E-Z-GO, a Textron Inc. company, announced that it has been awarded The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence, an international award that recognizes companies that achieve world-class performance and promote lean operational concepts.
E-Z-GO is the first company to receive the Prize at the enterprise level – meaning that E-Z-GO was recognized for world-class status at all of its geographic locations and across all business functions, including manufacturing, engineering, sales, finance, marketing, communications, supply chain management, information technology, and human resources.
“More than five years ago, I set The Shingo Prize as a goal for all of our businesses to achieve,” said Lewis Campbell, Textron chairman and CEO. “Ever since, I have personally witnessed E-Z-GO’s transformation into a company with Lean practices ingrained across all business disciplines in all of its locations.
“E-Z-GO’s financial performance and customer satisfaction have improved dramatically and this recognition for its world-class enterprise processes is truly deserved. I could not be prouder that E-Z-GO and its employees have achieved a major component of Textron’s vision,” Campbell said.
Robert D. Miller, executive director of The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence said, “We could not have picked a better company than E-Z-GO to receive the first Shingo Prize ever awarded at the enterprise level.”
“E-Z-GO has truly deployed lean and Six Sigma practices throughout its entire business. From the moment we walked into E-Z-GO’s Augusta world headquarters, we experienced a culture of lean with every employee interaction. The engagement level of their employees, coupled with their passion for Lean from the shop floor to the sales representatives, was impressive.”
“This is a very special time for E-Z-GO,” said E-Z-GO president Kevin P. Holleran. “Five years ago, as we embarked on our lean journey to streamline our operations and create value for our customers, we set our sights on The Shingo Prize as a corporate goal. I couldn’t be more proud of our employees for their dedication and devotion to achieving that goal and their tireless efforts on behalf of our customers.
“Receipt of The Shingo Prize validates that every E-Z-GO vehicle is sourced, built, sold and serviced using world-class processes. The Prize is the ultimate example of our ‘Excellence in Motion’ – our unique combination of passionate people, advanced technology, unmatched manufacturing expertise and extraordinary service that delivers what no other company in the industry can.”
In being evaluated for the Prize, E-Z-GO was assessed by a team of professionals with expertise across all business functions. The team included representatives from prior Shingo Prize-winning companies. Assessors visited E-Z-GO’s global headquarters and manufacturing facility in Augusta, Georgia as well as the company’s factory-direct sales and service branches in Illinois, Texas and Georgia.
The assessors viewed E-Z-GO operations firsthand and interviewed employees at all levels of the company to ensure that Lean operational philosophies and thinking were ingrained throughout the company.
The Shingo Prize
Established in 1988, the Prize is named for Dr. Shigeo Shingo, a leading expert in improving manufacturing processes and one of the architects of the famed Toyota Production System. The prize has been dubbed “the Nobel Prize of Manufacturing” by Business Week magazine. The prize is administered by the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.
About E-Z-GO
E-Z-GO, a Textron Inc. company, is a leading manufacturer of golf cars and utility vehicles. E-Z-GO is the preferred golf car fleet provider for many of the world’s most revered golf courses, clubs and resorts. E-Z-GO is also the golf car of choice of nine of the nation’s 10 largest course-management companies. E-Z-GO boasts the largest sales and service network in the industry, with more factory branch locations and independent distributors than any other manufacturer.
More than a maker of golf cars, E-Z-GO is also a leading provider of turf and utility vehicles for a variety of applications and industries. Products under the E-Z-GO flagship include Shuttle personnel carriers, MPT turf-maintenance vehicles, and ST personal utility vehicles. E-Z-GO also produces the Cushman line of heavy-duty burden carriers.
Founded in 1954 in Augusta, Ga., E-Z-GO became part of Textron Inc. in 1960.
About Textron
Textron Inc. is a $14.2 billion multi-industry company operating in 28 countries with approximately 42,000 employees. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, defense and intelligence, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation.
