Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, today revealed the list of world-class manufacturing companies and individual leaders recognized as finalists for the 2023 Manufacturing Leadership Awards, the industry’s premier awards program for achievements in digital manufacturing.

“As more manufacturers extend digital’s reach onto the factory floor and throughout their operations, we are witnessing transformative performance improvements that would have been unthinkable just a few short years ago—and that are improving life for employees and customers alike,” said MLC Co-Founder, Vice President and Executive Director David R. Brousell. “The finalists recognized for this year’s awards represent the pinnacle of those achievements and exemplify possibilities for digital manufacturing.”

Select award winners will present their projects at Rethink: The Manufacturing Leadership Council Summit, the industry’s leading event for exploring manufacturing’s digital era. “Rethink is a must-attend for any manufacturer who wants to know more about digital transformation, whether they are just starting the journey or are much further along,” Brousell said. “It’s an unparalleled opportunity for manufacturing leaders to connect and learn from each other and then apply those learnings to their own businesses.”

Background: All finalists will be recognized on stage at the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala, which will take place at 7:00 p.m. EDT on June 28, 2023, at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Florida.

Also announced at the gala will be 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 the complete list of 2023 Manufacturing Leadership Award finalists here.

The 2023 awards feature nine project categories to recognize company achievements:

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• Collaborative Ecosystems
• Digital Network Connectivity
• Digital Supply Chains
• Engineering and Production Technology
• Enterprise Technology Integration
• Operational Excellence
• Sustainability and the Circular Economy
• Transformational Business Cultures

Additionally, individual leaders are recognized in the Digital Transformation Leadership and Next-Generation Leadership categories.

Rethink will take place at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Florida on June 26–28, 2023. Details are available here. Nominations for the 2024 Manufacturing Leadership Awards will open in August.

Marco Island, Fla. – The National Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturing Leadership Council has named Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla the 2022 Manufacturing Leader of the Year. The award was presented to Bourla at the 18th annual Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala for the company’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a recorded presentation, Dr. Bourla highlighted the work of Mike McDermott, Pfizer’s chief global supply officer and executive vice president and NAM Executive Committee member, and his team of more than 30,000 colleagues and contractors to ensure uninterrupted supply for Pfizer’s entire product portfolio, which includes hundreds of medicines and vaccines—more than 38 billion doses each year—and the manufacturing and global distribution of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and COVID-19 oral antiviral.

“Manufacturing in America today is stronger thanks to the leadership of Dr. Bourla and his team at Pfizer, including our Executive Committee member Mike McDermott. Albert and Mike’s passion and dedication to defeating COVID-19 set an example for thousands of companies as our industry navigated and responded to the evolving pandemic, and their leadership and innovation will make us better prepared to respond to the next crisis,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “I also want to recognize the crucial work of the other winners this year, again proving that a competitive manufacturing sector is the key to solving the problems of today and tomorrow.”

The award ceremony took place at Rethink: The Manufacturing Leadership Council Summit, which examines digital manufacturing as it intersects with technology, organizations and leadership, at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Florida June 27–29.

“Manufacturers continue to be the driving force for global economic recovery and pandemic response as they establish innovative ways to problem-solve in an increasingly complex environment,” said MLC Co-Founder, Vice President and Executive Director David R. Brousell. “Those recognized tonight have helped establish a roadmap for the future of the sector and highlight the importance of Manufacturing 4.0.”

In recognition of the highest scoring projects in each award category, the MLC also announced the following High Achievers:

AI and Machine Learning
AB InBev

Collaborative Ecosystems
Protolabs

Digital Network Connectivity
AB InBev

Digital Supply Chains
Dow Inc.

Engineering and Production Technology
General Motors

Enterprise Integration Technology
(Tie) Flex
(Tie) Johnson & Johnson

Operational Excellence
AB InBev

Sustainability
AUO Corporation

Transformative Cultures
ALOM Technologies

Editor’s Choice
Flex – LISA Line Stop Assistant

MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR – Small/Medium Enterprise
Protolabs

MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR – Large Enterprise
AB InBev

The 2023 Manufacturing Leadership Awards season will open to nominations on Aug. 15, 2022. Information about the awards program is available here.

