S&C–Chicago Named “Top Plant of 2004” by Plant Engineering Magazine.

Plant Engineering is a major industry publication in facilities engineering. Thus, S&C is pleased to announce that the magazine named S&C–Chicago’s John R. Conrad Industrial Complex (JRCIC) as one of the winners of the publication’s Top Plant award for 2004. (The other winner was a Hewlett-Packard facility in Puerto Rico.) The objectives of the award included identifying “plants that have achieved a high level of operational excellence” and that exemplify “the best practices in plant engineering management.” Each award entrant had to respond to a rigorous questionnaire on its organization, facility operations, and accomplishments.

The December 2004 issue of Plant Engineering announcing the winners featured an aerial photo of the JRCIC on its cover, along with a comprehensive overview of S&C’s operations. The article opened with a striking scene-setter: “Driving down Ridge Blvd. in the Rogers Park neighborhood on Chicago ’s north side, one could hardly imagine the industrial activity taking place on the other side of the wrought-iron fence. Such was John R. Conrad’s vision when he began operations there in 1949. And it has been successfully executed by S&C’s plant and facilities engineering function ever since.”

The article goes on to cite the basic tenets of facilities management established by Mr. Conrad: don’t run your assets to death; don’t use something up and throw it away as soon as it’s depreciated; do it right the first time. The article quoted John Blumenshine, Vice President—Facilities and point-man on what it takes to operate a major industrial facility in the midst of a residential neighborhood: “. . . you cannot have a short-term, operational-type mentality. Things like noise, pollution, appearance, lighting, and parking lots all take on an importance beyond the applicable codes and regulations.”

Good Planning and Execution

The article saluted S&C for its organized approach to planning and delivering capital projects. Other S&C accomplishments noted in the article included S&C’s extensive training programs: “Maintenance trainees complete a 4-5-yr training program that includes experience in production areas to operate the equipment they will eventually maintain. Other training includes inhouse courses, on-the-job training, and outside education.” The article concluded that, “for its outstanding integration of the plant engineering function throughout its organization and for its demonstrated ability to contribute to the business of the enterprise, S&C Electric Co. John R. Conrad Industrial Complex has earned recognition in the Plant Engineering Top Plants Program for 2004.”