Jim Collins, plant tours highlighted AME conference

Jim Collins, author of the best-selling books “Built to Last” and “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … And Others Don’t”, was among the big-name keynote presenters at the 2006 Association for Manufacturing Excellence conference, held October 16-20 at the Adams Mark Hotel in Dallas.

Collins’ address examined the steps required for companies to grow, attain superior performance and become great companies.

Other top keynoters included Dell vice president Richard Hunter, Texas Nameplate president and CEO Dale Crownover, and HNI chairman and president Stan Askren.

Case study presentations were delivered October 17-19 by leaders from more than 50 manufacturers, utilities, health care providers, service providers, consultants and the U.S. armed services. Some of the better presentations were those from Aerco International, IEC Electronics, Markem Corporation, Timken, Daman Products Company, TC Industries, Wyeth, Watlow Electric and ZF Industries.

Among the highlights of the conference were optional tours to 18 plants and health care facilities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Some of these sites included Tecstar Automotive Group, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Jostens, General Motors, International Truck, Raytheon, Texas Instruments, Karlee, Zyvex, Medtronic Neurological Technologies, Vecta/Steelcase, Texas Nameplate, De La Rue Cash Systems, Central Life Sciences and Bell Helicopter/Textron.

The 2007 AME conference will take place October 29-November 2 in Chicago.

For more information on this professional organization and its events, visit www.ame.org.