[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 130 (Saturday, August 5, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 CONGRATULATIONS TO TRW PLANT EMPLOYEES

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                            HON. BART GORDON

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 4, 1995
  Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the tremendous 
accomplishments of a group of Tennesseans that placed them among the 
best 25 manufacturing plants in the country.
  I am referring to the employees of TRW's Vehicle Safety Systems, Inc. 
plant in Cookeville, TN that recently found themselves at the top in 
Industry Week's sixth annual search for America's best plants. The 1995 
finalists were chosen from over 150 nominations and 67 entries.
  Cookeville's TRW plant was thrust into the winner's circle for their 
increased productivity and decreased manufacturing costs. Specifically, 
the plant reduced those costs over the last 5 years by 77 percent while 
increasing plant productivity by 60.1 percent.
  The inflatable restraint systems division of the TRW plant in 
Cookeville began its operations in 1991. Since that time, employment 
has risen dramatically and the plant now employs close to 800 workers.
  Each day those workers are hard at work producing passenger airbag 
modules and inflators for Asian, European, and American companies such 
as Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Honda, KIA, 
Mazda, BMW, and Volkswagen. The plant produces an average of 70,000 
passenger side air modules each week.
  Mr. Speaker, please join with me and Tennesseans all across the State 
in thanking these employees for their commitment to product quality and 
their true interest in customer safety.


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