Warrendale, Pennsylvania - Printing Industries of America (PIA) has recognized Randall Lewis, vice president of manufacturing, Flesh Co, as the 2017 recipient of the Managing for Improvement Award. The PIA award is bestowed each year on a manager in the printing industry who demonstrates the ability to create real and lasting improvement for his or her company.

Lewis’s nomination credits him with using his considerable leadership skills to motivate Flesh Co’s associates, many with long tenure, to embrace Lean manufacturing concepts. The St. Louis-based company is a leader in the manufacturing of business documents and labels. Since Lewis’s arrival in 2003, the company has made major gains in efficiency, quality, capabilities, and teamwork.

He began his print management career in 1985 as pressroom supervisor for a forms company in Denver and subsequently oversaw a variety of forms, direct mail, and fulfillment operations from Virginia to Iowa. When he was hired by Flesh Co as plant manager, he was tasked with reducing waste and improving cycle time. He implemented a Lean manufacturing strategy and refocused the workforce on waste reduction, problem solving, performance metrics, and making fact-based decisions. His achievements include a 40% decrease in inventories and lowering waste from non-conforming materials and customer rejects by over 60%. He also instituted work cells, cross training, and a new assessment program that emphasizes coaching and talent development. Today the company has over 90% participation in task teams and Kaizen events.

“Randy has helped foster teamwork and unite a workforce of over 150 strong to focus on a common goal—continuous improvement,” said Lewis’s nominator. “Our organization could, at one time, be considered resistant to change, but because of Randy it has been conditioned to face each challenge with dogged determination.”