Manufacturers will discover how they can become more globally competitive by applying the principles of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement throughout their enterprise at "Making It In America: Rising Up to the Global Manufacturing Challenge with Lean Manufacturing," the Society of Manufacturing Engineers' (SME) Management Forum, to be held on Wednesday, June 9, 2004, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati in Cincinnati, OH. The event will include a tour of Toyota Motor Manufacturing's facility in Georgetown, KY, providing a first-hand look at Toyota Production System's lean manufacturing principles being applied on the factory floor in the making of Avalon, Camry and Solara passenger cars. This state-of-the-art facility is a model for lean manufacturing and flexible production systems that can quickly respond to shifts in consumer demands. The Management Forum is core to the SME 2004 Annual Meeting, "Where Manufacturing Comes Together to Give You a Competitive Edge," being held June 9-13, 2004.

For more information, visit http://www.sme.org/annualmeeting or call (800) 733-4763.