MDL Manufacturing named Letterkenny's "Supplier of the Year" Saving lives all in a day's work
Congressman Bill Shuster, Bette Slayton, President of BCDA, COL Steven Shapiro, Commander of Letterkenny Army Depot, Doug Lingsch, President of MDL, MG James Myles, US Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command
Bedford, PA --The Letterkenny Army Depot recently named MDL Manufacturing ofBedford County, it's "Supplier ofthe Year." The award was presented at the fourth annual Letterkenny Business Opportunity Showcase. Colonel Steven Shapiro, Commander of Letterkenny Army Depot, made the presentation.
"It certainly is an honor to be recognized alongside some of the largest defense contractors in the nation," stated Doug Lingsch, CEO and Founder of MDL Manufacturing. The Bedford County company was measured against companies like BEA (British Aerospace) and Lockheed Martin, Lingsch explained.
Lingsch continued: "For our small, family-owned business to do this well against defense contracting powerhouses, shows the dedication of our Bedford County workers," he said. 70 MDL workers were involved with the project, with 80% ofthe work done in Bedford County and the rest at the company's Maryland location.
"The entire team here at MDL pulled together to meet all of the delivery and quality requirements of this project," Lingsch said. "We knew what this project meant. That it was going to save the lives of soldiers. So we did whatever it took to get the job done."
According to the award, MDL exceeded a 99% rating in both product quality and on-time delivery. "We built 15,000 kits, 60,000 parts over a period of 15 months," Lingsch said.
The parts that MDL built were called Rhinos, small boxes that pre-detonate any passive, infrared improvised explosive devices. Major General James Myles, Commanding General of the United States Army Test and Evaluation Command noted thatLetterkennyisresponsiblefor savingthe lives ofhundredsofsoldiers. The work of MDL,he said, "changedthe way we do business in Iraq and Afghanistan."
"MDL is a perfect example of the growth opportunities for defense contractors in Bedford County. MDL has demonstrated excellent performance through their years of work at Letterkenny. We applaud their good work and are so pleased to have recruited Doug and Mari Pat Lingsch to Bedford County," noted Kirt Morris, chair of the Bedford County Development Association.
"MDL's prestigious award showcases our highly skilled and committed workforce. Bedford County is able to offer defense contractors a valuable development tool through the Small Business Administration's HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) Zones. This gives Bedford County companies advantages over others when bidding federal contracts. We will use the success of local companies like MDL and Szanca Solutions to recruit other defense contractors. It's also advantageous for us to have Congressman Shuster serving as a member of the House Armed Services Committee," Morris added.
For Additional Information Contact:
Bette Slayton, President Doug Lingsch, President
BCDA MDL Manufacturing Industries, Inc.
(814) 623-4816 (814) 623-0888