Commerce Secretary Donald Evans announced Tuesday the winners of the Baldrige National Quality Award. The award is named after the 26th secretary of Commerce. It may be presented to five types of organizations: manufacturers, service companies, small businesses, education organizations and health care organizations. The award began 16 years ago when U.S. companies were trying to fend off Japanese products of higher quality. This year there were a record seven winners, including Boeing and Caterpillar who became two-time winners, along with: Medrad, Stoner, Community Consolidated School District 15, Palatine, Ill., Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, and Baptist Hospital, Pensacola, Fla.
See "Baldrige Award honors record 7 quality winners", Del Jones, USA Today, November 25, 2003