The Top Five Manufacturing Awards
And the nominees are…
The glitz, the glamour, the galas - every industry has its ceremonies to celebrate the work of individuals and companies in their industry and manufacturing is no different.
AMFG writes extensively about the fast rate of innovation in manufacturing and the opportunities that arise as a result. The manufacturers outlined below seize these opportunities and place this innovation at the centre of their businesses.
Here we outline 5 of the most significant awards in the manufacturing industry, the winners that receive them and how other companies can learn from their successes.
1. The NTMA Awards
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Courtesy of NTMA Northwestern PA Chapter[/caption]
What:
The National Tooling & Machining Association (NTMA)
What:
“The National Tooling & Machining Association recognizes the high standards of achievement set by our members, our companies and our partners both to the association and to the precision manufacturing community.
Distinguished Service Award - For outstanding service to the Industry by other than NTMA Member Company Representatives
L.A. Sommer Memorial Award - For outstanding and continuing service of the highest magnitude. Emphasis is placed on service to the Association, both of the highest order and over a period of time, connoting excellence in a particular role in NTMA, rather than as a participant in a single event.
Honor Award - For continuing meritorious service and dedication to the industry and/or the Association. Traditionally rendered for longevity of service and/or dedication, as opposed to a single act or service in a short-time industry or Association position.
William E. Hardman Award for Excellence in Training- For a company or individual that has consistently demonstrated strong support and active participation in structured training for the precision custom manufacturing industry.”
When:
Thursday, October 17th 2024, 8:00 am - 9:30 am
Where:
Engage 2024 - Nashville
Meet the winners:
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Image courtesy of Sirois Tool[/caption]
In 2023, the coveted L.A. Sommer Memorial Award was won by Alan Ortner. Ortner is CEO and President of Sirois Tool Company which manufactures “precision tooling, gages and parts for many industries.”
Joining Sirois in 1978, Ortner has spent almost half a century at the company. His impressive record doesn’t stop there, he has also held committee and board membership at a number of other organisations including the NTMA, the Tooling and Machining Foundation (NTMF) and the Advanced Manufacturing Practices and Education Development (AMPED).
With this level of service under his belt, it’s not difficult to see how Alan Ortner fits the profile for the L.A. Sommer Memorial Award. As Sirois points out, “Named after Louis A. Sommer, a manufacturing pioneer and visionary, the award acknowledges those who have made significant contributions and demonstrated a profound commitment to manufacturing.”
In his expectance speech, Ortner said, “I’m humbled and honored to receive this recognition [...] and I’m grateful to the NTMA and my industry peers, who work hard every day to advance manufacturing in the U.S.”
2. The Machine Tools Innovation Award
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Image courtesy of Cecimo[/caption]
Who:
European Association of Manufacturing Technologies (CECIMO)
What:
“The Machine Tools Innovation (MTI) Awards serve as a platform to recognise and celebrate outstanding contributions to the machine tool industry. Our goal is to spotlight the remarkable achievements of industry players and showcase best practices that drive productivity, growth and profitability. The awards will also provide an excellent opportunity for networking and knowledge sharing among professionals in the field.”
When:
Monday 2nd December 2024
Where:
CECIMO Forum - Brussels
The Reward:
The 3 winners will receive the following:
An invitation to participate in the CECIMO Brussels Forum
Participation in CECIMO Gala Dinner
Publication of the winning innovative project in the annual CECIMO magazine
Promotion on CECIMO’s social media channels
Free booth at EMO Hannover 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for production technology.
Meet the Winners:
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Image courtesy of Aldakin small[/caption]
In a recent article, AMFG highlighted the complications that can arise when machining composites, including the production of dangerous byproducts. The winners of the 2023 MTI awards were recognised for their important work on this crucial issue.
Aldakin Automation S.L. took home the prize for their project on: “Eliminating human exposure to potentially carcinogenic dust and increasing robot performance in machining of composite parts.”
According to Aldakin’s parent company AFM Cluster, “the winning project consists of a machining robot, whose objective for machining composites is to replace conventional milling machines with a safe, precise and cost-effective robot. The robot is capable of vacuuming 98% of the dust generated and achieving an impressive accuracy of +/- 0.15 mm. This level of accuracy is three times higher than conventional robots and exceeds the tolerance requirements of the aerospace industry, which is less than +/- 0.25 mm.”
