Leading2Lean (L2L) Announces 2020 Award Winners of Operational Excellence and Manufacturing Innovation

SALT LAKE CITY, June 17, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Leading2Lean (L2L), a cloud-based lean manufacturing solution provider, today announced the 2020 winners of its annual Operational Excellence (OpEx) Awards. The companies honored for outstanding operational performance were Purple Innovation, Inc., the creator of the renowned Purple® Mattress, for its Grantsville, Utah plant, and Worthington Industries for its Westerville, Ohio plant. The awards recognize improved efficiency, reduced downtime, and increased profitability from the deployment of L2L's Lean Execution System (LES) platform.

"During challenging times for manufacturing, we are recognizing Purple and Worthington for their operational success and continued growth," said Keith Barr, President and CEO of L2L. "Both companies have developed an impressive list of best practices and achievements in the use of our LES software. In turn, they continue to see operational improvements on their plant floors."

Purple Innovation, Inc., Grantsville, UT
In less than two years from implementation of L2L's Maintenance solution, the Grantsville facility has been able to achieve measurable improvements in areas such as:

• 52% reduction in equipment failures
• 54% reduction in equipment downtime
• 42% increase in on-time completion of preventive maintenance events

"The system has given our employees the tools to see the highest impact opportunities for improvement and a way to visually see the impact of actions taken to address them."
– Andrew Clarke, VP Engineering & Manufacturing, Purple

Worthington Industries, Westerville, OH
In the first year, Worthington Industries has shown improvements in many areas of the Westerville site, such as:

• 77% reduction in equipment downtime in some areas
• 10.5% Improved output
• 77% Reduction in Operator fixes

And improvements are growing at additional sites where the LES was recently deployed, such as:

• 34% on time completion of preventive maintenance
• 27% reduction in unplanned downtime

After using LES data to resolve a chronic issue, one Operator at the Westerville, OH site commented, "I've been dealing with this problem everyday for 5 years." These small issues, multiplied over time, add up to big costs, and big savings when solved.

"To adapt, compete, and win, manufacturers have to be more efficient, produce better products at speed, and build a smarter, more adaptable workforce," said Barr. "Purple and Worthington are at the forefront of manufacturing innovation and we are proud to be their partner."

About L2L
Founded in 2010, L2L provides a Lean Execution System software platform for manufacturers. It has integrated and easy-to-use lean tools that allow operators and managers to use real-time data to reveal and solve root cause problems that cause metric misses, all while creating a sustainable plant floor culture of continuous improvement. For more information, visit http://www.L2L.com.

About L2L's Lean Execution System (LES)
L2L's LES increases real-time visibility at all levels of a manufacturing company, especially on the plant floor. Using the LES, plant floor employees have the real-time data they need to innovate and solve costly production problems. The solution also establishes a higher level of transparency that is critical in engaging people on the floor. When people can see what their peers are doing, and what production issues may be happening, accountability to solve those issues increases. Transparency and empowerment create a need for workers to analyze and make decisions faster. In these cases, technology isn't replacing humans; it's enhancing human performance.

About Purple
Purple is a digitally-native vertical brand with a mission to help people feel and live better through innovative comfort solutions. We design and manufacture a variety of innovative, premium, branded comfort products, including mattresses, pillows, cushions, frames, sheets and more. Our products are the result of over 25 years of innovation and investment in proprietary and patented comfort technologies and the development of our own manufacturing processes. Our proprietary gel technology, Hyper-Elastic Polymer®, underpins many of our comfort products and provides a range of benefits that differentiate our offerings from other competitors' products. We market and sell our products through our direct-to-consumer online channels, traditional retail partners, third-party online retailers and our owned retail showrooms. For more information on Purple, visit purple.com.

About Worthington Industries
Worthington Industries (NYSE:WOR) is a leading industrial manufacturing company delivering innovative solutions to customers that span many industries including transportation, construction, industrial, agriculture, retail and energy. Worthington is North America's premier value-added steel processor and producer of laser welded products; and a leading global supplier of pressure cylinders and accessories for applications such as fuel storage, water systems, outdoor living, tools and celebrations. The Company's brands, primarily sold in retail stores, include Coleman®, Bernzomatic®, Balloon Time®, Mag Torch® and Well-X-Trol®. Worthington's WAVE joint venture with Armstrong is the North American leader in innovative ceiling solutions.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Worthington operates 57 facilities in 15 states and six countries, sells into over 90 countries and employs approximately 9,000 people. Founded in 1955, the Company follows a people-first philosophy with earning money for its shareholders as its first corporate goal. Relentlessly finding new ways to drive progress and practicing a shared commitment to transformation, Worthington makes better solutions possible for customers, employees, shareholders and communities.

SOURCE Leading2Lean