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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 2007 |
For more information please contact: Muriel Mosher Tel: 207-623-0680 |
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ROCKLAND, ME - As one of the world’s leading suppliers to the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life science industries, Lonza puts a high priority on research and product manufacturing in this sector. The company’s products and services continually expand to service its customers’ needs, which make them the global leader in the production and support of pharmaceutical active ingredients both chemically and biotechnologically. At their facility in Rockland, the site director decided it was time to implement Lean manufacturing techniques in order to reduce the lead-time on some of their product lines and utilize their space more effectively. Paul Vitagliano had attended a public offering of Time Wise® Lean 101 and asked Maine MEP to provide the training to the 65 employees at the Rockland plant. “We were impressed with Maine MEP project manager Jon Kirsch and the MEP team because they dived directly into our daily operations and helped guide us to uncover great opportunities for improvements in cycle times, net working capital, scrap reduction and customer service,” said Vitagliano. “We also wanted someone appointed to the position of Lean Six Sigma Champion to ensure the work being done at our facility would be sustained, and Jon assisted us with training that individual as well.” “The employees at Lonza were enthusiastic about their Lean journey, and gained some immediate results through their Lean Implementation efforts. The lead-time on one of their product lines reduced from 15 days to five days, allowing them to produce to demand rather than to stock. Their customers are getting a higher level of service and satisfaction because they are being provided with the freshest product possible,” said Kirsch. “They have also regained 280 square feet of manufacturing area, and have seen a reduction in material movement time of approximately 233 hours and an expected reduction of quality inspection time of approximately 12 weeks. They have made great gains through the Lean implementation process.” Lonza’s Lean Six Sigma Site Champion, working with internal process groups, teamed with Kirsch using value stream mapping and follow on rapid improvement events to embed lean thinking and improvement measures within the organization. The Maine MEP trained all technicians, scientists and supervisors at the Rockland plant on Lean principles. Vitagliano says this initial training is only the beginning for him and his employees. “Our partnership with Maine MEP has been a tremendous success. We’re just scratching the surface of potential opportunities,” added Vitagliano. “As an organization, we look forward to continuously developing and improving our operations with these tools and we are grateful for the support provided by Maine MEP to get us started on our journey.” |
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