FormShape commits to lean manufacturing, appoints lean co-ordinator

Kelowna, B.C.-based FormaShape, a division of Whitewater Composites has appointed company veteran, Pete Yakachuck, to the newly created position of lean co-ordinator.
FormaShape manufactures fibreglass-reinforced architectural fascia products.
An employee of FormaShape since 1990, Yakachuck was a crucial player in the company’s transition from a traditional manufacturing facility to a lean organization, FormaShape said.
“Lean is a business performance improvement tool that focuses on enhancing quality, cost, delivery and people, and has been instrumental in streamlining FormaShape’s production process,” Peter Jeffery, president of FormaShape, explained. “This newly created position of lean co-ordinator cements our commitment to the lean philosophy by dedicating full-time resources to the implementation of lean thinking.”
Recently, FormaShape recruited a chemical engineer, Mohammed Hossain, to investigate new methods to improve existing processes, reduce waste and better the quality of final products.
Hossain had spent the past five years researching fibreglass and reinforced plastics for the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation.