of the Year’

January 15, 2015

ASSEMBLY is currently seeking world-class facilities for its 12th annual Assembly Plant of the Year award.

Northrop Grumman Assembly Plant of the Year 2013

2013 Assembly Plant of the Year

Northrop Grumman Soars With Automation

The robotic Integrated Assembly Line in Palmdale, CA, revolutionizes how airframes are built.

Austin Weber

October 1, 2013

For decades, automotive engineers have looked to the aerospace industry for new ideas. Back in the 1930s and 1950s, Detroit was inspired by the sleek designs of innovative airplanes such as the Northrop Alpha and the Grumman F4F Wildcat.

Ford Focuses on Flexibility

Austin Weber

October 1, 2012

The Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MI, takes flexible manufacturing to a new level

Is Reshoring Near the 'Tipping Point'?

Austin Weber

March 26, 2012

Improving U.S. competitiveness and rising costs in China will put the U.S. in a strong position within three years to add up to 1 million manufacturing jobs in seven industries.

2011 Assembly Plant of the Year: Philips Doesn't Rest on Lean Laurels

Austin Weber

September 26, 2011

Philips' New Kensington, PA, assembly plant was designed from the ground up with three things in mind: people, lean manufacturing and the environment.