Manufacturing Industry Innovators Honored During SME Spring Gala

Manufacturing is a community made up of amazing forward-thinking individuals. Since 1955, SME has been recognizing individuals from industry and academia for their significant innovations and impact within manufacturing. During the SME 2023 Spring Gala, these individuals were honored for their accomplishments through various SME honors, awards, and scholarships.

Making an Impact

The seven SME International Honor Award winners include experienced manufacturing professionals who have made enormous contributions to their industry. This year’s award winners were recognized for innovations in the areas of manufacturing technologies, processes, technical writing, education, research and management, and service to SME.

“These seven professionals are among the most accomplished thought leaders in manufacturing, and I’m proud to acknowledge they also hold membership in SME,” said Bob Willig, executive director and CEO of SME. “Though their backgrounds are varied, all share a penchant for continuous improvement where status quo just doesn’t cut it.” 

SME also recognizes young manufacturers by awarding 18 Delcie Durham Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineers, age 35 or younger, for their exceptional contributions and accomplishments in the manufacturing industry. Each year, the award is named in honor of a specific individual who has made lifelong contributions to manufacturing and SME. The 2023 award namesake is longtime SME member Delcie R. Durham, PhD, FSME, PE, a professor emerita in the University of South Florida's Department of Mechanical Engineering. Durham’s research has focused on environmentally benign design and manufacturing, with a particular emphasis on sustainable product realization through the total product lifecycle. 

“This group of young engineers is one of the most educated, accomplished groups we’ve honored in recent years,” said Willig. “Watch with me as they gain momentum over their careers, as I’m sure we’ll see some remarkable achievements in manufacturing technology, processes and materials come forth.”

Training is the Key to Success

SME established the Excellence in Manufacturing Training Award to honor forward-thinking manufacturing organizations that demonstrate exceptional commitment and dedication to talent development, recruitment, and retention. The Excellence in Manufacturing Training Award is bestowed annually to the company that most effectively implements best practices in training programs focused on building a high-performing workforce to help others evolve their workforce development efforts and ultimately strengthen the manufacturing industry's competitiveness. 

This year’s award winner, Intek Plastic Inc., was recognized for exceptional commitment and dedication to upskilling its workforce, enhancing talent, and preparing new and incumbent employees for successful careers in the manufacturing industry. 

“This award seeks to honor companies that recognize the value of investing in their workforce, which is very evident in the results achieved by Intek Plastics over the last decade,” said Jeannine Kunz, Chief Workforce Development Officer of SME. “Intek is a company that has overcome significant challenges and adversity in its business climate, and production volumes and has come out stronger, better staffed and ready for growth, with a robust recruitment and training system in place to support expansion.”

Next Generation of Manufacturers

The SME Education Foundation awarded 163 scholarships to students from 34 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces pursuing post-secondary education in manufacturing, engineering, or related fields in 2023. This year, a record amount of $913,800 was awarded to graduating high school seniors, undergraduates, and graduate students as part of the Foundation’s mission to inspire, prepare and support the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent.

“I’m so excited about these changes that significantly enhance our scholarship programs, which exist to break down financial barriers to careers in manufacturing,” said Rob Luce, vice president of the SME Education Foundation. “In addition to making sure that the students who need it most are the ones receiving funds to earn an associate or bachelor’s degree, we’re also improving the likelihood that recipients complete their degrees, by providing more financial support throughout their time in an educational program.”

Recently, many of the Foundation’s scholarship programs have been modified to improve impact. Under the direction of the Foundation Board of Directors, award amounts were increased, need-based criterion were incorporated, and multiyear renewing awards were introduced.