3. Manufacturing Leadership Awards
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Image courtesy of NAM[/caption]
Who:
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
What:
Here’s a selection of some of the awards up for grabs:
Manufacturers of the Year, AI and Machine Learning,
Collaborative Ecosystems
Digital Network Connectivity
Digital Supply Chains
Engineering and Production Technology
Operational Excellence
Transformational Business Cultures
When:
Wednesday 5th June 2024
Where:
Marco Island, Florida
Meet the past winners:
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Image courtesy of Cooley Group 1[/caption]
This year saw big wins for the global manufacturer of high-performance polymeric solutions Cooley Group at the Manufacturing Leadership Awards. Most significantly, Daniel Dwight was named Manufacturing Leader of the Year for his work on investing in technology. According to NAM, “Dwight has overseen a significant turnaround in Cooley’s business performance through digital transformation with a commitment to investing in smart factory technologies and developing a digital-ready workforce and business culture.”
As well as spending 13 years at Cooley Group, Dwight is a board member of multiple manufacturing organisations including the NAM, Kenney Manufacturing and Family Service of Rhode Island.
Cooley Group also won the award for Small/Medium Enterprise Manufacturer of Year and its Manufacturing 4.0 projects were nominated for various awards including for AI and Machine Learning, Operational Excellence and Transformational Business Cultures.
4. Women MAKE Awards
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Image courtesy of Joan Moon small[/caption]
Who:
What:
“Women MAKE Award Honorees and Emerging Leaders have accomplished success within their companies and have proven to be leaders in the industry as a whole. The Institute has also chosen to recognize a select few for the Emerging Leaders category – representing young women who are the future of the industry and have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments at just the beginning of their careers.”
When:
Friday, April 19, 2024
Where: The Anthem—a waterfront concert venue in Washington, D.C.
Meet the Past Winners:
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Image courtesy of Women MAKE small[/caption]
With over 1,000 honourees to date, the Women MAKE Awards have recognised the work of many talented women working in manufacturing.
In 2023 one of these honourees was Maura Smith, General Manager of Toyota Motor North America. Her work in mentoring dozens of women, and supporting the Women Influencing and Impacting Toyota program were recognised in her award.
Similarly, Jennifer Garcia, Senior Environmental Engineer for Hydro Extrusion North America, excels both inside and outside of her job. According to Women MAKE, “As an environmental engineering expert, [Jennifer] works closely with Hydro’s manufacturing operations to ensure operational flexibility is balanced with strict environmental regulations.” Moreover, Jennifer is a volunteer for the Girl Scouts and has served as a member of the Women in Environment group for several years.
The Women MAKE awards also highlight a group of “Emerging Leaders”, women at the start of their careers between the ages of 18 and 30 who are already making a positive impact. One of the 2023 Emerging Leaders was Lubna Alansari Senior Project Engineer SABIC. As the first Saudi woman engineer to join SABIC, Lubna was recognised for being “a leader and innovator in her industry”. Moreover, Lubna is both a mentor to other women engineers at SABIC as well as working with the Society of Women Engineers to host a “campus-wide workshop on microaggressions and unconscious bias.”
5. Manufacturing Awards 2024
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Image courtesy of Make UK[/caption]
Who:
What:
“Across the UK, manufacturers of all sizes are doing amazing things each day. Our awards and competitions put the spotlight firmly on their achievements. Business Growth and Strategy, Developing Future Talent, Energy and Sustainability Sponsored by Inspired PLC, Health, Safety and Wellbeing, SME of the Year and Manufacturer of the Year Sponsored by AWS.”
When:
North East, Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Dinner - 17th October, Ramside Hall, Durham
North West Regional Dinner - 24th October, Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort, Burnley
Midlands and East Regional Dinner - 30th October, Warwick University
South Regional Dinner - 5th November, Old Thorns, Liphook, Hampshire
Wales Regional Dinner - 7th November, The Vale, Hensol, Cardiff
Meet the winners:
[caption id="attachment_41635" align="alignnone" width="1000"]
Bristol Make UK Regional Dinner[/caption]
In 2023 BASF was awarded the coveted title of Make UK’s manufacturer of the year. BASF is a company specialising in sustainable chemistry as well as working to increase engagement within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Based in Stockport, UK, “BASF STEM Ambassadors are a team of volunteers who dedicate their efforts to support STEM education and engagement across three local primary schools.”
