State Honors Dana, Paragon Medical

SOUTH BEND - Two county businesses were recognized Monday for meeting the highest standards of quality in their products and customer service.

At one of three planned regional awards ceremonies, Lt. Gov. Joe Kernan and Del Schuh, president of the Indiana Business Modernization and Technology Corp., presented Dana Corp.'s Spicer Light Truck Axle Division in Syracuse and Paragon Medical Inc. in Pierceton with the State of Indiana Quality Improvement Award.

The companies are two of 202 Hoosier firms to receive such an honor this year.

"The Quality Improvement Award is a high honor, and yet it is one that virtually any company or organization in Indiana can earn," Kernan said. "It is a great recognition for achieving excellence."

This was the second consecutive year Spicer and Paragon have received this award. It is presented to companies or organizations for outstanding achievement in one or more of the following areas:

• Compliance with ISO 9000, ISO 14000 or OS 9000 standards;

• Dramatic improvement in a single area, such as customer satisfaction, product quality or human resource development;

• Showing a clear commitment through implementation of quality control systems through various corporate functions.

Spicer was recognized for its efforts in fostering teamwork and establishing quality assurance programs in meeting environmental regulations, according to Michael Kline, plant manager for the Syracuse operation.

"It was our second year to receive this award," Kline said. "It's always an honor to be recognized for trying to establish a proactive relationship with the state regulators on environmental issues."

Paragon also received the award for the second straight year. This year's award was in recognition of the company's ISO 9000 certification being expanded to include Paragon's new polymer extrusion capabilities.

"Quality has always been recognized as an essential foundation to our success," said Robert Schmidt, director of quality systems. "ISO 9000 has helped us develop an excellent system of documentation and administrative procedures which focus our entire organization on quality."

ISO 9000 is a certification program for companies meeting internationally agreed-upon quality assurance measures. Companies that document a system of quality assurance and continually work to improve their product or service can receive the ISO 9000 certification.