Department of Workforce Development

GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES WISCONSIN FORWARD AWARDS
Recipients recognized for world-class quality performance

MADISON – Governor Tommy G. Thompson today announced 12 state companies and organizations have been named as recipients of the Wisconsin Forward Awards, recognizing leaders in the Wisconsin business community.

Gov. Thompson said the annual recognition and award program is modeled after the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award and promotes world-class standards of management excellence.  Gov. Thompson will present the awards at an evening program Thursday, Nov. 11, at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison.

"My goal has always been to build and maintain a world-class workforce and because of the efforts of these companies, Wisconsin will continue to lead the nation in workforce excellence," Gov. Thompson said. "Organizations like these help produce and maintain good jobs, a skilled workforce and a strong future for our state’s citizens and communities."

The award process challenges businesses, educational institutions, governmental agencies, health care providers and other organizations to advance their competitive position and achieve world-class status in the global marketplace, promote continuous learning and performance improvement, and identify organizational strengths and target key improvement opportunities.

Forward Awards recognize four levels of achievement:

• The Award of Excellence is the highest level of recognition for organizations that provide an outstanding example of quality enterprise and achievement, and can serve as role models to other organizations.

• Mastery Awards honor organizations for showing results from advanced, well-deployed approaches in implementing performance management practices.

• Proficiency Awards recognize companies making significant progress in using performance management principles and practices in their business operations.

• Commitment Awards recognize organizations for their continuous efforts to implement improvement practices.

John Deere Lawn & Garden Products Group, of Horicon, and St. Marys Hospital Medical Center, of Madison, were honored with the Governor’s Forward Award of Excellence.

John Deere Lawn & Garden Products Group is a leader in the manufacture of premium lawn and garden-care equipment.  The company employs 1,708 workers in Wisconsin.  St. Marys Hospital Medical Center is a 340-bed, nonprofit, Catholic, acute care hospital offering a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services.   St. Mary’s serves Dane County and 14 surrounding counties, employing 1,900 workers.

Gov. Thompson also recognized the following companies and organizations:

Mastery Forward Award winners:

• St. Clare Hospital & Health Services, Baraboo
• Western Wisconsin Technical College, La Crosse

Proficiency Forward Award winners:

• AAA Wisconsin, Madison
• Heus Manufacturing Company, New Holstein
• Inacom Information Systems, Madison
• KI-Manitowoc Plant, Manitowoc
• Promega Corporation, Madison
• Western Wisconsin Private Industry Council, La Crosse
• Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Madison

Commitment Forward Award winner:

• InPro Corporation, Muskego

The awards were created by the governor at the recommendation of his Council on Workforce Excellence in 1997.  This is the second year of the program in which the governor has publicly recognized Wisconsin businesses for quality performance.   Eleven Wisconsin companies received the award last year and were honored at an Oct. 1998 ceremony in Madison.

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