-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.

-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 12.7 million men and women, contributes $2.71 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 58% 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 NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, today revealed the list of world-class manufacturing companies and individual leaders set to receive recognition as winners of the 2022 Manufacturing Leadership Awards, the industry’s premier awards program for achievements in digital manufacturing.

“This year’s winners are exemplary for their compelling use of technology, innovative approach to problem solving and overall commitment to furthering the progress of Manufacturing 4.0,” said MLC Co-Founder, Vice President and Executive Director David R. Brousell. “These achievements have helped manufacturers boost their competitive position and realize significant performance improvements even in the most challenging business conditions.”

The 2022 awards season featured nine company-level categories to recognize high-performing projects in the areas of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; Collaborative Ecosystems; Digital Network Connectivity; Digital Supply Chains; Engineering and Production Technology; Enterprise Technology Integration; Operational Excellence; Sustainability and the Circular Economy; and Transformational Cultures. Additionally, two individual categories recognizing outstanding leaders were Digital Transformation Leadership and Next-Generation Leadership.

Winners will be recognized at the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala, an in-person event taking place at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 29, at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Florida. The gala will also feature announcements of the High Achiever Awards in each project category, the Manufacturers of the Year and the Manufacturing Leader of the Year. See the complete list of 2022 Manufacturing Leadership Award winners here.

Select award winners will present their projects at Rethink: The Manufacturing Leadership Council Summit, the industry’s leading event for exploring manufacturing’s digital era. “This year’s theme for Rethink is Maximizing the Value from Manufacturing 4.0, and attendees can expect to discover new ideas and tactics for establishing or accelerating their digital strategy, along with many fantastic opportunities to network with other industry leaders,” Brousell said.

Rethink will take place at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Florida June 27–29. Details are available here. Nominations for the 2023 Manufacturing Leadership Awards will open in August.

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, announces the election of Michael D. Packer, former director of production strategy at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, as the new chair of the MLC’s Board of Governors. Previously serving as the MLC Board’s vice chair, Packer succeeds John Fleming, former executive vice president of global manufacturing and labor affairs at Ford Motor Company, who is stepping down from the MLC Board.

Daniel Dwight, president and CEO of Cooley Group, was also elected as the MLC Board’s new vice chair. Both roles are effective from Jan. 1, 2022.

The MLC’s Board of Governors acts as an advisory body providing guidance to the MLC on its “critical issues” agenda, research studies and programs and services for the MLC’s more than 3,000 members. The MLC Board now consists of 16 industry thought leaders who represent the full ecosystem of the manufacturing industry, including large global enterprises, small and medium-sized manufacturers, leading academic institutions and influential industry analysts.

“I am honored to serve as MLC chair and help drive the MLC’s critical mission to accelerate digital transformation across the manufacturing industry,” said Packer. “I look forward to working together with the MLC team and my fellow board members to expand the MLC’s growth in numbers, diversity and impact and help support both MLC and NAM members as they embrace new digital opportunities for the future.”

“As a longtime MLC member and supporter of the Board of Governors’ mission, I am thrilled to extend my MLC role to vice chair,” added Dwight. “Along with supporting the new chair, I am particularly motivated to build greater diversity in the MLC/NAM membership and to give new voices the opportunity to share their experiences in the industry.”

The MLC would like to congratulate them both on their new board positions and to thank former Chair John Fleming for all his insights, guidance and wisdom over the past three years.

-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.

-MLC Board of Governors- The Manufacturing Leadership Board of Governors comprises senior executives and industry experts at leading manufacturing, academic and research organizations around the world, including Lockheed Martin, Procter & Gamble, Dow Chemical, IBM, 3M, Europe’s SmartFactory EU Technology Initiative, Lexmark International, Premio Foods, VirTex Enterprises, Graphicast, the Cooley Group, UCLA, the University of Cincinnati, the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, consultants Frost & Sullivan and the MLC.  

