Rexam's Joint Venture with Envases Universales in Guatemala Receives International Recognition for Operational Excellence

CHICAGO, May 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Shingo Institute, part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, has awarded Rexam's Joint Venture with Envases Universales in Guatemala with the Shingo Prize.

"Receipt of the Shingo Prize is a worldwide recognized symbol of an organization's successful establishment of a culture anchored on principles of enterprise excellence–principles such as respect for every individual, leading with humility, quality at the source, the quest for perfection, creating value for the customer, etc.," said Mark Baker, executive director at the Shingo Institute. "Ultimately, these recipients are in a class of the best organizations in the world, regardless of industry or country. I congratulate all of the good people at Rexam ECA Guatemala for their great accomplishment in their journey toward enterprise excellence."

The Shingo Prize is the highest achievement of the three awards given to organizations by the Shingo Institute which also includes Silver and Bronze Medallions.

Rexam is a leading global beverage can maker providing products to some of the world's favorite brands from its 55 plants in more than 20 countries. Envases Universales is headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico, and has 45 plants in seven countries. Its industrial group is made up of Food/General line, Plastics and Aluminum divisions. The two companies joined forces in 2007 to create the joint venture in Guatemala. This facility is dedicated to making 12 oz. beverage cans.

The plant's journey to the Shingo Prize began in 2007, when it adopted Rexam's commitment to Lean Enterprise. With a focus on ensuring the organization's culture reflected the company's core values, the Guatemala plant has achieved a number of significant accomplishments including: zero lost time accidents since 2010, 95 percent employee satisfaction in the workplace, a 92 percent reduction in customer complaints between 2007 and 2013, and a 100 percent on time and in full delivery rate for its customers since 2010.

By "challenging" or applying for an award, organizations invite a group of accomplished professionals and trained examiners to thoroughly review their culture and operations. The examiners evaluate the challengers based on a rigorous set of standards and the Shingo Institute awards the organizations according to their assessment results.

"We are very proud of this award and the acknowledgment of the time and effort our people invest every day to maintain a performance-based culture committed to safety, operational excellence, quality and customer satisfaction," said Joe Gaysinsky, regional manager and plant manager, Rexam's Joint Venture with Envases Universales in Guatemala. "We will remain dedicated to these goals as we continue our focus on providing our customers with the best products and services in the industry."

Rexam's joint venture in Guatemala received its top honor at the Awards Gala during the 27th Shingo International Conference held May 4-8, 2015 in Provo, Utah. This event features a selection of workshops, plant tours, speakers and breakout sessions designed to provide ongoing knowledge, insights and experience for organizations in their pursuit of operational excellence.

About the Shingo Institute
Part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, the Shingo Institute is named after Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo. Shingo distinguished himself as one of the world's thought leaders in concepts, management systems and improvement techniques that have become known as the Toyota Business System. Drawing from Shingo's teachings and years of experience working with organizations throughout the world, the Shingo Institute has developed the Shingo Model™ which is the basis for several educational offerings including workshops, study tours and conferences. It also awards and recognizes organizations that demonstrate an exceptional culture that continually strives for improvement and progress. Those interested in more information or in registering to attend the 27th International Shingo Conference may visit www.shingo.org.

About Rexam
Rexam is a leading global beverage can maker. We are business partners to some of the world's most famous and successful consumer brands. Our vision is to be the best beverage can maker in the world.

We have 55 can making plants in more than 20 countries and employ around 8,000 people. In 2014, our sales were in the region of $5.8 billion.

Rexam's ordinary shares are listed with the UK Listing Authority and trade on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol REX. Visit www.rexam.com for further information.