On 25 November 2017 the Upper Austrian aviation industry supplier FACC presented the fourth in-house innovation award “FACC Leonardo“ in the exhibition hall in Ried. This year the team from plant 4 in Reichersberg was declared the winner in a thrilling competition. Watched on by an audience of around 1,200 fellow members of staff, CEO Robert Machtlinger congratulated project manager, Wolfgang Mayrhofer and his crew on a change of culture ideally implemented.
“As a developer, manufacturer and full-service provider of innovative lightweight components and systems, FACC has developed into a global player. In the meantime, an aeroplane with FACC components on board takes off and lands every second worldwide. The fact that we have been able to achieve such an excellent market position is owing among other things to the continuous evolution of our processes and procedures. Further developments of such a kind are entirely due to the dedication of our innovative crew and their unique team spirit. For this reason I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to all my colleagues,” declared CEO Robert Machtlinger stressing the special cohesion within his enterprise.
Great challenges met through Teamwork
Excellent team performances were the focus of the award presentation. Every year within the scope of “FACC Leonardo” projects may be submitted which have led to outstanding team success, and will have a decisive influence on corporate development in the future. Robert Machtlinger congratulated the winning team from plant 4 amid enthusiastic applause, presented this year’s award to the project manager, Wolfgang Mayrhofer, as representative of the winning team and praised the winners: “Within the context of sustainably strong growth in the aircraft industry and in connection with the introduction of new pioneering projects, the engine cowl production site has undergone a lean manufacturing process. A change of culture as implemented by our team in plant 4 requires an acceptance of change. This was quickly understood, espoused and implemented in an exemplary manner. From the first encounter with extreme challenges, our crew applied creative solutions to master these. The results speak for themselves – a double-digit percentage increase in turnover with no changes to the production area, a significant reduction in lead times and consequently considerable productivity gains together with a marked improvement in processes within the plant.”
Outstanding projects as a driving force for efficiency and sustainability
All entries for the “FACC Leonardo“ were subjected to a rigorous selection procedure by a specialist jury. Decisive in the evaluation process was the company’s compass of values. Thus, each individual contribution was analysed from the perspective of the corporate values of respect, output, performance and team spirit. In addition to the team from plant 4, an additional 23 innovation projects were submitted. Robert Machtlinger highlighted the high level of all submissions: “The idea of the award four years ago was to make visible exceptional performances by the FACC crew, and each one of these excellent team performances deserves the utmost appreciation for having made a significant contribution to strengthening further the position of FACC on the global flanks of the aircraft supply industry. The ‘Leonardo 2017’ has once more furnished proof of how great the innovative strength and energy of FACC actually is.”
About FACC
FACC AG is one of the world’s leading companies in the design, development and production of advanced fiber reinforced composite components and systems for the aviation industry. Their range of products extends from structural components for the fuselage and wings to engine components and complete passenger cabins for commercial aircraft, business jets and helicopters. FACC is a supplier to all large aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, Sukhoi, and COMAC, as well as for engine manufacturers and sub-suppliers of manufacturers. In the business year of 2016/17, FACC achieved a turnover of 705.7 million Euros. The company currently employs around 3,300 employees worldwide.