Following are excerpts from a December 10, 2004 Tulsa World newspaper article entitled "Award-Winning Work: Doing it the 'Mesa' way"

Earlier this year, employees at Mesa Products Inc. quit using the word "Baldrige" around the plant.

The Tulsa company had applied four times, unsuccessfully, for the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. And despite rising sales, more on-time deliveries and increasing market share, there was no guarantee that the fifth attempt would succeed.

The company's president, Terry May, wanted employees to focus on what they had learned over the years.

"Now, it just the way we do business. We call it the Mesa way, " May recalled telling workers.

But now, Mesa's 75 workers are celebrating. The company, which makes cathodic protection systems for metal surfaces, was finally chosen in November for a 2006 Baldrige award.

"It was a lot of work. I think we had it set more in our minds this year," said magnesium shop supervisor Jack Blue, who has 12 years with the company.

"We were more confident this year," added Miles Taylor, a production assistant with 11 years at Mesa.

The company also learned in October 2006 that it would receive an Oklahoma Quality Award from the Oklahoma Quality Award Foundation.