LAI executive featured in roundtable discussion

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 16, 2009 — An executive from LAI International, Inc., a strategic supplier of precision components and subassemblies for original equipment manufacturers, is featured in a roundtable discussion in this month’s edition of FFJournal.
   Stewart Cramer, president of LAI, is featured in “2009 Annual Editorial Advisory Board Roundtable: The Impact of a Global Economy,” a cover story written by Abbe Miller, managing editor of FFJournal, a trade publication for the fabricating and forming industry.
   Cramer and others on the magazine’s editorial advisory board discussed international and domestic influences on the contract manufacturing industry, as well as what companies themselves can do to gain a competitive edge. 
   “Involving employees on an individual basis has proven valuable for incorporating lean efforts, as well as or fortifying a business from the ground up, Miller reported in the article.
   “At one of our facilities, we trained 111 employees and had 390 ideas and suggestions come out of the initial meetings,” Cramer said in the article. “There’s never an end to continuous improvement, and when you turn to your employees, they know what’s a drag to do, what takes longer than they think it will take and what could be done better.”
   The complete article will be available at www.FFJournal.net.    

About LAI International
   LAI is the premier manufacturer of precision engineered components and assemblies for aerospace, power generation, defense and other advanced technology industries. Its technology, engineering and manufacturing solutions are the lifeblood of airframes, aircraft engines, power generators, defense systems and other mission-critical applications.
   The company is the largest precision contract manufacturer in its class with the fastest growth as ranked by Inc. Magazine. 
   LAI has developed longstanding, strategic relationships with leading global players across multiple areas of their operations, including Boeing, Eaton, GE, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Siemens, and more than 70 percent of Fortune 500 global manufacturers.
   LAI operates five U.S. manufacturing facilities, with locations in Minneapolis, Phoenix, Tucson, Westminster, Md., and Scarborough, Maine — all of which are ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 certified. The company also offers NADCAP-certified non-conventional machining processes.
   For more information, see www.LAIco.com. 

Quick Facts: LAI International, Inc.
- Founded in 1979
- Five U.S. manufacturing facilities: Phoenix, Tucson, Minneapolis, Westminster, Md., and Scarborough, Maine
- Corporate headquarters located in Scottsdale, Ariz.
- All facilities ISO 9001:2000 | AS9100 certified
- Lockheed Martin Corporate STAR Supplier
- Northrop Grumman Platinum Supplier
- Inc. 5,000 fastest-growing company award winner, 2007 and 2008