Hexagon Metrology Inc. received the 2006 Manufacturer of the Year award from the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce at its annual meeting in November. The award is given on the basis of investment and job creation within the state of Rhode Island; Hexagon Metrology has its headquarters in North Kingstown. The 115,000-sq.ft facility opened in September and includes state-of-the art space for assembly, research, training, distribution, customer service and software development.

“Hexagon believed in its people and the resourcefulness of its Rhode Island work force,” says Will Durfee, Hexagon Metrology’s director of operations, who accepted the award. “We felt that an investment in a new state-of-the-art facility and the implementation of new lean business practices could lead to an operation that would compete with low cost producers around the world. That vision has become reality in our new facility. We have reduced lead time by 75 percent, developed an export platform for key components to our sister plants in Italy and China, and through efficiency gains have reduced our assembly cost to a level comparable to our Chinese operation.”

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