Cathodic protection supplier recognized with Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

MESA Products, Inc., a small, privately held cathodic protection services provider, prides itself on innovations and support services that elevate its customers and its industry. The company's efforts were recognized at a national level when it received the 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which recognizes those U.S. organizations that exhibit excellence in organizational performance.

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney presented the award to Terry May, President and CEO of MESA, on 13 March 2007 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The award ceremony was broadcast live via satellite at MESA’s exhibit booth at the National Association of Corrosion Engineers’ (NACE) Corrosion 2007 Conference & Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A. May expressed gratitude to the Baldrige Program examiners and judges in attendance, saying “you helped us to become a better company.”

The Tulsa, Oklahoma-based MESA provides design, technical services, materials, and installation of cathodic protection systems to mitigate corrosion in pipelines, distribution systems, storage tanks (both above and below ground), refineries and offshore production systems. MESA manufactures a variety of graphite, cast iron, mixed metal oxide and sacrificial anodes, and distributes a full range of supplemental cathodic protection equipment, including junction boxes, rectifiers and power supplies, and coatings and tape.

While MESA’s business strategy was to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for cathodic protection services, company management realized that manufacturing and service quality had to be of the highest level to truly differentiate MESA from the competition. This pursuit of quality led MESA to its quest for the prestigious Baldrige Award.

“The award recognizes a company that is doing its absolute best for its customers, its employees, and its industry,” said Mark Shapiro, Business Specialist for the Baldrige Program. Shapiro explained that the awards process is a rigorous, year-long series of evaluations and interviews that assesses a company’s achievements in seven areas: leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, information and analysis, human resource focus, process management and results.

Each applicant for the award must submit up to 50 pages of details showing processes, improvements and results in these seven areas. Each applicant receives more than 400 hours of review by an independent board of examiners, which may include more than one visit to the organization’s site. The applicants receive a detailed report citing strengths and opportunities for improvement, which they can use to improve their operations and reapply for the award in following years.

It is not uncommon for companies to reapply after being passed over for the award during the first submission. In fact, MESA first applied in 2002 and every year after that before finally receiving the 2006 award.

“This five-year journey has been one intense learning curve,” May said in his acceptance speech, “but it has helped us shape, establish and improve our way of operating, what we call ‘The MESA Way’.”

For more information on MESA Products, Inc. contact Terry May at 918.627.3188 or by email at mayt@mesaproducts.com. For more information on the Baldrige Award Program, visit http://www.baldrige.nist.gov.