Schaeffler wins Wales Quality Awards prize

Schaeffler's car-component factory in Llanelli, South Wales, has been awarded a Wales Quality Award for manufacturing excellence.

A team of five staff, including plant director Roger Evans, accepted the award on behalf of Schaeffler at a ceremony held at the City Hall in Cardiff on 10 November.

The Wales Quality Award is based on the EFQM European Excellence Model.

The annual awards are open to all companies based in Wales, including manufacturers, service providers, financial organisations, educational establishments, hospitals and local authorities.

A team of assessors from the Wales Quality Centre visited the Llanelli plant in October to look at the factory's manufacturing performance over the last three years, as well as the systems and processes that enabled this.

Other factors measured included leadership, impact on the local community and social responsibility.

The plant also submitted a full report against the EFQM model.

This included information on plant enablers and results.

A culture change programme was introduced to the Llanelli site in 2001.

Nearly all operators have now achieved NVQ Level II in Performing Manufacturing Operations.

Many operators have also asked to proceed to NVQ Level III and all employees at the plant have trained in 5S Workplace Organisation.

There are currently seven engineering apprentices and two graduate trainees working at the factory.

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