Search Back Issues

Worthington Earns AIST Award

By on
Worthington Industries’ Columbus, Ohio, steel processing facility was recognized by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology with the 2018 AIST Reliability Achievement Award – Gold. The award was presented to the facility’s maintenance department for its efforts to significantly improve steelmaking reliability.

“At Worthington Industries, the reliability of our equipment is crucial to delivering the
best quality product to our customers,” said COO Geoff Gilmore. “I am proud that this team took that to heart and transformed the way we maintain our equipment, significantly reducing the downtime of this facility, and set a new standard for all Worthington locations.”

The AIST Reliability Achievement Award recognizes iron and steel producing companies for reliability improvements and achievements that can be demonstrated as unique or first in the industry. It recognizes organizations that have developed, applied and proved a new practice, policy or procedure that significantly improves iron and steelmaking reliability in North America.

The maintenance department at the Columbus, Ohio steel processing facility took on the challenge to reduce downtime and open work orders by focusing on continuous improvement efforts. These efforts involved improving communication between operations and maintenance; utilizing rapid improvement events; implementing more streamlined processes and procedures; and partnering with local trade schools and colleges to develop a training program to help build a pool of skilled talent.