Asset light asset right┬áWhile many competitors in the transportation and logistics business have built up debt through acquisitions of vehicles, Panalpina has taken an entirely different approach, as Alan T Swaby learns. You would think that the name of the third- or fourth-largest mover of freight in the world might be vaguely familiar, particularly as the writer spent a couple of years living in Switzerland, where the Panalpina Group has its corporate headquarters.

Charting a new courseUnited Maritime Group emerges from obscurity to answer the complex transporting needs of a global world. Kate Sawyer reports. United Maritime GroupÔÇÖs captains are familiar with the worldÔÇÖs vast shipping lanes, both deep-water transcontinental ocean courses and continental river systems. No matter what the cargo, or where the destination, this companyÔÇÖs unique structure of comprehensive specialty divisions allows it to get the job done.

The suppliers' supplierNational Bronze & Metals supplies a wide variety of copper alloys. Keith Regan learns from president Michael Greathead how winning customersÔÇÖ trust and investing in the future will pave the way for growth. At a time when many businesses are embarking on initiatives to reduce their inventory, National Bronze & Metals is expanding the copper alloy products it keeps in stock.

The global supply chainHardinge Inc, a global supplier of metal cutting solutions, believes a tightly run global supply chain can be a powerful competitive weapon. Keith Regan learns how itÔÇÖs using its worldwide footprint to make that idea a reality. More than six years ago, Hardinge Inc. began an internal lean journey . . . . . . seeking ways to simplify, speed up and shorten the manufacturing and assembly process used to produce its family of turning, grinding, milling machines and workholding products sold to manufacturers around the world.

Sustainable mobilityAt Ford, sustainability and environmental issues are as important as producing cleaner, more efficient vehicles, group vice-president Sue Cischke explains to Gary Toushek. These are challenging times indeed for the Big Three automakers in Detroit, as they re-focus and re-tool for more energy efficient and alternative energy vehicles. Along with its own major strategic initiative to produce vehicles with reduced greenhouse gas emissions, the Ford Motor Company is formally recognizing its responsibility as a cooperative corporate citize

Perfecting improvement While lean and continuous improvement have been part of the culture for some time at Flowserve Corp., Keith Regan learns how the company is looking to extend its initiatives into supply chain and logistics. Although Flowserve Corp. celebrated its 10th anniversary only recently, the companyÔÇÖs roots reach back more than 200 years to the 1790 founding of Simpson & Thompson. TodayÔÇÖs Flowserve, based in Irving, Texas, was formed by the merger in 1997 of BW/IP and Durco International.

A material differenceKeith Regan learns how employee longevity, intense training and a culture of improvement have made Grenzebach Corp. a market leader in materials technology, positioned for expansion into new markets. The parent company of Newnan, GeorgiaÔÇôbased Grenzebach Corp. was founded in Bavaria, Germany, in 1960 with seven people.

Masters of metal cuttingCraig Zacher explains to Gary Toushek how a commitment to customer benefit, R&D, manufacturing competence and a vertically integrated supply chain help Guhring to┬ágrow by responding to changing customer needs. Guehring OHG, founded by Gottlieb Guehring in Albstadt, Germany in 1898, has become one┬áof the worldÔÇÖs leading suppliers of precision rotary cutting tools.

57 sigmaGary Thomas, Director of Continuous Improvement and Operational Risk Management for HJ Heinz, tells Martin Ashcroft how lean and six sigma are being used to step change performance. ÔÇ£We think we are truly an innovator in the food business,ÔÇØ says Gary Thomas, and heÔÇÖs not talking about the 57 varieties, the stay-clean caps or the upside-down bottles.

Perfect fitVice-president of engineering Aidan Connolly explains to Gary Toushek how a major new acquisition complements the strategic approach of this capital intensive lime and limestone business. In the 1990s Carmeuse Group, founded in 1860 in Liege, Belgium, as limestone-based products company Carmeuse SA, focused its sights on North America and acquired six limestone companies with 14 locations, including manufacturing facilities and limestone quarries or mines, most near the Great Lakes, including three in Ontario, Canada.