Jason Wilson (1), David Carn (1), Tripp Collins (1), Carrie Machen (1); (1) Back Forty Beer Company, Gadsden, AL, U.S.A.
Technical Session 15: World Class Manufacturing
Tuesday, August 16 • 9:45–11:30 a.m.
Plaza Building, Concourse Level, Governor’s Square 15
Lean manufacturing is a system of manufacturing principles developed
in the post-World War II Japanese automobile industry. The system
focuses on the elimination of waste and the standardization of
value-adding processes. Kaizen, the Japanese word for “improvement,” is a parallel component of the Japanese manufacturing philosophy. Kaizen
refers to the deliberate pursuit of continuous improvement within all
areas of a manufacturing operation. Lean manufacturing and kaizen
systems were structurally implemented throughout the brewery with
guidance and oversight from the director of automotive manufacturing
initiatives at Auburn University’s College of Industrial and Systems
Engineering. Analysis of waste elimination and increased efficiencies
showed that lean manufacturing and kaizen implementation were
significant contributors to overall operational improvement, both on the
production floor and in administrative support functions.
Jason Wilson received a B.S. degree in logistics and supply chain
management from Auburn University. Jason worked as a logistics manager
at Georgia-Pacific, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, in Atlanta, GA,
before starting Back Forty Beer Company in 2009. Jason currently serves
on the Auburn University College of Business Supply Chain Management
Advisory Board, is the president of the Alabama Brewers Guild and a
member of the Government Affairs Committee of the Brewers Association.
