NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I., Nov. 29, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Hexagon Metrology, Inc. was awarded the coveted 2006 Manufacturer of the Year award from the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce at their annual meeting and banquet on November 20th. The award was accepted by Will Durfee, Director of Operations, on behalf of Hexagon Metrology. The award is given on the basis of investment and job creation within the state of Rhode Island. Hexagon's new North American headquarters and factory opened at the Quonset point industrial park in North Kingstown, RI on September 14th, and incorporates new state-of-the art space for assembly, research, training, distribution, customer service, software development and value added services in a modern, 115,000 square foot facility.
"Hexagon believed in its people and the resourcefulness of its Rhode Island workforce. We felt that an investment in a new state-of-the-art facility and the implementation of new lean business practices could lead to an operation that would compete with low cost producers around the world," said Durfee in his remarks delivered to the Chamber. "That vision has become reality in our new facility. We have reduced lead time by 75%, developed an export platform for key components to our sister plants in Italy and China, and through efficiency gains have reduced our assembly cost to a level that is comparable to our Chinese operation."
Hexagon Metrology Inc. is the U.S. arm of the Hexagon Metrology group, the world's largest manufacturer of dimensional metrology products and software, with leading brands such as Brown & Sharpe, ROMER, Leica Geosystems, Leitz, DEA, Sheffield, TESA and PC-DMIS. The group is wholly owned by Swedish based Hexagon AB (Stockholmsborsen: HEXA B).
About Hexagon Metrology
Hexagon Metrology serves the high precision measurement and inspection needs of Worldwide manufacturers with its extensive line of metrology hardware, software, accessories, and customer services. The company's name-brand portfolio of quality assurance products include Brown & Sharpe, Leica Geosystems, ROMER, Sheffield, PC-DMIS, DEA, Leitz, and TESA. Hexagon Metrology has an unrivaled installed base of more than 1.5 million handheld, stationary and portable measurement devices, and over 25,000 seats of PC-DMIS metrology software. The company is a subsidiary of Hexagon Measurement Technologies, a business unit of Hexagon AB (Nacka Strand, Sweden), a publicly-traded company (Stockholmsborsen: HEXA B). The Hexagon group consists of nearly 7,800 employees located in 30 countries. Call 1-800-426-1066 or visit www.hexagonmetrology.us for more information about Hexagon Metrology North America and its trusted brands.
Link to press release: http://hexagonmetrology.us/content/view/34/21