Structus Building Technologies Inc. recently received the Manufacturing Excellence Award from the Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO). Structus President Bill Scannell and Chief Operating Officer Dave Slavensky accepted the award on behalf of the drywall products firm, based in Bend, Ore.

“Structus embraces the three key criteria for the Manufacturing Excellence Award – process excellence, product innovation, and a culture that supports continuous improvement,” said EDCO Executive Director Roger Lee. “The company has really been a process improvement evangelist in the region, encouraging companies in other sectors to adopt the principles of lean manufacturing. This kind of leadership has a real impact on Central Oregon’s economic success.”

The award also recognized Slavensky’s efforts in establishing the High Desert Enterprise Consortium (HiDEC), a community of independent manufacturing businesses committed to helping each other continually strengthen their competitive position against the world’s best companies.

“HiDEC is a natural extension of the work we do here at Structus everyday,” explains Slavensky. “We see the dramatic results in our own operations, and feel that local manufacturers can reap the same benefits if they implement lean principles. Companies need to constantly challenge their thought processes and old ways of doing things in order to improve.”