Meetings where
knowledge is shared.
Manufacturing companies visit each other's factories, share practical experience and meet the people behind the improvements. Explore the meetings through videos and photographs.
Lean Champions Meeting – Q4 2026
Three different events: factory visits, improvement project presentations and the annual finale.
13 November 2026 — TVH Bulgaria Ltd. and Linamar Light Metals Ruse Ltd., Ruse
One day, two manufacturing sites: introductions by the hosts, factory tours and a practical exchange of experience.
Tentative agenda:
| Time | Agenda |
|---|---|
| 10:15–10:30 | Arrival at TVH Bulgaria Ltd. |
| 10:30–10:45 | TVH Bulgaria Ltd. introduction |
| 10:45–11:45 | TVH Bulgaria Ltd. factory tour |
| 11:45–12:00 | Break |
| 12:00–12:10 | Transfer to Linamar Light Metals Ruse Ltd. |
| 12:10–13:00 | Lunch, safety briefing and break |
| 13:00–13:15 | Linamar Light Metals Ruse Ltd. introduction |
| 13:15–14:15 | Linamar Light Metals Ruse Ltd. factory tour |
| 14:15–14:30 | Closing remarks |
18 December 2026 — Wegmann Automotive Bulgaria Ltd., Gabrovo
The Q4 quarterly meeting will feature presentations of the Q4 2026 improvement projects, discussion of results and knowledge sharing among Lean Champions participants.
8 January 2027 — Lean Champions 2026 Annual Ceremony, Parvomay
Host: Intuitive.
The highlight of the year: reviewing results, recognising participants and celebrating the progress achieved by their teams. The new companies joining Lean Champions in 2027 will also be welcomed.
Guest companies may attend after confirming availability with the organisers.
Request a guest visit
Lean Champions · The community after completing its first annual cycle
Select a meeting from the archive to view its report, video and photographs.
Lean Champions 2026 – Meeting #8 at APS Trading Ltd.
📅 18 September 2026
Meeting #8 of Lean Champions 2026 began at APS Trading Ltd. in Botevgrad – the first of two host companies that opened their doors to the community on the same day.
APS Trading Ltd. has been part of Lean Champions since the initiative's first year. Returning to the company gave participants another opportunity to meet the team, see the manufacturing environment first-hand and follow the progress and ongoing improvement work.
As with every Lean Champions meeting, the focus was on real processes, practical exchange of experience and conversations with the people behind the improvements. This open exchange between companies is what turns every visit into a new opportunity to learn and improve.
Watch meeting #8 video — English version
Meeting gallery
Lean Champions 2026 – Meeting #9 at NIKI Ltd.
📅 18 September 2026
The second part of the day brought the Lean Champions community to NIKI Ltd. in Pravets – a company that has been part of the initiative since the very beginning.
Following the morning visit to APS Trading Ltd. in Botevgrad, participants continued to NIKI Ltd., where they had the opportunity to take a closer look at the manufacturing environment, meet the people and see the improvements the team has been working on.
The meeting continued one of the core ideas behind Lean Champions – companies opening their factories to one another, showing the real work and sharing what they have learned along the way. Not only the final results, but also the process, the decisions and the people behind them.
Watch meeting #9 video — English version
Meeting gallery
Q1 2025 Lean Champions Meeting
Date: 23 April 2025
The first Lean Champions community meeting was hosted by Kostal Bulgaria Automotive Ltd.. The programme combined an introduction to the initiative, practical exchange and the first participant presentations.
Participating teams:
- APS Trading Ltd.
- Alcomet AD — Automotive Team
- Alcomet AD — Presses Team
- Kostal Bulgaria Automotive Ltd.
- LEM Bulgaria Ltd.
- Linamar Light Metals Ruse Ltd.
- NIKI Ltd.
- TVH Bulgaria Ltd.
Selected photographs from the event:
Selected photographs from this meeting are shown in the gallery below.
Q2 2025 Lean Champions Meeting
Date: 4 July 2025
Alcomet AD hosted the community in Shumen for a plant tour, Lean project presentations and an exchange of practical manufacturing experience.
Participating teams:
- APS Trading Ltd.
- Alcomet AD — Automotive Team
- Alcomet AD — Presses Team
- Kostal Bulgaria Automotive Ltd.
- LEM Bulgaria Ltd.
- Linamar Light Metals Ruse Ltd.