For more information and MLC membership details, please visit  www.manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com.

-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 12.5 million men and women, contributes $2.52 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 58% 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 NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – Dragos, Inc., a global leader in cybersecurity for industrial controls systems (ICS)/operational technology (OT) environments, today announced that it has joined the Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, as its first cybersecurity member. Dragos will bring manufacturing OT cybersecurity expertise—including monitoring, OT asset visibility and vulnerability management and threat analytics—to the broader NAM community.

As a member of the MLC, Dragos will partner with the nation’s foremost executive leadership organization to educate, protect and enable manufacturers to drive transformational growth in their companies at every stage of their digital journey to Manufacturing 4.0. The industry knowledge Dragos brings to the manufacturing cybersecurity environment will help MLC and NAM members accelerate secure adoption of Manufacturing 4.0 for their organizations.

“Dragos joined the MLC because they are at the forefront of helping manufacturers grow and implement the newest technologies. The manufacturing leaders of today require the expertise of companies like Dragos to better understand and address the growth and exposure to cyberthreats,” said Dragos Vice President of Marketing Peter Vescuso. “Dragos will help the MLC and NAM members better understand the need for better ICS/OT cybersecurity as manufacturing systems are increasingly connected.”

“We are excited to welcome Dragos to the MLC,” said David R. Brousell, vice president and executive director of the Manufacturing Leadership Council. “As a leader in ICS/OT cybersecurity, they fill a critical void for our members in understanding and implementing Manufacturing 4.0. technologies in their businesses. The Dragos mission to safeguard civilization hits home, and their experience will add to the value of the MLC for all of our members.”

About 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 12.3 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% 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 NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

About Dragos, Inc

Dragos has a global mission: to safeguard civilization from those trying to disrupt the industrial infrastructure we depend on every day. The practitioners who founded Dragos were drawn to this mission through decades of government and private sector experience.

Dragos codifies the knowledge of our cybersecurity experts into an integrated software platform that provides customers critical visibility into ICS and OT networks so that threats are identified and can be addressed before they become significant events. Our solutions protect organizations across a range of industries, including power and water utilities, energy, and manufacturing, and are optimized for emerging applications like the Industrial Internet of Things.

Dragos is privately held and headquartered in the Washington, D.C., area with regional presence around the world, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the Middle East.

Visit dragos.com for more information.

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, has announced the election of Dr. Rebecca Teeters, senior vice president of fluorochemical stewardship at 3M, to the MLC’s Board of Governors. The MLC is the nation’s foremost executive leadership organization dedicated to driving transformational growth for manufacturing companies along their digital journey to Manufacturing 4.0.

The MLC Board of Governors approved Dr. Teeters’ nomination in a unanimous vote. With this appointment, the MLC Board consists of 18 industry thought leaders who represent the full ecosystem of the manufacturing industry, which includes large global enterprises, small and medium-sized manufacturers, leading academic institutions and influential industry analysts.

As an advisory body, the MLC Board of Governors provides guidance to the MLC on its “critical issues” agenda, research studies, and programs and services for the MLC membership. 3M has been a committed and highly engaged MLC member for many years.

“I am delighted to welcome Rebecca to the Board,” said MLC Board of Governors Chairman John Fleming. “We look forward to working with her and benefiting from her extensive manufacturing industry experience and insights.”

“The Manufacturing Leadership Council is an important forum for innovative companies to collaborate on solutions to some of the biggest challenges affecting the global economy, and I’m proud to represent 3M as a part of it.” said Dr. Teeters. “By bringing 3M science and leadership to the Board, I hope we can build on its history of excellence and accelerate the manufacturing sector’s shift to a more sustainable, successful and resilient future for the communities we serve and operate in.”

