Original Date: 02/19/2007
Revision Date: / /

The Mentor-Protg program at Raytheon’s Network Centric Systems Manufacturing Center in Largo, Florida, has been a highly successful undertaking for both Tampa Brass & Aluminum and Raytheon that has resulted in the development of a better-performing supplier capable of delivering a quality product to support the needs of the warfighter.

In 2004 Raytheon Network Centric Systems (NCS) Manufacturing Center in Largo, Florida, started a program to mentor Tampa Brass & Aluminum (TBA), a small disadvantaged, veteran-owned manufacturing company in Tampa, Florida. The Raytheon Largo Mentor-Protg program has improved the capabilities and core competencies of TBA, which has improved TBA’s ability to provide quality castings and machined parts that fully support Department of Defense (DoD) customers and ultimately the warfighter.

Raytheon Largo began its mentoring program by training TBA employees in Six Sigma. A single-process flow was developed and implemented along with other Lean/agile manufacturing processes. TBA has since maintained a 97% on-time delivery rating, a 97.5% quality rating, and ISO 9001:2000 certification. Strategic planning was improved by initiating a 5-year strategic plan, capacity-planning analysis, a facilities layout expansion plan, and business systems integration and training. These improvements resulted in a 15% increase in revenue, a 13% increase in new business, a 12.5% increase in new customers, and a 400% increase in new business capture.

Advanced manufacturing engineering was achieved by technology transfer in the areas of tungsten and steel alloys, Pro-E and Pro-M software integration, and collaborative engineering in new product development. Production and facility improvements were completed by increasing machining capacity, foundry modernization, shop floor reporting, visual factory implementation, packing and shipping instructions, and a foundry 5S project – all of which have resulted in a 40% increase in manufacturing capacity, a 20% improvement to existing floor space, and a 500% increase in melting capacity. TBA has also realized a 27% increase in profits and an increase in its workforce from 75 to 90 employees.

The introduction to and training in Raytheon Six Sigma, Lean manufacturing, quality system improvements, strategic planning, business development improvements, technology upgrades, and process innovation have enabled TBA to achieve unprecedented growth and respect. The company has been nominated for the 2007 DoD Nunn-Perry Award for Mentor-Protg, an award it won in 2005, and the U.S. Small Business Association’s 2007 Jeffrey H. Butland Family-Owned Small Business of the Year Award. Raytheon Largo will continue to mentor TBA and is seeking other mentoring opportunities.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.