Ariens Company President and CEO, Dan Ariens, was inducted into the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) Hall of Fame at an awards ceremony on Oct. 16. The ceremony was held in conjunction with the organization’s annual conference in Chicago. Ariens also delivered a keynote address at the event.
Previous AME Hall of Fame inductees include Fujio Cho, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation; and Jim Womak, author, founder and Chairman of the Lean Enterprise Institute. The AME Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who embody the organization’s values and have made extraordinary contributions to the achievement of AME’s mission: to inspire commitment to enterprise excellence through shared learning and access to best practices, according to the organization.
“The energy, excitement and potential of U.S. manufacturing still exists for the many people who work diligently every day to reinvent this sector of the economy. There is no limit to what the manufacturing sector can achieve when teams of people focus on eliminating waste, pursue perfection, and commit to never-ending continuous improvement in all that we do,” says Ariens. “I’m honored to accept this prestigious award on behalf of all the Ariens associates who do the real work to make our continuous improvement journey one to be recognized.”
A strong proponent of Lean manufacturing principles, Ariens has created a culture of continuous improvement at Ariens Company that has resulted in the creation of world-class manufacturing facilities by Lean standards. He is often tapped as a mentor by organizations interested in learning best practices in Lean management principles and is a frequent speaker on the topic of Lean leadership. Ariens has also been recognized with the Eli Whitney Productivity Award from SME, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (2007); Quality Leadership 100 from Quality Magazine (2010); and as one of the Most Influential People in the Green Industry by publisher Green Media (2011).
Established in 1933 in Brillion, Wis., Ariens Company is a leading manufacturer of outdoor power equipment for both consumer and professional use. The company’s premium international brands include Ariens Sno-Thro® and Ariens lawn and garden products for consumers; Countax® and Westwood® lawn tractors; and Gravely® and Parker® commercial equipment for the landscape management, facilities maintenance and sports field sectors. Ariens’ affiliates, Stens Corporation, J Thomas and Ariens Pty Ltd. (Australia), supply replacement parts to the outdoor power equipment industry. Ariens Company employs more than 1,400 people, with operations in Wisconsin, Nebraska, Indiana, Alabama, Michigan, the United Kingdom, Norway and Australia.
