Prestigious manufacturing industry award acknowledges effective use of advanced technologies.

The award was presented to Acumed at the Ninth Annual Manufacturing Leadership Summit, held on May 15, in Palm Beach, FL. Acumed was acknowledged for its Lean Manufacturing Transformation Initiative − the systems it implemented in operations and their impact on performance over the past four years.

Enhancing the honor is Acumed’s High Achiever status, given to the company that receives the most votes from the judges in one of the seven 2013 ML 100 categories; Acumed competed in the category of Operational Excellence. According to the event’s organizer, winners in the Operational Excellence category will have undertaken projects that transform production processes and systems with an eye toward reducing costs and enhancing agility. Winning projects will have used continuous improvement principles such as Lean manufacturing to streamline operations, or introduced new plant systems that enhance overall equipment effectiveness and enable traceability.

“On behalf of Acumed and its employees, we’re proud and honored to receive this award, and the fact that we’re the High Achiever in our category is the icing on the cake” said Bob Johnson, Acumed Vice President of Operations and Product Development, who accepted the award at Leadership Summit. “We realize that the ultimate beneficiaries of Acumed’s efforts are the surgeons who rely on the precision and innovation of our products, and their patients, whose lives are changed as their orthopaedic function is improved.”

“The adoption and effective use of advanced technologies is playing a fundamental role in forging a faster moving, more responsive and more efficient manufacturing industry for the 21st century,” said David R. Brousell, Global Vice President and Editorial Director at Manufacturing Executive. “This year’s ML 100 winners exemplify a spirit of innovation that is transforming the industry into an engine of growth unparalleled in recent history. I applaud Acumed for being in the forefront of this powerful movement.”

The 2013 ML 100 Award further acknowledges Acumed’s continued focus on efficiency of manufacturing and operations. Its achievements and improvements within those areas were also recognized in a 2011 Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) Manufacturing Excellence Award, “acknowledging our continuous improvement, best practices, creativity, and innovation,” said Loren Blanchard, Acumed Manufacturing Director.

The Manufacturing Leadership Council is composed of accomplished executives with a wealth of experience and a passion for change. The Council combines the insights of executives from all sectors of manufacturing and academia as well as other influential sectors such as research and analyst organizations, and the technology community. The Manufacturing Leadership 100 Awards, now in their ninth year, honor manufacturing companies and individual manufacturing leaders that are shaping the future of global manufacturing. The Manufacturing Leadership Council is managed by Manufacturing Executive, a division of Frost & Sullivan.

About Acumed
Acumed is a global leader and pioneer of innovative orthopaedic and medical solutions developed to improve patient care. With over two decades of experience in the orthopaedic industry, our mission is to aid the afflicted through the ingenuity of our minds, the labor of our hands and the compassion of our hearts. Acumed was founded in 1988 by Randy and Mary Huebner and is headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon, with a global distribution network and offices worldwide.