Features Editor

Lockheed Martin Pike County Operations was one of three Alabama manufacturing companies honored by the Alabama Technology Network and the Business Council of Alabama with the presentation of the Alabama Manufacturer of the Year Awards at the Richard M. Scrushy Conference Center in Birmingham in April.

Lockheed Martin Pike County Operations received the award as the Large Manufacturer of the Year. Tiana Industries Inc. in Madison was the medium manufacturer and Innovative Plastics Inc. of Huntsville was the small manufacturer.

The awards were made in based on the number of employees. Winning manufacturers, who were selected by an independent panel of judges, have demonstrated a strong measure of customer focus, employee commitment, operational excellence, continuous improvement, profitable growth and investment in training and retraining, said J.D. Tew, director of the Bevill Center in Eufaula.

Tew was at Lockheed Martin Pike County Operations Friday to present the prestigious award to plant manager Randy Stevenson a second time.

Stevenson wanted the company’s 250 employees to be present for the award presentation because it was "their" award.

Marsha Gaylard, president of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce congratulated Stevenson and all 250 employees on a job well done.

"This speaks highly of every employee at Lockheed Martin Pike Count Operations," she said. "Awards like this are not easily earned and it all comes down to the men and women who do the job. We are extremely proud to have Lockheed Martin in Pike County and are proud of its employees. We congratulate them."

Gaylard said the awards received by Lockheed Martin Pike County

Operations send a signal to other companies that are considering locating in the South and in Alabama.

"This shows that we have an available work force that is capable of the high quality of work companies are looking for," she said. "Not only have they made Lockheed Martin proud, they have made Pike County proud."

Lockheed Martin Pike County Operation was also recognized at the Birmingham luncheon by the Business Council of Alabama in the area of safety.

The BCA’s safety committee compiled data submitted by 51 companies and Lockheed Martin Pike County Operations received the Awards of Excellence as a company with more than one million hours without a lost time injury or accident.

Special recognition was given for no time lost accidents and Lockheed Martin Pike County Operations among those companies. The Troy facility has not had a manufacturing and related time lost accident in three years.

The company received a Fleet Safety Award for being among the companies with the lowest accident frequency rate in the category of companies from 1-25 vehicles.

The company fleet also received an award for excellence for two years with zero accidents.

Lockheed Martin Pike County Operations is a manufacturing and final assembly plant for Orlando, Fla.’s Lockheed Missiles and Fire Control. Team members produce seven missiles for the U.S. Department of Defense at its almost 4,000-acre complex in north Pike County.

The facility will soon begin production on an eighth missile. Over the next 10 years, the company anticipates adding another 540 employees.

This year marked the third year the Alabama Technology Network and the Business Council of Alabama have joined to present the Alabama

Manufacturer of the Year Awards.

Both organizations are committed to promoting Alabama’s manufacturing community and recognizing those companies that are bringing innovation and operational excellence to manufacturing.