[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 8, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1973]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      AUTOMOTIVE EXCELLENCE BEGINS WITH AWARD-WINNING TEAM MEMBERS

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                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 8, 1997

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, in today's increasingly competitive global 
marketplace, if any of our manufacturers are to hold positions of world 
preeminence, it will only happen because of skilled members of the 
manufacturing team who are recognized by their peers for their 
excellence and capabilities. I am proud to tell our colleagues that two 
such individuals, Subir Chowdhury and Ken Zimmer, are vital honored 
members of the Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems division of General 
Motors.
  Earlier this year, these two engineers won the Henry Ford II 
distinguished Award for Excellence in Engineering from the Society of 
Automotive engineers. This international award is given to those 
individuals who use their engineering skills to achieve product or 
manufacturing process contributions that have been assessed to have had 
the greatest positive effect on the passenger car, truck, and business 
industries. They won this award for their work in coauthoring ``QS9000 
Pioneers: Registered Companies Share Their Strategies for Success,'' a 
work intended to help companies develop quality systems that provide 
improvement in products, preventing defects, and reducing variation and 
waste in the supply chain. This work has already achieved world 
acclaim. J.D. Powers himself has said ``QS9000 is the means by which 
original equipment manufacturers will make added contributions to 
automotive quality.'' The work has also received praise from Fortune 
Magazine, U.S. Auto Scene, and Automotive News.
  Subir Chowdhury and Ken Zimmer are no strangers to acclaim. They have 
also earned the Golden Quill Award from the American Society for 
Quality Control [ASQC] automotive division, nominated for the Shingo 
Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing, won the Section Leadership Award 
at the 50th ASQC Congress, and received a Certificate of Commendation 
from Gov. John Engler. Mr. Chowdhury has also earned the Young 
Leadership and Excellence Award from the Automotive Hall of Fame, the 
Ralph E. Cross Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award from the 
Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and the Judson C. Jarvis Service 
Award by the American Society for Quality Control. Their other 
extensive work with the ASQC and the Automotive Industry Action Group 
has rightly put them in a position to be world leaders in the future 
development of top quality automotive products.
  I was pleased to have been of assistance to Subir's family when they 
wanted to come from their home in India to be at last fall's 
presentation of the Young Leadership and Excellence Award from the 
Automotive Hall of Fame, because families should be able to celebrate 
the successes of one another. Their years of support earns them the 
moment of glory that comes from the hard work that is an example to all 
young people who want to know if what they do can make a difference.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have these two fine gentlemen as 
constituents, and I know General Motors is proud to have them as 
members of its team. I urge you and all of our colleagues to join me in 
congratulating Subir Chowdhury and Ken Zimmer on their tremendous 
accomplishments. They are two people who make our Nation proud.

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