East Coast Erosion Control receives award

The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) has awarded East Coast Erosion Control with the Transformation and Operational Excellence Award. The SCMEP, an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), operates under the U.S. Department of Commerce to promote innovation and industrial competitiveness in today’s increasingly demanding global economy.

The Transformation and Operational Excellence Award was presented to East Coast Erosion Control in recognition of “demonstrating to the business community real world, bottom line results achieved through the adoption of continuous improvement and/or operational excellence tools and techniques;” specifically, for internal development projects aimed to increase the system management, tracking and quality control capabilities of key equipment. These efforts have made the Lake City, S.C., facility one of the most efficient and technologically advanced erosion control blanket manufacturing facilities in the country. In addition to improving the system management and tracking, East Coast Erosion Control efforts identified opportunities to improve the operational flow within the facility. Lean manufacturing principles identified and applied resulted in production line advancements and greater automation. These efforts presented widespread advantages ranging from reduced waste, to maximizing labor efficiency and increasing production. The efforts ultimately doubled production in the facility, while maintaining current staffing levels.

The projects effectively paired operational flow processes and principles with the latest software and technological advancements to create a manufacturing environment that is poised to lead the industry.

“Erosion control best practices in today’s world require quality and steadfast attention to every step of the process,” said Diane Smith, president of East Coast Erosion Control. “We’re confident that we are making great strides to innovate and create facilities that set the pace in the industry.”