L2L and Dart Container Recognized as Finalists for the 2024 Manufacturing Leadership Awards

The partnership provided double-digit improvements to Dart’s OEE and set the stage for a pilot facility to enjoy its highest production rates on record

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 11, 2024 - L2L, the global leader in connected workforce solutions, today announced that it has been recognized as a Partner in Collaborative Innovation for the 2024 Manufacturing Leadership (ML) Awards. This recognition was given for its outstanding achievement in working with Dart Container, one of the world's leading manufacturers of food and beverage packaging, which was selected as an award finalist in the Operational Excellence category for its project “Rapidly Boosting Operational Efficiency with Connected Workforce Technology.” 

The ML Awards are the industry’s premier awards program for achievements in digital manufacturing, awarded by the Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC), a division of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

Dart embarked on a mission to enhance Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), a crucial metric in manufacturing efficiency. To achieve this goal, Dart turned to L2L's Connected Workforce Platform, a comprehensive solution designed to reveal inefficiencies and drive continuous improvement. L2L collects data from a wide range of sources (including workers, IT, and OT systems) to provide personalized visibility to all frontline employees. This real-time view empowers the entire workforce to monitor all aspects of shop floor operations, enabling swift issue identification and proactive decision making that can minimize downtime and eliminate waste. 

"We are thrilled to be recognized as a finalist for the Manufacturing Leadership Awards alongside our partner, L2L," said Eric Millikin, Director of Manufacturing Operations Performance at Dart Container. "With L2L's Connected Workforce Platform, we have achieved significant improvements and set productivity records shortly after the system was up and running, setting the stage for continued success and growth across our organization."

Dart Container's decision to partner with L2L was driven by the platform's key features, which include real-time visibility, predictive maintenance insights, and workforce collaboration tools. Deployed initially in three pilot plants, including the Horse Cave, KY, facility, the platform’s real-time data monitoring capabilities allowed Dart to gain unparalleled visibility into equipment, process, and workforce performance, enabling the manufacturer to streamline their operations. 

The results were remarkable: Dart Container experienced double-digit increases in OEE at the Horse Cave facility. Unplanned downtime was significantly reduced, and the plant set record-setting production numbers shortly after L2L deployment.

The strategic impact and scale of the project have been equally impressive. Following the success at the Horse Cave facility, Dart expanded the deployment of L2L across an additional 13 plants in 2023, with plans for further expansion in the coming years.

"A culture of continuous improvement is essential for any manufacturing organization seeking to thrive in today's competitive landscape," said John Davagian, CEO of L2L. "We extend our congratulations to Dart Container for this prestigious recognition and thank them for their trust and partnership."

L2L and Dart Container will be recognized along with all other award finalists at the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala, which will take place on June 5, 2024, at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Florida. This is L2L’s fourth consecutive year to be honored alongside a customer by the Manufacturing Leadership Council. To learn more about the awards, click here.

For more information about L2L and its transformative connected workforce technology, visit www.l2l.com.

To learn more about Dart Container’s deployment of L2L’s Connected Workforce Platform, watch the success video.

About L2L

Founded in 2010, L2L is the original connected workforce platform enabling workers to collaboratively improve productivity across the full breadth of manufacturing operations. A different kind of solution for the real-world needs of manufacturers, L2L visualizes the most important shop floor data in real-time so workers can identify, prioritize, and solve problems faster, making their companies more efficient, resilient, and profitable. Cloud-based and deployed within 60 days, L2L creates unmatched speed to value for more than 225,000 users in 27 countries across the world. For more information, visit http://www.l2l.com.

About Dart Container Corporation

Dart makes everyday products that give people the freedom to enjoy the food & drinks they love wherever they are. From to-go containers and dinnerware to tamper-evident food packaging and the iconic red SOLO cup, Dart products have been keeping people on the go and having fun for more than 60 years. Look for the ProPlanetTM seal on products that meet Dart’s highest standards of sustainability. Headquartered in Mason, MI, the privately owned company has 13,500 employees in 30 locations in three countries. For more information, visit dartcontainer.com.

About Manufacturing Leadership Council

Founded in 2008 and now a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s mission is to help manufacturing companies transition to the digital model of manufacturing by focusing on the technological, organizational and leadership dimensions of change. With more than 2,500 senior-level members from many of the world’s leading manufacturing companies, the MLC focuses on the intersection of advanced digital technologies and the business, identifying growth and improvement opportunities in the operation, organization and leadership of manufacturing enterprises as they pursue their journeys to Manufacturing 4.0.

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