2024 Manufacturing Leadership Award Finalists Recognized for Achievements in Smart Factories, Sustainability, AI and More
June 5 gala will recognize companies and individuals that are leading digital manufacturing transformation
Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, the digital transformation division of the National Association of Manufacturers, today revealed the list of world-class manufacturing companies and individual leaders recognized as finalists for the 2024 Manufacturing Leadership Awards, the 20th season of the industry’s premier awards program for achievements in digital manufacturing.
“More than ever, manufacturers are finding that digital technology investment is good for business as they achieve new levels of performance in efficiency, productivity and innovation,” said MLC Founder, Vice President and Executive Director David R. Brousell. “The finalists that we are recognizing for this year’s awards have demonstrated not just the business benefit of Manufacturing 4.0 technology, but also a fresh and imaginative approach to applying it in a transformative way.”
The 2024 awards feature nine project categories to recognize company achievements in the areas of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; Collaborative Ecosystems; Digital Network Connectivity; Digital Supply Chains; Engineering and Production Technology; Enterprise Integration and Technology; Operational Excellence; Sustainability and the Circular Economy; and Transformational Business Cultures. Additionally, individual leaders are recognized in the Digital Transformation Leadership and Next-Generation Leadership categories. Award nominations were judged by a distinguished group of manufacturing leaders from across the industry.
“Each year, we see entries from manufacturers of all sizes, from a wide mix of industries and from locations around the world all telling different versions of the same story: digital is transformational,” said MLC Senior Content Director Penelope Brown, who is head of the awards program. “The quality and sophistication of this year’s award entries were outstanding. Many projects demonstrate how M4.0 investments are positioned for significant business model improvements. Additionally, the individuals recognized in the Digital Transformation Leadership and Next-Generation Leadership categories are exemplary leaders now and for the future.”
Select award winners will present their projects at the MLC’s Rethink Summit, which will take place at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Florida June 2–5. Rethink, also now in its 20th year, is the industry’s leading event for exploring manufacturing’s digital era. Details are available here.
“This year’s program will examine the past, present and future of digital manufacturing, and we are proud that the MLC has had an important role in building a community of leaders and organizations that are leading the charge,” Brousell said. “Whether this is your first time at Rethink or your 15th, you will always come away with new connections, new aspirations and new ideas that you can implement right away.”
All finalists will be recognized onstage at the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala, following the Rethink Summit, on Wednesday, June 5, at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Also to be announced at the gala will be category winners for all project and individual categories, winners of the Manufacturing in 2030 Award, the Manufacturing Leader of the Year, the Small/Medium Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year and the Large Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year. See a complete list of finalists here.
Nominations for the 2025 Manufacturing Leadership Awards will open in September.
-MLC-
Founded in 2008 and now a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s mission is to help manufacturing companies transition to the digital model of manufacturing by focusing on the technological, organizational and leadership dimensions of change. With more than 2,500 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.