E-Z-Go’s Augusta, Georgia plant that produces golf cars and turf utility vehicles earned a 2009 IndustryWeek Best Plants Award.  Using a continuous improvement process management dramatically improved a number of operating benchmarks and even brought some parts manufacturing back in-house. Key improvements from 2005 to 2008 include:

Plant specific

• 90% increase in plant-level profitability in past three years
• Inventory turns improved by 30% between 2005 and 2008
• More than 1 million hours without a lost-time injury using a behavior based safety program

Company wide

• Increased profitability 200%
• Cut its supplier base by 60%
• Improved first-pass yield by 24%

One highlight for the plant was the introduction of E-Z-Go’s new AC drive golf car, the RXV.  The company used benchmarks from BMW, Harley-Davidson and Honda to build a new production line and then ramp up  to full production in only seven weeks.  Management makes several benchmarking trips to other companies during the year. Learn more:  IndustryWeek.com