Center Wins National Project-of-the-Year Award for Providing Technical Assistance to Delphi Thermal

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A project conducted by The Center for Industrial Effectiveness (TCIE) at the University at Buffalo in collaboration with Delphi Thermal of Lockport to increase the company's competitiveness has been named "Project of the Year" by the University Economic Development Association (UEDA), a national organization.

The award was presented to TCIE staff at the UEDA annual conference in Orlando.

The award cited as "outstanding" the partnership between the Empire State Development Corporation, the UB center and Delphi to create the "Delphi Supplier Lean Training Consortium" to deliver comprehensive training to regional suppliers.

Under this partnership, 16 automotive supply companies based in New York State have completed the two-year Delphi Supplier Lean Training Consortium program, providing training and lean systems implementation, in which waste is eliminated continually and systematically from all work processes.

The training program had a positive impact on the 16 suppliers and helped preserve thousands of jobs in the region.

"A well-coordinated team effort made this project possible," said Nicholas Randell, TCIE administrative director. "Our staff and trainers, Delphi's leadership and the officials at Empire State Development all deserve credit for this UEDA award."

TCIE team members who participated in the project included Tim Leyh, director of business development who launched the project; Deanne Henel, director of workforce development and human resources for grant administration; Al Hammonds and Joe Orcutt, lead trainers; Juanita Earl, project manager; Sallie Reed, financial officer, for financial management; and Ronnie Wiles, office administrator.

UEDA chose the UB center to receive the award based on results, economic impact and the use of innovative strategies in solving problems.

According to the UEDA, the Project-of-the-Year Award competition is held annually to identify outstanding efforts in assisting members' clients to become more globally competitive, more viable in their fields of expertise or more capable of delivering services to the public sector.

A program of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, TCIE provides a dynamic link between UB's technical resources and the region's business community, striving to achieve world-class results for its business partners by applying university and external resources to improve their products, processes, and employee skills.

For more information on how TCIE can assist Western New York businesses, please contact Tim Leyh at (716) 636-2568 extension 23.