According to Helen Clayton, BASF STEM Ambassador, “BASF’s societal engagement policy aims to encourage young people to see the breadth of STEM careers and see themselves as scientists – across our sites we engage with our local community and spread that message amongst local schools.”
2023 was a night to remember for BASF who also received the runner-up prize of Engineering Apprentice Rising Star.
Honourable mentions:
Modern Machine Shop - Top Job Shops
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Image courtesy of Modern Machine Shop 1[/caption]
Who:
What:
“Honors Program winners have been announced for Modern Machine Shop’s annual Top Shops benchmarking program in the categories of machining technology, shopfloor practices, business strategies and human resources.”
When:
IMTS, September 9th - 14th 2024
Where:
Chicago, USA
Meet the winners:
[caption id="attachment_41651" align="alignnone" width="1000"]
Image courtesy of Modern Machine Shop 2[/caption]
Stecker Machine Company is on a mission to “prevail instead of fail”, the key to that? Investing in its people. To achieve this, Stecker Machine company designs its processes around its people instead of vice versa.
This is achieved in a variety of ways from building the workflow around the needs of the people from using the Plex ERP system which provides machinists with instructions for each job to the fact that “ Nearly every position, including most managers and engineers, is filled by someone who began as an operator on one of the company’s machine tools.”
All of this is geared towards supporting its employees to succeed. According to Modern Machine Shop: Stecker has found that a company can show its employees they are valued by behaving as though they are valuable. At every stage of production, management operates from the position that it should be helping its employees succeed.
THE MANUFACTURER TOP 100
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Image courtesy of The Manufacturer[/caption]
Who:
What:
“Now in its 11th year, The Manufacturer Top 100 scours the length and breadth of the nation to find the 100 most dynamic leaders and innovators in manufacturing, nominated by The Manufacturer’s audience, the industrial community and judged by a panel of industry leaders, academics and manufacturing associations.
The Manufacturer Top 100 celebrates the heroes of UK manufacturing and recognises their contribution to Net Zero, Digital Transformation, Innovation and Leadership. We shine a spotlight on Unsung Heroes, Sector Activists and the Young Pioneers making an impact in the industry disproportionate to their years.”
When:
5 June 2024
Where:
the NEC Birmingham
Meet the winners:
[caption id="attachment_41649" align="alignnone" width="1000"]
Image courtesy of Manufacturer Top 100[/caption]
2023’s cohort of The Manufacturer Top 100 celebrated a range of talented individuals with a diverse range of experience and achievements on offer. Exemplars include people such as Claire Aitchison, Executive Operations Leader at Druck, a UK-based company specialising in pressure measurement.
Aitchison was classed as an Inspiring Leader for her work in lean manufacturing, overseeing a £250,000 project to increase utilisation of workforce and equipment. As well as this, Aitchison is also a keen proponent of mentoring and encouraging greater participation in manufacturing.
Another Exemplar is Gareth Barker, Chief Operating Officer at Sheffield Forgemasters. Barker was recognised for his work as an Innovator and Inspiring Leader for his decades of work at Sheffield Forgemasters. Barker boasts an impressive career from starting as an apprentice, becoming the youngest Operations Director in the company’s history and then COO in 2021.
Barker has made major strides in recapitalisation, side-wide flood proofing and delivering on his duties for major stakeholders.
Conclusion
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Image courtesy of Cooley Group[/caption]
As AMFG has discussed before, the work of manufacturing is vital but often overlooked.
It’s no secret to many that manufacturing suffers from an “image problem”, affected by negative perceptions of the industry. If we’re asking what positive images we want to associate with manufacturing then we can look no further than events such as the Make UK Gala.
Each of these awards and the winners that receive them are a testament to the hard work and passion some individuals have for manufacturing. Moreover, some of these individuals have gone above and beyond, not just in their own work but also by giving up their time to encourage others to learn about manufacturing and offer them opportunities to go further.
It is also inspiring to see the vast amount of diversity among the winners, from family-owned machine shops to international firms. Companies of all sizes have their part to play in driving the future of manufacturing innovation.
Savvy manufacturers will keep an eye on these awards, not simply so they can apply themselves but also to emulate the values championed by its recipients. Innovation, service and education are what make manufacturing great and the companies that do those things.
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