Landis+Gyr’s Mexico Smart Meter Facility Recognized for Excellence by IndustryWeek
Reynosa, Mexico – September 16, 2009 – Landis+Gyr, the global leader in energy management offering utilities next generation smart grid solutions, announced today that its manufacturing plant in Reynosa, Mexico has been recognized for excellence by IndustryWeek magazine.
The plant, which is expected to almost double smart meter production to 4.8 million units this year for some of the largest utility deployments in the U.S. and Canada, was named as one of the finalists for the 2009 IndustryWeek Best Plants Competition, featuring North American plants that foster productive and competitive work environments and optimize customer satisfaction.
“At Landis+Gyr, our excellence in the marketplace comes from our excellence in the workplace,” said Richard Mora, Landis+Gyr CEO for North America. “We have a committed and talented workforce who cares about our mission to help customers manage energy better. The fact IndustryWeek has formally recognized that is a great honor.”
The Landis+Gyr Reynosa facility is home to 519 employees, located just five miles across the McAllen, Texas border. The so-called “maquiladora” plant operates under preferential tariff programs established by U.S. and Mexican governments to improve economic conditions and cross-border trade. The plant is one of the most modern in the Landis+Gyr network and aims to manufacture and deliver defect-free electricity meters on time.
More than 400,000 meters are manufactured each month at the Reynosa plant for major smart meter deployments by forward-looking utilities in U.S. states including Texas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Missouri, Maryland, New Jersey, Washington and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Ontario. Landis+Gyr Reynosa meters are also delivered to the Caribbean, Honduras and the Philippines.
Smart metering solutions, expected to revolutionize energy management and grid reliability, provide a two-way flow of data between customer meters and utility back-end systems. With this two-way data flow, utilities will be able to offer customers a broad array of new pricing, demand response, and energy automation options that enhance the efficiency and reliability of the electric grid. Customers will benefit from more information, expanded choices, simpler and smarter management of their energy as well as the potential to reduce the environmental impact of their energy use.
Reynosa’s continuous improvement efforts continue to enable Landis+Gyr to meet customer’s increased demand for smart meters. The plant focuses on lean manufacturing, leadership development, supplier development and various projects aimed at reducing the facility’s carbon footprint. Efforts include, for example, increasing output of the new FOCUS® residential digital meter without significant capital investments. Since the introduction of the FOCUS meter in 2005, the Reynosa team has quadrupled meter output in the existing facility with minimal capital investments. Reynosa’s lean “creativity before capital” approach not only contributes to fulfilling increasing customer demands, but also enables Landis+Gyr to strengthen high tech research and development resources at the North American products center in Lafayette, Indiana.
“Here at Reynosa, we are honored to be recognized for the high caliber of work we do,” said Jerry Figurilli, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Energy Measurement Products. “We are constantly looking for new ways to streamline our operations and optimize our production. We have assembled a great team.”
Reynosa’s lean efforts also enabled rapid delivery of meters to support 2008 US disaster recovery efforts. Reynosa delivered 8,000 meters to Alliant Energy in 5 days to support Iowa’s flood recovery efforts. A few months later Reynosa delivered 4,000 meters to CenterPoint energy in 3 days to support Texas’ Hurricane Ike recovery efforts.
Landis+Gyr’s Reynosa staff actively volunteer to support the local Reynosa Association of Manufacturing ,which serves to support the local community by donating IT equipment and providing hands on computer training to local schools; briefing local schools on environmental, health and safety; donating to local Red Cross; supporting orphanages with donations; and supporting and promoting local sports teams. In addition, Landis+Gyr funds and supports an annual 10-hour health fair at the Landis+Gyr facility as well as supports an internship program to provide local students hand on training and development in all departments.
“Over the years, Landis+Gyr has truly become part of the Reynosa community and we take this opportunity very seriously,” said Aubrey Williams, Vice President of Operations at the Reynosa facility. “Our employees are dedicated to not only enhancing their own workplace but giving back to the local Reynosa population, whose support makes our day-to-day work possible.”