The W.R. Grace Story

W. R. Grace presents an interesting contrast to GE in terms of Six Sigma success. While GE is a massive (about $130 billion in revenue), internationally known company, Grace is a much smaller and lower profile company. Some analysts have hypothesized that size is a key component to Six Sigma success; that it is an initiative that only works for large companies. As we shall see more clearly, this is not the case, and Grace provides an excellent illustration.

Grace is an international specialty chemical and materials company with about $2 billion in revenues. Its main businesses are catalysts, construction chemicals (fireproofing, waterproofing, concrete admixtures, etc.), coatings/sealants, and silicas/adsorbents. While it ...

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