The North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP) recognizes manufacturing excellence across North Carolina and honors manufacturers that deliver exceptional performance.
Winners will be honored during the 2023 North Carolina Manufacturing Conference, MFGCON, on April 20-21, 2023 at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The 2023 NCMEP Leadership in Manufacturing Awards will be presented to manufacturing facilities in North Carolina with 500 or fewer employees demonstrating excellence in the below categories. The programs or initiatives related to the area of consideration must have been established for a minimum of two years. If you’re a past category winner, you’re not eligible to win that category again for five years.
Awards will be presented in the following categories:
DEVELOPING MARKETS/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD
The Developing Markets/Economic Development award is decided by the economic impact of the manufacturer on its community, such as the overall economic impact, an increase in the overall tax base, the creation of new jobs, or criteria relevant to the community goals.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AWARD
The Continuous Improvement Award is presented to the organization that exemplifies the use of systems of continuous improvement methodology that drive organizational behaviors aligned to a visual, detailed action plan and timeline. Reviewers will be looking for evidence that standards and work instructions are simple and visual for all work processes. It is important to provide examples of improvements made by following a scientific method, such as PDCA, or DMAIC methodology.
INNOVATION AWARD
The selection of the Innovation Award winner will be based on how the company uses innovation to improve their business. We seek evidence that the manufacturer achieved results in specific areas of innovation, such as the commercialization of new products.
ADVANCED TALENT MANAGEMENT/WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AWARD
The Advanced Talent Management/Workforce Development Award will be presented to the manufacturer that has demonstrated excellence in workforce development, through employee retention, recruitment, and training. We will look for evidence of the use of educational workforce development opportunities and secondary or post-secondary education from community colleges, universities, or workforce boards to support the development of a pipeline of skilled and qualified new and existing employees.
SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING AWARD
The Sustainable Manufacturing Award criteria is based on outstanding sustainable practices, measurable environmental or energy savings related to production processes, product design, or product life cycle.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH AWARD
The Community Outreach Award is presented to the manufacturer that has impacted communities in North Carolina. Selection is based on efforts in community engagement and the measurable impact of those efforts.
EXCELLENCE IN MANUFACTURING AWARD
The Excellence in Manufacturing Award winner honors the manufacturer that demonstrates exemplary practices across all areas of manufacturing – workforce development, sustainability, innovation, emerging markets/economic development, and continuous improvement.
CEO OF THE YEAR
A new award in 2023 – Presented jointly by the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP) and Business North Carolina Magazine. This award recognizes the North Carolina CEO of the Year. The award is given to a CEO who has led strong company success over the past year in areas of revenue growth, innovation, company culture enhancement, or employee retention.