Press Releases

80 Outstanding Projects and Individual Manufacturing 4.0 Leaders to Be Honored at the Manufacturing Leadership Summit

The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, today unveiled the list of world-class manufacturing companies and individual leaders set to receive recognition as winners of the 2019 Manufacturing Leadership Awards. ML Awards winners and their partners will be honored on June 12, 2019, at a gala celebration that concludes the 15th annual Manufacturing Leadership Summit in Huntington Beach, Calif. In addition, the High Achiever Awards in each category, Manufacturers of the Year, the Manufacturing Leader of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award winners, will be announced at the gala.

To see the list of the 2019 Manufacturing Leadership Awards winners, click here.

“Congratulations to all of the 2019 Manufacturing Leadership Awards winners,” said Manufacturing Leadership Council Co-Founder, Vice President and Executive Director David R. Brousell. “By embracing new technologies and bold ideas, these teams and individual leaders are redefining the meaning of manufacturing excellence and demonstrating the transformative power of Manufacturing 4.0.”

The 80 projects and individuals on the list of ML Awards winners represent small and large enterprises in a wide range of manufacturing markets. They all leverage best-in-class processes, technologies and engaged teams to set themselves apart from the competition. Winners for 2019 include Ford, IBM, Cisco Systems, Merck, The Dow Chemical Company, Northrop Grumman and Saint-Gobain.

Now in its 15th year, the ML Awards program honors organizations and individuals that are shaping the future of global manufacturing. Entries are submitted in 11 categories. Nominations are evaluated and scored by a panel of expert judges. Nine categories are for outstanding projects by a manufacturing company. Project categories include Artificial Intelligence and Analytics Leadership, Industrial Internet of Things Leadership, Operational Excellence Leadership and Talent Management Leadership. Two categories, Visionary Leadership and Next-Generation Leadership, recognize the achievements of individual manufacturing leaders.

The ML Summit is a one-of-kind interactive gathering of manufacturing leaders from around the world. The theme for the 2019 Summit is “Manufacturing 4.0: Going for Gold—Strategies to Identify and Deliver Business Value from the Digital Revolution’s Next Phase.” Featured speakers include Peter Holicki, Senior Vice President, Operations Manufacturing & Engineering Environment, Health & Safety Operations, Dow Chemical Co., and the recipient of the 2018 Manufacturing Leader of the Year Award.

The nomination period for the 2020 Manufacturing Leadership Awards will open in September.

Expert judges for the 2019 ML Awards were:

David R. Brousell
Co-Founder, Vice President, Executive Director
Manufacturing Leadership Council

Billy Bardin
Global Operations Technology Director
The Dow Chemical Company

Ronald Castro
Vice President, Supply Chain
IBM

Caralynn Collens
CEO
UI Labs

Michele D’Alessandro
Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Manufacturing IT
Merck & Co., Inc.

John Gagel
Global Senior Manager, Corporate Sustainability
Lexmark International

Allison Grealis
Founder and President
Women in Manufacturing

Brad Heath
CEO
VirTex Enterprises

Dennis Hoeg
Vice President
North America Chief Operating Officer
Nexteer Automotive

Praveen Jonnala
Vice President, Global Business Solutions Development
Commscope

Michael Packer
Director, Advanced Manufacturing Programs
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works

T Sarangarajan
Senior Vice President, Operations
Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited

Selden O. Swain
Global Head of Production
Triumph Intertrade AG

Val Zanchuk
President
Graphicast Inc.

-MLC-

Founded in 2008, and now a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s mission is to inspire and support manufacturing executives to achieve transformational growth for themselves, their companies and the industry at large through enlightened leadership. With more than 1,300 senior-level members from many of the world’s leading manufacturing companies, the MLC focuses on the intersection of advanced digital technologies and the business, identifying growth and improvement opportunities in the operation, organization and leadership of manufacturing enterprises as they pursue their journeys to Manufacturing 4.0.

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.8 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

733 10th St. NW, Suite 700 • Washington, DC 20001 • (202) 637-3000

To learn more about the Manufacturing Leadership Awards, review the award categories, learn more about the ML Awards Judges and judging criteria, go to https://mlawards.manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com/