MidwayUSA, the online retailer for shooting and hunting supplies, has been awarded the 2009 Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest Presidential honor for innovation and performance excellence. The award was presented by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 16, 2010.
"It was an honor for 34 MidwayUSA employees to travel from Columbia, Mo., to Washington D.C. to receive this award from Vice President Biden," said Larry Potterfield, Founder and CEO of MidwayUSA. "Basic Training in the Air Force back in 1971 was my formal introduction to the importance of establishing standards and processes and MidwayUSA has always focused on improving the way we serve our Customers. The Baldrige National Quality Award helps acknowledge we're on the right track for serving our Customers."
MidwayUSA was one of five organizations of 70 applicants to receive the 2009 award, which is given by the President of the United States to businesses-manufacturing and service, small and large-and to education, health care and nonprofit organizations that apply and are judged to be outstanding in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results. The mission of the Baldrige Program is to improve the competitiveness and performance of U.S. organizations. MidwayUSA was the only organization in the small business category to receive the award.
"The road to greatness in America has been, and always will be, traveled by those who embrace change and work hard every day to be the best; the organizations we honor today with the Baldrige National Quality Award exemplify that spirit," President Obama said of 2009's recipients.
Named after former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige, Congress established the award program in 1987 to recognize U.S. organizations for their achievements in quality and performance and to raise awareness about the importance of quality and performance excellence as a competitive edge. The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) manages the Baldrige National Quality Program in close cooperation with the private sector.
"Adopting the Baldrige Criteria has allowed us to develop and improve our processes for serving our Customers," said Matt Fleming, President of MidwayUSA. "Baldrige, in combination with other Modern Management Practices, has created a lifestyle at MidwayUSA where we continually improve our business for the benefit of our Customers. Our Vision is 'To be the best-run business in America' and our adoption of the Criteria for Performance Excellence from the Baldrige National Quality Program has certainly driven us toward accomplishing our Vision."
Pictured above are U.S. Vice President Joe Biden; MidwayUSA Vice President Quality Management Systems Deanna Herwald; MidwayUSA President Matt Fleming; and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
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