First biotechnology plant to win publication's prestigious award, cited for Inventory reductions, Gross Margin and Productivity Improvements, High Performance Teams, Lean Manufacturing Principles and Six Sigma
CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IndustryWeek magazine today named the Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) plant in Austin, Texas, one of its Top Ten Plants in North America for 2011, making it the first biotechnology facility to win the prestigious award. IndustryWeek noted the plant's 9% inventory reduction since 2007; 41% improvement in gross margins since 2007; 94% error reduction in production documentation process; $4.2 million in productivity improvements in 2010; and the 2009 successful transfer of the Molecular Biology product line from another site as reasons for the honor.
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"We are pleased that IndustryWeek has recognized Life Technologies' leadership in operational excellence and ability to provide essential products and services to scientists around the world who are at the forefront of scientific discovery," said Greg Lucier, chief executive officer of Life Technologies. "Our team in Austin has successfully increased productivity and continuously improved quality, while absorbing the production of additional leading products into the plant."
The Austin facility produces more than 670 widely used products, including RNA Isolation kits, MessageAMP kits and RNA Stabilizing Reagents under the Ambion®, Applied Biosystems® and Invitrogen™ brand names.
"The Austin team has always been committed to excellence," said Brett Petrie, plant manager. "They will do whatever it takes to get the job done and are quick to adopt new techniques and processes that improve and simplify our work. We've also enjoyed great support from our corporate leadership who allow us the freedom to develop new manufacturing techniques that improve the quality and productivity of our products and processes."
Since 1990, IndustryWeek has named 10 plants a year as the best plants in North America, seeking to identify manufacturers that demonstrate excellence in their effort to achieve world-class manufacturing capability. The award evaluates nominees on nine criteria such as: continuous improvement, quality systems that produce quality products, training for high performance teams, strong customer focus, vendor relationships, use of technology, flexibility of production systems to enable a plant to meet customer demands, improvements in manufacturing operations that shorten production cycles and improve productivity, and proactive environmental and safety practices.
About Life Technologies (www.lifetechnologies.com)
Life Technologies Corporation is a global biotechnology company dedicated to improving the human condition. Our systems, consumables and services enable researchers to accelerate scientific and medical advancements that make life even better. Life Technologies customers do their work across the biological spectrum, working to advance the fields of discovery and translational research, molecular medicine, stem cell-based therapies, food safety and animal health, and 21st century forensics. The company manufactures both molecular diagnostic and research use only products. Life Technologies' industry-leading brands are found in nearly every life sciences lab in the world and include innovative instrument systems under the Applied Biosystems and Ion Torrent names, as well as, the broadest range of reagents with its Invitrogen, GIBCO, Ambion, Molecular Probes and TaqMan® products. Life Technologies had sales of $3.6 billion in 2010, has a workforce of approximately 11,000 people, has a presence in approximately 160 countries, and possesses one of the largest intellectual property estates in the life sciences industry, with approximately 3,900 patents and exclusive licenses. For more information on how we are making a difference, please visit our website: http://www.lifetechnologies.com.
Life Technologies' Safe Harbor Statement
This press release includes forward-looking statements about our anticipated results that involve risks and uncertainties. Some of the information contained in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements as to industry trends and Life Technologies' plans, objectives, expectations and strategy for its business, contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. When used, the words "believe," "plan," "intend," "anticipate," "target," "estimate," "expect" and the like, and/or future tense or conditional constructions ("will," "may," "could," "should," etc.), or similar expressions, identify certain of these forward-looking statements. Important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are detailed in filings made by Life Technologies with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Life Technologies undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
About IndustryWeek's Best Plants Award Competition
Established in 1990, the INDUSTRYWEEK Best Plants awards program annually recognizes plants, located in North America, that are on the leading edge of efforts to increase competitiveness, enhance customer satisfaction and create stimulating and rewarding work environments. Its further goal is to encourage other manufacturing managers and work teams to emulate the honorees by adopting world-class practices, technologies, and improvement strategies. For additional information, visit www.industryweek.com/iwbestplants.
Life Technologies Contact
Rob Doughty
305-495-3311
[email protected]
SOURCE Life Technologies