EMA Hosts Lunch & Tour of A-dec

On June 14th, The EMA hosted a tour of A-dec in Newberg, Oregon for members and friends.

The day stared of with registration followed by a Networking Lunch with food and drinks provided by our event sponsors A-dek and Control-Tek.

After lunch the members were given an informative presentation of A-dec by Kelly DePaolo our host for the day followed by a fascinating tour of the A-dec manufacturing facility by Kelly and , and additional tour guide, Gertrude Villaverde.

A-dec (Austin Dental Equipment Company) is a dental office furniture and equipment manufacturer based in Newberg. It is considered one of the largest dental equipment makers in the world, and is Newberg’s largest employer with 832 employees. Founded in 1964, the company’s products include items such as dental chairs, stools, delivery systems, medical lighting, cabinetry, and other accessories.

The Tour focused on A-dec’s implementation of  LEAN manufacturing principals and A-dec’s insight into the LEAN journey.

Kelly pointed out a few keys to their success:

  • Long term commitment
  • No employment lost through LEAN evaluation
  • Personnel are involved at all levels
  • One dedicated LEAN team with employees having ready access
  • LEAN is not the destination, but it is the journey.

The Continuous Improvement path was evident in their focus on practicing good procedures and cutting waste.

The EMA would like to thank ContolTek for a great lunch and to A-dec for sponsoring the beverages for this event.

Our Sponsor for this event: