Applauding Applied Best Practices for Profit Improvement & Cost Reduction
HOUSTON, Mar 31, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Acorn, the preeminent global provider of cost and profitability management solutions, has named Oak Brook, IL-based Elkay Manufacturing its 2008 Customer of the Year. Created in 2006, the Customer of the Year winner is selected because they have adopted and successfully applied Acorn Systems' best practices and Performance Analyzer Solution, exemplifying Acorn's mission to deliver hard-cold profitability improvements while maximizing internal efficiencies and developing and retaining key customer relationships. The award will be presented today by Acorn President J. Alex Fernandez at Elkay's offices.
Since engaging Acorn in 2007, Elkay has seen a dramatic positive change in analytics, productivity and culture.
"Good management hinges on the importance of good information, and Elkay's team is truly superior. Their commitment to profit improvement has driven financial transparency and accountability in an exemplary partnership between finance, IT and operations," said Fernandez. "They've utilized Acorn to align resources and secure buy-in across the organization, thus successfully implementing Acorn's best practices and the principles of time-driven activity based costing to a 'T.' Elkay should be incredibly proud of driving dramatic profitable gains, revenue growth, proper cost reductions and enhancing its competitive position in very challenging economic times."
Elkay is only one year into implementation of the Acorn Performance Analyzer software. The multi-dimensional profit enhancement is a foundational decision support system and has created sustainable competitive advantage. "The Acorn system and great partnership we share has provided Elkay the ability to make more effective business decisions," according to John Hrudicka, Vice President, Controller. "More importantly, it has enabled us to take actions specific to the opportunities identified through the Acorn analytics. This enables our ultimate objective, helping us transform our culture to that of a profit mindset. To date, identified initiatives of over $13 million in hard dollar profit improvements are being realized."
About Elkay
For more than 89 years, Elkay has been an innovative manufacturer of stainless steel sinks, water coolers, drinking fountains and faucets for residential and commercial use. Elkay, which is ranked 47th in Crain's Chicago Business list of Chicago's Largest Privately-Held Companies, has more than 3,600 employees in facilities across the United States and select international markets. Elkay is also a member of key industry associations including the U.S. Green Building Council [USGBC], the American Society of Interior Designers [ASID], the National Kitchen & Bath Association [NKBA], and the Plumbing Manufacturers' Institute [PMI].
Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, Elkay is also the parent company of E.B. Tecnica Mexicana(R), Phylrich(R) International and Elkay Zhuhai. Elkay is America's number one selling stainless steel sink company. The Elkay Manufacturing Cabinetry Division is the fourth largest cabinet manufacturer in the U.S. with its Yorktowne(R) Cabinetry, Medallion(R) Cabinetry and Mastercraft(R) Cabinets holdings.
For more information, Elkay customers can contact Elkay customer service at (630) 572-3192 or visit elkayusa.com. For media inquiries, contact Maureen Brennan at (312) 946-6075 or view our electronic press kit on elkayusa.com.
About Acorn Systems
Acorn is the leading provider of profit improvement solutions for growing revenues profitably, reducing costs, and improving operational efficiencies. Over the past 12 years, Acorn has delivered profit improvement results for Global 2000 companies in the Financial Services, Retail, Consumer Products, Manufacturing, Distribution, Logistics and Services sectors. Utilizing a trademarked technology and proven methodology, Acorn reveals profit opportunities across the enterprise, including customers, channels, segments, products, vendors, and processes. Acorn's unique approach enables clients to achieve results in a fraction of the time of traditional approaches, and to make continuous, fact-based decisions to improve their bottom line and Earnings per Share (EPS), yielding over $5 billion in profit improvements and creating billions in new shareholder value.
Contact:
The Rosen Group
Zachary Hastings Hooper
202-862-4355
Zachary@rosengrouppr.com