BFS factory makes magazine's Top 10

GRANITEVILLE, S.C. (Sept. 18)—"Industry Week" magazine has named Bridgestone/Firestone's Aiken County plant in Graniteville as one of the 10 best manufacturing facilities in North America, based on the magazine's annual "Best Plants" competition criteria. Industry Week rates manufacturing facilities on a variety of criteria, including benchmarking, community involvement, customer and supplier relations, employee relations, environmental and safety programs, inventory management, manufacturing operations and flexibility, market results, productivity, quality and use of technology. BFS' Graniteville plant was selected from more than 240 facilities nominated between October 2002 and March 2003. "The team members at our facility have worked very hard to make our plant a world-class facility. Our belief in continuous improvement will always be a catalyst in the success of this operation," said Mike Rose, plant manager at Aiken County, which employs 940.