NFIB

NFIB Member Honored for Quality and Excellence
03/09/2004

NFIB member company Stoner Inc., will receive the nation's highest honor for quality and excellence today.

Stoner, a manufacturer located in Quarryville, Pa., was recognized in September as one of seven recipients of the 2003 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Today President Bush will present owner Robert Ecklin, Jr., and Stoner's 50 employees with the award at a ceremony in Washington.

Named after the late secretary of Commerce, the Baldrige Award was established by Congress to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. businesses.

All 68 applicants for the 2003 award were evaluated rigorously by an independent board of examiners in seven business functions: leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, information and analysis, human resource focus, process management, and results.

"It was a 10-year journey for our company, each year we got a little bit better," said Ecklin, a third-generation business owner, "Winning the Baldrige was the culmination of years of hard work and preparation."

Stoner, which manufactures specialized cleaners, lubricants and coatings for both business-to-business and consumer applications, joins 12 other small businesses that have won since the award's inception in 1987.