Last week I had the opportunity to visit Xylem’s facility in Morton Grove, IL.  I was truly impressed with every aspect of the tour. They did a great job of explaining each stage of manufacturing a pump.  No one had to tel me, that the facility practiced lean manufacturing, I could tell immediatetly… It was clean, well orgazined, and I could see management meeting in an open environment. We went through each focus center, which took us from parts, to assembly and through the shipping of each pump. It was everything I had expected from a plant tour.  Of course, there were a couple things that surprised me.

There seemed to be a commitment to safety and concern for every employee.

I first noticed this when we discussed the safety requirements.  Each employee is trained 15mins per week on the importance of safety and tips to accept “only zero” accidents.  It was clear they cared about maintaining a good work environment throughout the entire facility.

At the end of the tour, we walked down a hall of photos that was truly an inspirational moment for me.  This wall was lined with photographs of Xylem employees.  It was created last year as an effort to connect the employees with the new Xylem brand.

“Let’s Solve Water,” I have heard those words many times this year, but that day I noticed the “Let’s.”  It is clear to me that if you are a Xylem employee, it means more than just building the parts or assembling the pump.  It’s about working for a company that cares about its employees and works to build unity and focus for a common goal… Solving Water.

If you would like to know more about Xylem, please visit www.completewatersystems.com.

If you would like to see more photos from my plant tour, please visit my Xylem Tour album on the Empowering Pumps Facebook page.