WASHINGTON, DC – Vice President Richard Cheney today presented DynMcDermott Petroleum Operations Company, operator of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), with the 2005 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.  The Baldrige award is the nation’s highest Presidential honor for performance excellence and quality achievement and is presented annually to organizations that distinguish themselves through management excellence and continuous improvement to stakeholders.

DynMcDermott is the first government contractor to receive the Baldrige National Quality Award.  The company’s noteworthy work as the manager of the SPR was particularly noticed during the 2005 hurricane season, when the company worked to maintain the nation’s crude oil supply despite tumultuous conditions and hard hits to their facilities. 

“I congratulate DynMcDermott on receiving the Baldrige Award and commend them for their excellent service to the Department of Energy and the American people, particularly in the wake of the personal and national crisis of last year’s hurricane season.  Their dedication and hard work was an important component of our nation’s response,” Secretary Bodman said. 

Headquartered in New Orleans, DynMcDermott operates the four Strategic Petroleum Reserve crude oil storage sites located along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas.  Together, these sites store approximately 700 million barrels of crude oil in underground salt domes. 

DynMcDermott was among 64 applicants for the 2005 Baldrige awards.  Applicants were evaluated by an independent board of examiners in seven areas:  leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; human resource focus; process management; and results.  The evaluation process includes extensive review and finalists are visited by teams of examiners to clarify questions and verify information in the applications. 

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, named after the 26th Secretary of Commerce, was established by Congress in 1987 to promote excellence in the organizational performance of U.S. businesses, educational organizations, and health care organizations.  Honorees for the 2005 award were announced by President George W. Bush and Commerce Secretary Carlos Guitierrez on November 22, 2005.  The other 2005 Baldrige award winners are:

• Sunny Fresh Foods, Inc., Monticello, MN  (manufacturing)
• Park Place Lexus, Plano, TX  (small business)
• Richland College, Dallas, TX  (education)
• Jenks Public Schools, Jenks, OK  (education)
• Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo, MI  (health care)

Further information on the Baldrige Award and the 2005 recipients is available at www.baldrige.nist.gov.

Media contact(s):
Craig Stevens, (202) 586-4940