Summary: After trained examiners and accomplished business professionals performed a thorough assessment of Abbott’s nutrition facility in Sturgis, Michigan, it has been awarded the internationally recognized Shingo Prize from the Shingo Institute, a program of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business.

LOGAN, Utah – The Shingo Institute, a program in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, has awarded Abbott’s manufacturing facility and distribution center in Sturgis, Michigan, the Shingo Prize.

“Receipt of the Shingo Prize is a worldwide recognized symbol of an organization’s successful establishment of a culture anchored on principles of enterprise excellence principles such as respect for every individual, leading with humility, quality at the source, the quest for perfection, creating value for the customer, etc.,” said Ken Snyder, executive director at the Shingo Institute. “Ultimately, these recipients are in a class of the best organizations in the world, regardless of industry or country.”

The Sturgis site has hundreds of passionate team members, each playing a vital role in their operations working across environmental health and safety, quality, operations, supply chain distribution, human resources, engineering and finance—all with the mission to “deliver products with a purpose.”

By the volume of infant formula produced annually, the Sturgis facility feeds approximately 1 in every 5 babies born in the United States. With this great responsibility, there is a focus each day to ensure that their customers receive quality product on time.

“Every day our teams are driven by the fact that their work matters—in the lives of babies, children, and adults around the world. The Shingo Prize validates our commitment to producing and distributing high-quality nutrition products that people can trust and enjoy,” said Pat Cooper, Abbott’s site director at the Sturgis facility.

“Sturgis winning the Shingo Prize is a recognition of our unwavering pursuit of excellence, focus on our customers, people, and processes while having everyone, every day of the week, continually improving and driving our business forward,” said Trevor Harrison, director of Global Enterprise Excellence, Supply Chain, Abbott Nutrition.

By “challenging” or applying for Shingo recognition, organizations invite a group of accomplished professionals and trained examiners to thoroughly review their culture and operations. The examiners evaluate the challengers based on a rigorous set of standards and the Shingo Institute awards the organizations according to their assessment results.

Team members from Abbott’s Sturgis facility will receive the Shingo Prize during the Awards Gala at the 32nd Annual Shingo Conference held the week of April 14–17, 2020 in Orlando, Florida, USA.

The conference is a four-day event featuring a selection of workshops, plant tours, keynote speakers, and breakout sessions designed to provide ongoing knowledge, insights, and experience for organizations in their pursuit of operational excellence.

About the Shingo Institute

The Shingo Institute is home of the Shingo Prize, an award that recognizes organizations that demonstrate an exceptional culture that fosters continuous improvement. A program in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, the Shingo Institute is named after Japanese industrial engineer and Toyota adviser, Shigeo Shingo. Dr. Shingo distinguished himself as one of the world’s thought leaders in concepts, management systems, and improvement techniques that have become known as the Toyota Production System.

Drawing from Dr. Shingo’s teachings and years of experience working with organizations worldwide, the Shingo Institute developed the Shingo Model which is the basis for its several educational offerings, including workshops, study tours, and conferences. Workshops are available in multiple languages through the Institute’s licensed affiliates. For more information on workshops, affiliates, or to register to attend the International Shingo Conference, please visit www.shingo.org/v1.1.