We are in Butner today for a tour highlighting the advantages and opportunities of embracing “lean” in our operations.

When I say “we” I mean a group of more than 60. A combination of plant managers, maintenance managers and plant supervisors. We cross over almost every plant and every region.

The Butner team did us all a phenomenal service by showing us the successes they have claimed over the last year and a half.

There are many accomplishments there but there isn’t an inkling of superiority. They readily point to areas they are working on as well as those they have yet to address.

That’s the key. Lean isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. It’s the nature of things. You work on improving things. The more you learn, the more you see that could be better. The more you continue to move ahead.

That process of improvement is the path to maturity. It’s the path to longevity. It offers satisfaction as you continue along the way.