Dr. Teeters leads 3M’s ongoing work in environmental stewardship, where she proactively manages the intersection of 3M’s operations and products with the environments where 3M operates around the globe through technology, engagement with peer companies and the public and innovation in product stewardship. In her previous role as Advance 3M, Strategy and Execution Director, she acted as the chief designer and champion of the 3M Execution System (3MEx), working with all business groups, and more than 200 facilities around the globe, to drive operational excellence and rearchitect end-to-end value streams. Other senior 3M roles include Business Group Operations and Lean Six Sigma Director and Value Stream Director of the company’s global Display Materials and Solutions Division (DMSD) Manufacturing and Supply Chain. Dr. Teeters holds a degree in chemistry from the University of Central Missouri and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Missouri–Columbia.

-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.

-MLC Board of Governors-

The Manufacturing Leadership Board of Governors comprises senior executives and industry experts at leading manufacturing, academic and research organizations around the world, including Lockheed Martin, Procter & Gamble, Ford Motor Company, Dow Chemical, Merck, IBM, 3M, Europe’s SmartFactory EU Technology Initiative, Lexmark International, Premio Foods, VirTex Enterprises, Graphicast, the Cooley Group, UCLA, the University of Cincinnati, the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, consultants Frost & Sullivan and the MLC.

For more information and MLC membership details, please visit our new website: www.manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com.

-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 12.3 million men and women, contributes $2.35 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% 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 NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

The 2021 winners of the Manufacturing Leadership Awards were honored at the 17^th annual Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala, hosted by the National Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturing Leadership Council. For the second year in a row, the gala took place as a virtual event.

Dow was named the Large Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year for its enterprise-wide digital transformation encompassing manufacturing, logistics, and operations. Hologic was named the Small/Medium Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year for its workforce cultural transformation, which has positioned the company to take advantage of advanced manufacturing technologies such as data analytics, 3D printing, and machine learning.

In a change from tradition, the Manufacturing Leader of the Year award, usually given to an individual operations executive, was bestowed on the medical supply, biomed, and pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors for their efforts in pandemic response and vaccine production. Also honored were all frontline manufacturing workers for their resilience and perseverance in keeping production lines running throughout the pandemic.

“The past year was possibly the most challenging in modern history for manufacturing operations. But we also saw how critical modern manufacturing is to our society and to our quality of life,” said MLC Co-Founder, Vice President, and Executive Director David R. Brousell. “It was impossible to choose just one leader to represent the tremendous efforts put forth by manufacturers throughout the pandemic, but the sense of hope we are experiencing as life returns to normal is very much thanks to the perseverance and tenacity of manufacturers.”

“These awardees represent the heart of the NAM’s mission: honoring American manufacturing and innovation. It’s no surprise that so many of the innovations that helped us develop and manufacture COVID-19 vaccines and treatments are made right here in the United States,” said PhRMA President and CEO Stephen J. Ubl. “We appreciate the NAM recognizing these advances and our PhRMA member companies’ efforts to end the pandemic.”

Another new addition to this year’s awards gala was the Creators Respond Honor Roll, an acknowledgement of all nominations that were directly tied to pandemic response. The companies on that list are:

• ALOM Technologies
• Anheuser Busch-InBev
• Bridge Publications Inc.
• Dow Inc.
• Flex
• IBM
• Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
• Merck and Co., Inc.
• Roche and Genentech
• Smithfield Foods

Also announced at the gala were this year’s High Achievers, the projects with the highest scores in each category. Those winners included:

• Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics Leadership: IBM for Manufacturing Quality Inspection with AI and Edge Computing
• Collaborative Innovation Leadership: Roche and Genentech for Rapid Technical Transfer
• Engineering and Production Technology Leadership: Anheuser Busch InBev for Project Segue and General Motors for GM Additive Industrialization Center (tie)
• Enterprise Integration and Technology Leadership: Dow for Dow Manufacturing 4.0
• Industrial Internet of Things Leadership: Intertape Polymer Group for Operational Excellence through Digital Transformation
• Operational Excellence Leadership: Lockheed Martin for Aircraft Optical Network Diagnostic System
• Supply Chain Leadership: Corning for Corning Global Supply Management Transformation
• Sustainability Leadership: Owens Corning for Foamular NGX
• Talent Management Leadership: Hologic for Building a Talent Management System for a 4.0 Medical Device Company in Costa Rica

A complete list of 2021 winners is available at https://mlawards.manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com/2021-winners/.

