[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 172 (Tuesday, December 21, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10927-S10928]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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            MISSOURI 2009 MALCOLM BALDRIGE AWARD RECIPIENTS

 Mrs. McCASKILL. Madam President, I think that every Senator is 
understandably proud of their own State, but today I have special 
reason to be proud of Missouri. Just last week, Vice President Biden 
awarded the 2009 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards to five 
different companies and three of those five companies hailed from the 
great State of Missouri. The Baldrige Award recognizes only the highest 
performing companies in the U.S. in terms of quality and performance, 
and the fact that three out of the five awards went to Missouri 
companies is a testament to the spirit and work ethics of Missourians.
  Heartland Health is a health system based in St. Joseph, MO, that has 
an extraordinary commitment to improving their patients' health rather 
than just treating patients' sicknesses, as is all too often seen in 
the healthcare community. The staff at Heartland Health recognizes that 
while providing world-class treatment for acute illnesses is vital, it 
is equally important to understand why individuals become ill, and they 
do everything possible to prevent those patients from ever needing 
hospital care in the first place. Their mission is: ``To improve the 
health of individuals and communities located in the Heartland Health 
region and provide the right care, at the right time, in the right 
place, at the right cost with outcomes second to none.'' This is not 
just a catchy slogan, but instead it is a commitment that has yielded 
results. Heartland Health is among the top 15 percent of all U.S. 
hospitals in patient safety; they have achieved 90 percent patient 
satisfaction, and they have done all this while at the same time saving 
millions of dollars by realizing efficiencies. As our entire country 
struggles with providing quality healthcare at affordable prices, I 
invite anyone to visit the ``Show Me'' State, where Heartland Health 
stands as an example for how a commitment to quality can yield the best 
care available affordably. They have been appropriately recognized with 
the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, joining a select group of 
companies that are the best of the best, and I applaud Heartland Health 
and all of the great men and women who make up its team for their 
achievement and their work.
  Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies in Kansas City, MO, 
plays an integral role in the underappreciated work of keeping our 
Nation's nuclear arsenal in working order. The Kansas City Plant works 
to provide the National Nuclear Security Administration with 
electrical, mechanical and material components manufactured to exacting 
quality specifications to help meet key national security objectives. 
Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies uses a Six Sigma Plus

[[Page S10928]]

Continuous Improvement Model and it has resulted in an unmatched level 
of customer satisfaction. Honeywell has also been a key partner in the 
transition to the new state-of-the-art Kansas City Responsive 
Infrastructure, Manufacturing and Sourcing, KCRIMS, facility, which 
officially broke ground in September. They have been a steward in 
ensuring safety, quality and efficiency in all areas of their work, 
especially with respect to the production of the nonnuclear components 
for the Nation's nuclear weapons with NNSA. Honeywell's outstanding 
work has also provided an essential foundation for a continued 
partnership at the new KCRIMS facility and the company's ongoing role 
as a strong member of the local Kansas City community. I am deeply 
proud of the work the men and women on the Honeywell team carry out at 
the Kansas City Plant and of its central importance to our Nation's 
national security and I could not be more pleased to see them 
recognized for their work with this preeminent award.
  MidwayUSA is a family-owned business located in Columbia, MO, that 
has been providing shooting, hunting and reloading supplies for over 30 
years. The company, started by Larry Potterfield and his wife Brenda, 
exemplifies the ``Made in America'' motto by employing hundreds of 
Missourians who are themselves passionate about hunting and shooting, 
two activities that are centerpieces of Missouri's rich sportsman 
culture. The passion of Larry and Brenda shows in the quality of the 
work of their entire team. MidwayUSA has earned 98 percent customer 
retention, and a 93 percent customer satisfaction rating, both 
remarkable achievements. While MidwayUSA has progressed over time from 
taking orders by mail, then phone, and now via the internet, one thing 
that has not changed is its mission, ``To be the best-run business in 
America, for the benefit of our Customers.'' They are doing a great job 
accomplishing just this. In pursuit of that goal they have become ISO 
9000 certified, won the Missouri Quality Award for Performance 
Excellence, and now they have been recognized with the 2009 Malcolm 
Baldrige National Quality Award. In growing from nothing more than a 
simple idea to one of the leading shooting supply retailers, MidwayUSA 
has shown what dedication to quality and performance, coupled with 
building an exceptionally committed, dedicated and skilled workforce, 
can produce in a business. I would like to congratulate the entire 
MidwayUSA team on their success.
  These three companies, which are not just among Missouri's finest, 
but, as we now know, among our Nation's very best, have so much to be 
proud of. They embody the ``Show Me'' spirit when it comes to showing 
how a business should operate. Congratulations Heartland Health, 
Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies in Kansas City and 
MidwayUSA on winning the 2009 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. 
I look forward to seeing what these companies and their employees 
accomplish next. I know it will be something great.

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