- NIKI Ltd.
- TVH Bulgaria Ltd.
Selected photographs from the event:
Selected photographs from this meeting are shown in the gallery below.
Q3 2025 Lean Champions Meeting
Date: 3 October 2025
Linamar Light Metals Ruse Ltd. and TVH Bulgaria Ltd. jointly hosted the Q3 meeting. Participants shared Kaizen work, visited production areas and reviewed 5S and autonomous-maintenance practices.
Participating teams:
- Linamar Light Metals Ruse Ltd.
- TVH Bulgaria Ltd.
- Kostal Bulgaria Automotive Ltd.
- APS Trading Ltd.
- LEM Bulgaria Ltd.
- Alcomet AD — Automotive Team
- Alcomet AD — Presses Team
- NIKI Ltd.
Selected photographs from the event:
Selected photographs from this meeting are shown in the gallery below.
Q4 2025 Lean Champions Meeting
Date: Q4 2025
The Q4 meeting included visits to APS Trading Ltd. and NIKI Ltd., practical demonstrations, project presentations and an exchange of good practices.
Participating teams:
- Kostal Bulgaria Automotive Ltd.
- APS Trading Ltd.
- NIKI Ltd.
- LEM Bulgaria Ltd.
- Alcomet AD — Automotive Team
- Alcomet AD — Presses Team
- Linamar Light Metals Ruse Ltd.
- TVH Bulgaria Ltd.
Selected photographs from the event:
Selected photographs from this meeting are shown in the gallery below.
Lean Champions 2025 Annual Assessment
Date: 8–9 January 2026
The two-day annual assessment in Pravets and Botevgrad brought together the final Q4 project presentations, international-jury assessment and the annual awards ceremony.
Selected photographs from the event:
Selected photographs from this meeting are shown in the gallery below.
Lean Champions 2026 Visit to LEM Bulgaria Ltd.
Date: 17 February 2026
Participants toured the plant, observed the production environment and exchanged practical improvement experience.
Selected photographs from the event:
Selected photographs from this meeting are shown in the gallery below.
Lean Champions 2026 Visit to AQ Plastronic AD
Date: 24 March 2026
The visit focused on the real production environment, a plant tour and the exchange of practical Lean experience between participants.
Selected photographs from the event:
Selected photographs from this meeting are shown in the gallery below.
Q1 2026 Lean Champions Meeting at Südwolle Group Italy — Bulsafil
Date: 24 April 2026
The first quarterly meeting of 2026 combined Q1 project presentations, participant voting and ranking, a plant visit and cross-company learning.
Selected photographs from the event:
Selected photographs from this meeting are shown in the gallery below.
Lean Champions 2026 Meeting at Kostal Bulgaria Automotive Ltd.
Date: 22 May 2026
The meeting focused on a plant tour, team development, good-practice exchange and the role of people in sustaining a Lean culture.
Selected photographs from the event:
Selected photographs from this meeting are shown in the gallery below.
Lean Champions 2026 Meeting at Jacobs Douwe Egberts BG Ltd.
Date: 12 June 2026
Participants explored Jacobs Douwe Egberts BG Ltd.'s approach to continuous improvement through a plant tour, practical discussion and shared Lean experience.
Selected photographs from the event:
Selected photographs from this meeting are shown in the gallery below.
Q2 2026 Lean Champions Meeting at Ottobock Manufacturing Bulgaria Ltd.
Date: 3 July 2026
The second quarterly meeting of 2026 covered Q2 progress and projects, a plant tour and practical exchange between companies from different industries.
Selected photographs from the event:
Selected photographs from this meeting are shown in the gallery below.
Lean Champions 2026 Meeting No. 7 at Alcomet AD
Date: 7 August 2026
The seventh meeting returned to Alcomet AD for a plant tour, direct observation at the gemba and practical discussion of manufacturing solutions.
Selected photographs from the event:
Selected photographs from this meeting are shown in the gallery below.
Lean Champions 2026 — Meeting #11 at Mebel Stil Ltd.
On 16 October 2026, Mebel Stil Ltd. hosted Lean Champions meeting #11 in Targovishte.
Participants visited its manufacturing operations and Modera House, the company’s new factory for prefabricated wooden houses.
The visits focused on real production processes, work organization and practical exchange between the participating teams.
The video from the meeting at Mebel Stil Ltd. and Modera House is coming soon.
Meeting gallery