The 2022 Manufacturing Leadership Awards season will open to nominations on August 16, 2021.ML

Online gala takes place May 19

The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, today revealed the list of world-class manufacturing companies and individual leaders set to receive recognition as winners of the 2021 Manufacturing Leadership Awards.

“Tested with challenges they never could have imagined, manufacturers rose to the occasion to keep factories open, sometimes with significant changes to their production and supply chains,”  said David R. Brousell, Co-Founder of the Manufacturing Leadership Council.   “At the same time, manufacturers doubled down on digital transformation as they sought greater agility and flexibility in their businesses. These awards honor the innovation and resolve that manufacturers demonstrate at all times, and especially in times of crisis.”

ML Awards winners will be honored at 4:30 pm EDT on May 19, 2021, during the virtual Manufacturing Leadership Awards gala. In addition, the High Achiever Awards in each category, Manufacturers of the Year, and the Manufacturing Leader of the Year winners will be announced during the gala. Nominations that were specific to COVID-19 response will be honored as part of the Creators Respond Honor Roll, a designation created this year to recognize efforts by manufacturers in the fight against the pandemic.  To see a list of the 2021 Manufacturing Leadership Award winners, click here.

Entries were submitted in 11 categories that honor outstanding achievements by individuals and organizations that are shaping the future of global manufacturing. The nine project categories for 2021 include Artificial Intelligence and Analytics Leadership, Industrial Internet of Things Leadership, Sustainability Leadership and Talent Management Leadership. Individual categories this year were Digital Transformation Leadership and Next-Generation Leadership.

Additionally, nominations that were specific to COVID-19 response will be honored during the virtual gala as part of the Creators Respond Honor Roll.

Select award winners will present their winning projects at Rethink: The Manufacturing Leadership Council Summit, the industry’s leading event for exploring manufacturing’s digital era. “With a theme of Accelerating the Adoption of Manufacturing 4.0, Rethink will include case studies of digital transformation in action, expert insights on leading technologies, and opportunities to network with other industry leaders,” Brousell added.

Rethink will take place online June 22-24, 2021. Details are available here. Nominations for the 2022 Manufacturing Leadership Awards will open in August.

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, has announced the election of Mary Beth Heydrick, vice president of operations for Dow’s performance materials and coatings business segment and operations in North America and a member of Dow’s operations leadership team, to the MLC’s Board of Governors. The MLC is the nation’s foremost executive leadership organization dedicated to driving transformational growth for manufacturing companies along their digital journey to Manufacturing 4.0.

In addition to Heydrick’s appointment, MLC Co-Founder, Vice President and Executive Director David R. Brousell was officially appointed to the MLC Board of Governors as the MLC’s direct representative. The Board of Governors also reelected John Fleming, former executive vice president of global manufacturing and labor affairs at Ford, and Mike Packer, director of production strategy at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, as MLC Board chair and vice chair, respectively, for another year.

The MLC Board of Governors approved Heydrick’s nomination in a unanimous vote. With this appointment, the MLC Board consists of 19 industry thought leaders who represent the full ecosystem of the manufacturing industry, which includes large global enterprises, small and medium-sized manufacturers, leading academic institutions and influential industry analysts.

As an advisory body, the MLC Board of Governors provides guidance to the MLC on its “critical issues” agenda, research studies and programs and services for the MLC membership. Dow has been a committed and highly engaged MLC member for many years.

“I am delighted to welcome Mary Beth to the Board,” said Fleming. “We look forward to working with her and benefiting from her extensive manufacturing industry experience and insights.”

“The role manufacturing plays in driving both economic and social prosperity is a true passion of mine,” stated Heydrick. “The MLC provides a critical voice as companies navigate the ever-changing landscape facing all manufacturers. I look forward to being part of the MLC Board of Governors and providing my insight and expertise now and in the future.”

