Industry Spotlight: WIKA Instrumental Corporation Measures Up in Gwinnett

For over 60 years, WIKA has continued to globally advance pressure gauge, sensor and temperature instrumentation technology. WIKA Instrument Corporation, located in Gwinnett County, has served as the WIKA USA subsidiary for over 40 years.

WIKA believes manufacturing and logistics are important to Gwinnett's local economy because their production facility keeps jobs in the community. WIKA's facility in Gwinnett County is doing something positive to sustain a local manufacturing presence in spite of a national decline. Michael Gerster, president of WIKA states, "A good and solid manufacturing base is the backbone for the local economy. We are part of the DNA which builds strong communities."

WIKA works with other Gwinnett County companies to increase training opportunities for its employees and uses many local companies for maintenance and business services. WIKA employees have been enthusiastic participants in the Gwinnett Corporate Challenge for several years now.

Gerster reported that his company experienced the benefits of being involved in the community and with the Chamber in July 2004, when WIKA had a fire in the middle of the day which disabled 50 percent of their plant. "Without the support and influence of the Gwinnett Chamber, WKIA would have lost two to three days of production."

WIKA has been nominated for "Georgia Manufacturer of the Year" in 2006, 2007 and in 2008 by the Gwinnett Chamber and Gwinnett Technical College. WIKA was also recently recognized at the chamber's "Manufacturing Appreciation Breakfast".

According to Gerster, "WIKA's leading business principle is to understand any outcome we accomplish is the result of a process. If we don't like the result, it is the process that needs to change. We encourage people to ask why the process did not give us the desired results and develop corrective action." WIKA requires continuous improvement training for all employees to find solutions to fix "what" went wrong and not "who" is wrong.

For more information on WIKA, visit www. wika.com.