[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 56 (Friday, March 30, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E720]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING LOUISIANA EMPLOYER BASF-SHREVEPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM McCRERY

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2007

  Mr. McCRERY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the hard work and 
dedication of a local Louisiana manufacturer. The manufacturer that I 
am recognizing has demonstrated innovation in manufacturing operations 
and business growth, as well as, a commitment to community involvement.
  BASF-Shreveport, located within my district in Louisiana, was 
established in 1985 to manufacture and package prescription and over-
the-counter pharmaceutical products, liquids, tablets, and creams. Some 
of their well-known products include ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and 
silver sulfadiazine burn cream. The economic impact that BASF brings to 
North Louisiana is significant. The facility employs more than 167 
people with an annual payroll of 13.4 million. This local manufacturer 
has made noteworthy advances in productivity throughout their 
organization resulting in substantial growth. Because of these 
accomplishments, BASF-Shreveport will be honored by the Manufacturing 
Extension Partnership of Louisiana (MEPOL), with the third annual 
Platinum Award for Continued Excellence, PACE Award.
  MEPOL, a non-profit business resource based at the University of 
Louisiana at Lafayette, serves to provide business and technical 
assistance to emerging and established manufacturing firms throughout 
the State of Louisiana. Since 1997, MEPOL, based on a philosophy of 
education, encouragement, and empowerment, has worked with 
manufacturers such as BASF-Shreveport to increase their productivity 
and profitability.
  Working with MEPOL, BASF-Shreveport identified an area of their 
production that could benefit from the principles of lean 
manufacturing. Production volume, due to increased demand from their 
customers, was creating a significant bottleneck in the printing 
department, where the name of the medication is printed on the tablets. 
Three days after the printing department completed the quick 
changeover/set-up reduction training and implementation suggested by 
MEPOL, the site was able to cut the changeover time required for 
batches from 2 hours to 17 minutes. This modernization resulted in 
BASF's increased throughput in the printing areas by 57 percent, 
allowing it to meet the customer's needs more efficiently. Their 
dedication to excellence is the reason that they are the recipients of 
ME POL's second annual PACE award.
  BASF also participates in numerous charity organizations throughout 
the community including the United Way, March of Dimes and the 
Salvation Army. I congratulate BASF-Shreveport on being a respected 
leader in manufacturing whose commitment to advancement and continued 
success has led to this outstanding achievement.

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