Heydrick first joined Dow in 1989 and has held a variety of roles of increasing responsibility in both the U.S. and Europe. As vice president of operations for one of Dow’s business segments and geographic regional areas, she is accountable for operations at many of Dow’s locations across the globe. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, Heydrick serves as the Asian Diversity Network North America sponsor, is a strong supporter of Dow’s Women’s Innovation Network, is a council member for Dow’s Global African American Network and is a member of the Society of Women Engineers. She holds a degree in chemical engineering from Michigan State University, is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and is a recipient of The Manufacturing Institute’s STEP Ahead Award, which recognizes women in science, technology, engineering and production careers who exemplify leadership within their companies.

Heydrick replaces former Dow MLC board member David Mongrue, who served on the MLC Board since 2017 and is now retired.

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 2,000 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.

MLC Board of Governors: The Manufacturing Leadership Board of Governors comprises senior executives and industry experts at leading manufacturing, academic and research organizations around the world, including Lockheed Martin, Procter & Gamble, Ford Motor Company, Dow Chemical, Merck, IBM, Europe’s SmartFactory EU Technology Initiative, Lexmark International, Protolabs, Premio Foods, Virtex Enterprises, Graphicast, the Cooley Group, UCLA, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) in the UK, the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, and consultants Frost & Sullivan.

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 12.2 million men and women, contributes $2.32 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector and accounts for 63% 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 NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Virtual Gala Will Take Place Oct. 8

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 2020 Manufacturing Leadership Awards.

“At a time when the industry is more innovative and competitive than it ever has been, these award winners truly stand out as leaders of manufacturing’s digital transformation,” said Manufacturing Leadership Council Co-Founder, Executive Director and Vice President David R. Brousell. “We congratulate them for their outstanding achievements.”

ML Awards winners and their partners will be honored on Oct. 8, 2020, during the virtual ML Awards gala. In addition, the High Achiever Awards in each category, Manufacturers of the Year and the Manufacturing Leadership of the Year winners will be announced during the gala.

To see a list of the 2020 ML Awards winners, click here.

Entries were submitted in 12 categories that honor outstanding achievements by individuals and organizations that are shaping the future of global manufacturing. The nine project categories for 2020 include Artificial Intelligence and Analytics Leadership, Industrial Internet of Things Leadership, Sustainability Leadership and Talent Management Leadership. Individual categories this year were Community Service, Digital Transformation Leadership and Next-Generation Leadership.

Brousell added, “The ML Awards gala is a prelude to Rethink: The Manufacturing Leadership Council Summit, the industry’s leading event for exploring manufacturing’s digital era. Focused on the connection between technology, organization and leadership, Rethink’s agenda includes interactive think tanks, innovative manufacturing case studies and inspiring keynotes. We’re excited to present both events virtually as manufacturers continue to be on the front lines of the COVID-19 response.”

Rethink will take place online Oct. 27–29. Details are available here. Nominations for the 2021 ML Awards season open in September. For more information on the ML Awards program, click here.

Expert judges for the 2020 Manufacturing Leadership Awards were:

• John Barcus, Vice President, Manufacturing Industry Business Unit,Oracle
• David R. Brousell, Co-Founder, Vice President, Executive Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council
• Chandra Brown, CEO, MxD
• Ronald Castro, Vice President, IBM Supply Chain
• Michele D’Alessandro, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Manufacturing IT, Merck & Co., Inc.
• Jim Davis, Vice Provost of IT & CTO, UCLA
• Dan Dwight, President & CEO, Cooley Group
• Stewart McMillan, Chairman/CEO (Retired), Task Force Tips
• Michael Packer, Director, Advanced Manufacturing Programs, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
• Jay Pavlick, SVP and Managing Director, LION Vallen
• Dr. Rebecca Teeters, Strategy and Execution for Enterprise Operations, 3M
• Tony Topencik, Senior Director of Operations, Raymond Corporation