2012 Washington Manufacturing Awards

Manufacturing didnt cause the Great Recession, but it certainly felt the effects. Now its leading the charge out of the downturn, both in Washington and nationally. Manufacturing employment in this state is up by more than 20,000 jobs from a year ago.

And no, its not just Boeing. From aerospace to medical devices to food processing to trucks and boats, companies are making things and hiring people to make them.

Loren Lyon sees that activity firsthand. Lyon, CEO of Seattle-based Magic Wheels Inc. and one of the judges for Seattle Business magazines 2012 Washington Manufacturing Awards, also serves as president of Keiretsu Forum Northwests Eastside chapter. In that capacity, he helps review applications from startups and young companies seeking financing. Close to one-third of the applications come from enterprises looking to make a product, he says.

You can get kind of pessimistic when you read the papers about the status and fortunes of manufacturing, Lyon notes. But seeing the stories of companies looking to Keiretsu for funding or entering the Washington Manufacturing Awards is one of the really encouraging things and one of the fun things about being involved.

So click on the links below to look at the profiles of this years honorees in the Washington Manufacturing Awards and see what makes the sector such a hot topic these daysand why its so cool.

Manufacturing Executive of the Year – Large Company: Randy Gardiner, CEO, Red Dot Corporation, Tukwila; Midsize Company: Craig Dias, General Manager, Haskins Steel Company, Spokane

Manufacturer of the Year – Large Company: nLight Corporation, Vancouver

Manufacturer of the Year – Midsize Company – TIE: Watson Furniture Group, Poulsbo; MacKay Manufacturing, Spokane

Manufacturer of the Year – Small Company: Sage Manufacturing Corporation, Bainbridge Island

Emerging Manufacturer – Method Homes, Seattle

Innovator of the Year – Large Company: Outdoor Research, Seattle

Innovator of the Year – Small Company: CimMed, Algona

Food Processor of the Year – Large Company: TransOcean Products, Bellingham

Food Processor of the Year – Small Company: Ivar’s Seafood, Soup & Sauce Company

Nonprofit Manufacturer of the Year – Orion Industries, Federal Way

Judges:

Ron Benoit, partner, Moss Adams
Loren Lyon, CEO, Magic Wheels Inc.
Tom McLaughlin, executive director, Center for Advanced Manufacturing Puget Sound
Kevin Randolph, director, Harold Frank Engineering Entrepreneurship Institute, Washington State University
Ron Rauch, partner, Clark Nuber
Richard Lee Storch, professor of industrial engineering, University of Washington
John H. Vicklund, president, Impact Washington
Bill Virgin, editor and publisher, Washington Manufacturing Alert
Dave Zepponi, president, Northwest Food Processors Association