Continuous learning and continuous improvement are work!  But Dale Crownover suggests that it’s far more satisfying and rewarding than running from bankruptcy.  And that's where Dale Crownover's company was headed when he and his small business began learning about systems that define and measure improvement.

In 1991, Dale Crownover and his colleagues at the Texas Nameplate Company started learning about how to build quality systems into an organization.  In four short years, they applied for and won the Texas Quality Award.  The same year, 1995, they applied for a National Quality Award and profited greatly from the valuable feedback they received from their application review.  In 1996, they applied again and received a site visit.  With great disappointment, they did not receive the award, but learned a huge amount from the evaluative comments they received.

In 1997, they applied again and became a 1998 National Quality Award winner, the smallest business to that point to have received that recognition.  In 2004, they became the only small business to have won two National Quality Awards.  The employees are preparing now to apply for the 2010 award.

The attached article, “It's Easy, It’s Free, and It Works!” was never intended to highlight Dale Crownover and the Texas Nameplate Company.  The intent was to highlight the availability of the Georgia Oglethorpe three-step state award process and the annual Awards Conference held each October in Atlanta.  This is a huge and inexpensive opportunity for any leader interested in personal and organizational growth to interact with knowledgeable people and to walk away inspired to seek additional learning.

Dennis

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