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President George
W. Bush and Commerce Secretary Don Evans today announced four
organizations as recipients of the 2004 Malcolm Baldrige National
Quality Award, the nation’s only Presidential award for quality and
organizational performance excellence.
The 2004
Baldrige Award recipients are:
This is the
second time that Texas Nameplate has been named a recipient of the
Baldrige Award; the first time was in 1998. Baldrige Award recipients
can reapply for the award after five years.
“President Bush
and I are proud to name these outstanding organizations as recipients
of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award,” said
Commerce Secretary Don Evans. “They embody the Baldrige themes of
ethical leadership, sustainability, innovation and continuous
improvement. I salute these organizations and their workers for their
contributions to America’s economic and competitive strength.”
The 2004
Baldrige Award recipients were selected from among 60 applicants. All
four recipients were evaluated rigorously by an independent board of
examiners in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer and
market focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; human
resource focus; process management; and results. The evaluation
process included about 1,000 hours of review and an on-site visit by
teams of examiners to clarify questions and verify information in the
applications.
"We are confident that the 2004 Baldrige Award
recipients will serve as role models for every U.S. organization
striving to improve. It is truly gratifying for those of us on the
Baldrige Award board of examiners who volunteer to evaluate these
organizations to see them recognized for their exemplary performance,”
said Harry Reedy, chair of the private-sector Baldrige Award panel of
judges and vice president and director of quality for State Street
Corp., Boston, Mass.
The 2004 Baldrige Award recipients are expected to
be presented with the Baldrige Award in a ceremony in Washington,
D.C., early next year.
Named after the 26th Secretary of Commerce, the
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was established by Congress in
1987 to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. businesses. The award
promotes excellence in organizational performance, recognizes the
quality and performance achievements of U.S. organizations, and
publicizes successful performance strategies. The award may be
presented to five types of organizations: manufacturers, service
companies, small businesses, education organizations and health care
organizations. The award is not given for specific products or
services. Since 1988, 62 Baldrige Awards have been presented to 59
organizations. In October, President Bush signed into law legislation
that authorizes the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
to expand the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program to
include non-profit and government organizations. The program may begin
to solicit applications for the award from non-profit organizations in
2006.
The Baldrige program is managed by NIST in
conjunction with the private sector. As a non-regulatory agency of the
U.S. Department of Commerce’s Technology Administration, NIST develops
and promotes measurement, standards and technology to enhance
productivity, facilitate trade and improve the quality of life.
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