Kevin Holleran has been on the job for only five months, but he's already sure about his vision for E-Z-GO.

The new president of the golf and utility vehicle manufacturer says he's focused on speed, growth and customer satisfaction.

A New York native, Mr. Holleran, 40, has more than 18 years of leadership experience in the global construction equipment and light transportation industries with senior sales and product management positions at Ingersoll-Rand and Terex Corp.

He joined E-Z-GO in 2003 as vice president of sales and marketing and was promoted to president in November.

"It was very exciting to have the opportunity with the corporation to be able to stay in Augusta and give my children a hometown to grow up in," Mr. Holleran said. "That was important to me and my wife."

As the prices of lead and copper, two key materials for the company's vehicles, continue to skyrocket, Mr. Holleran says that E-Z-GO must work to stay ahead of the game. The manufacturer uses lead for batteries and copper for vehicle motors.

"What we face as headwind from the commodities standpoint is really unprecedented in the market that we participate in," Mr. Holleran said. "You feel it at the pump; we feel it in the form of lead and copper.

"Like any organization, we have inefficiencies in everything we do -- how we design, build and promote. That makes it even more critical for us to understand how we can improve our own internal processes to identify cost savings."

Founded in 1954, E-Z-GO, a Textron Inc. company, is part of a $13.2 billion corporation that operates in 34 countries. The company's sprawling headquarters in Augusta, which measure 650,000 square feet, serve as the E-Z-GO's sole manufacturing facility, which has clients worldwide.

E-Z-GO's products include the Shuttle Personnel Carrier, ST Trail Utility vehicles and the Clays Car, the world's first vehicle designed for the sporting clays shooter.

Most recently, E-Z-GO launched the RXV golf car, which has numerous innovations, including AC (alternating current) drive, which is unprecedented for a golf car; others use DC (direct current) drive, dual-braking and an environmentally friendly electric system that requires less energy to charge and operate.

E-Z-GO also manufactures the Cushman line of heavy-duty vehicles and industrial, turf and utility vehicles for a variety of applications and industries.

Mr. Holleran says that he is especially proud of the new RXV.

"To a golfer or someone who buys it for a gated community, you'll see a lot of firsts in it -- from the ergonomics and the comfort of operation," he said. "I'm very excited. It's come from numerous years of listening to our customers."

On a typical day at E-Z-GO, manufacturing crews are hard at work on the RXVs in a new, state-of-the-art facility. E-Z-GO has implemented production techniques from the world's most successful manufacturing companies, such as Toyota and BMW, said John Collins, the plant manager.

A large, electronic scoreboard keeps tabs of the workers' progress inside the plant -- errors, number of products produced, etc. Each assembly line is streamlined for continuous production, and parts are brought to the employee rather than transporting them across the plant, to save time and energy.

Workers use electric power tools that measure torque and angle for increased precision, and assembly lines are ergonomically friendly so the product can be adjusted to a worker's height. Parts are also scanned to eliminate product defects, and E-Z-GO has even increased its lighting from 30 to 120 foot-candles to assist workers' visibility.

The RXV assembly line is patterned after the line for the Harley-Davidson sport vehicle, Mr. Collins said.

With more than 1,000 employees under his command, Mr. Holleran continues to promote the company's established Six Sigma and "lean manufacturing" principles, which are focused on making products faster and less expensively while still maintaining quality.

He said Textron's president and CEO, Lewis Campbell, was recently interviewed in USA Today about the company's Six Sigma focus.

"That culture has permeated everything that we do," Mr. Holleran said.

Also, in efforts to beat the clock, E-Z-GO has a dozen engineers stationed in Bangalore, India, to "capitalize on a 24-hour workday."

"As we're going home, they're going to work," he said. There is a 12-hour time difference between the U.S. and India, so someone is always working.

Growth is also among Mr. Holleran's top priorities.

"Too much of our marketing and sales revenue is North American-based. It's a big world out there, and in my opinion, we haven't focused enough outside the North American marketplace," he said.

Although golf consumers are E-Z-GO's core clients, Mr. Holleran believes the company should branch out.

"In the last two years, which is a first since the '40s, there have been more course closures in the U.S. than there have been course openings," he said. "That's a signal that at least in North America, the golf game is flat."

He wants to target international golf customers, the hunting and fishing industries, and homeowners in gated or planned communities who want to save gas while making short trips to the store or community pool.

There's also a growing market in parts and accessories, which allows consumers to personalize their golf car, with features such as paint colors and emblems to represent their alma mater, two-toned seats and chrome trim.

From his years in business, Mr. Holleran has learned the importance of satisfying customers. He is targeting all aspects of the company to establish customer loyalty and wants to keep customers coming back for repurchases or recommend E-Z-GO products to friends.

He has even launched an employee recognition program called Passion for Premiere to award employees for quality work and dedication.

Reach LaTina Emerson at (706) 823-3227 or latina.emerson@augustachronicle.com.