This year, eight Wisconsin companies have been honored with 2009 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards for outstanding achievements in manufacturing. Five Grand Awards were presented for superior performance amung nomination form categories, along with special awards for Commitment to Community and Employees, an Industry Perseverance Award and a Community Involvement and Conservation Education Award.

Nominees for this year’s awards were evaluated by an independent panel of judges, and the winners were announced at a black-tie awards dinner and program at the Pfister Hotel on February 25.

Grand Award: Mega Size Category
Oshkosh Corporation – Defense Division, Oshkosh
www.oshkoshdefense.com

Established: 1917
Size: 6,150 Wisconsin employees (12,450 total employees)
Manufactures: Tactical military trucks and armored wheeled vehicles
Leadership: R. Andy Hove, executive vice president, president, Defense

Who we are: Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corp., is an industry-leading global designer and manufacturer of tactical military trucks and armored wheeled vehicles, delivering a full product line of conventional and hybrid vehicles, advanced armored options, proprietary suspensions and vehicles with payloads that can exceed 70 tons. Oshkosh Defense provides a global service and supply network including full life-cycle support and remanufacturing.

Oshkosh Defense’s ability to be nimble with advanced research and development expertise contributed to their success throughout the year when many manufacturers were experiencing cuts in demand. They achieved 100-percent, on-time delivery for all vehicle and trailer production in 2009, at the same time accommodating the highest level of production volume in their history. They established a continuous improvement system that ensures all deliverables meet customer requirements and are delivered without defects. Oshkosh Defense not only creates a culture of problem solving and continuous improvement, but they do it through a demonstration of the highest standards of ethics and compliance.

Grand Award: Large Size Category
American Orthodontics Corp., Sheboygan
www.americanortho.com

Established: 1968
Size: 335 Wisconsin employees (418 total employees)
Manufactures: Orthodontic products
Leadership: Michael Bogenschuetz, president

Who we are: American Orthodontics Corp. is a world-class manufacturer of orthodontic products.  From its foundation, the company sought to be the industry leader in product quality and customer service as well as a community leader, offering safe and rewarding employment. The company’s products are recognized around the world for their innovative designs and precise tolerances, and the company benefits from an employee turnover rate of less than one percent.

American Orthodontics has more than 400 employees and sells much more in one day than it did during its first year of business. Now in its 42nd year of operations, this largest manufacturer of orthodontic equipment in the world has had constant and consistent growth and profitability every single year of operations. AO celebrated a milestone in 2009, and now has an even split between domestic and international sales. More than 95 percent of products sold to orthodontists around the world are now manufactured in Sheboygan through extensive use of automation using robotics and vision systems, combined with a skilled workforce.

Grand Award: Medium Size Category
Sentry Equipment Corp., Oconomowoc
www.sentry-equip.com

Established: 1924
Size:125 Wisconsin employees (128 total employees)
Leadership: Michael D. Farrell, president & CEO
Manufactures: Sampling equipment for steam/water, gases, liquids, slurries or bulk solids, compact heat exchangers and boiler blowdown heat recovery systems

Who We Are: Sentry Equipment Corp. began in 1924 as The Henszey Co., a primary supplier to The Carnation Co. for dairy power plant components and milk evaporators. In 1959, the company changed its name to Sentry Equipment Corp. and refocused efforts toward the power generation industry for sampling products and specialty heat exchangers. This effort not only expanded to other industries, but also into the supply of complete systems for power plant steam and water monitoring. Sentry is an innovative company responsible for many firsts including compact helical coil sample coolers, adjustable ultra high pressure reducers, radiation-shielded sampling stations and non-coring needle samplers.

Sentry Equipment Corp. has grown to be a global leader in the design, manufacture and service of unique sampling systems and products for worldwide power and process industries. As an employee-owned company, Sentry believes leadership means setting the pace in products and programs that set the bar higher each and every day for their industry, community and employees. A 2009 plant addition includes state-of-the-art technology to manufacture products while saving energy and increasing sustainability. During the past five years, sales have nearly doubled and profits have increased by 825 percent.

Although Sentry’s core competitive focus is on solving customer problems through technology, much of its financial success is a result of efficient internal operations and lean processes.

Grand Award: Small Size Category
Northwoods Paper Converting Inc., Beaver Dam
www.npc-inc.com

Established: 1999
Size: 94 Wisconsin employees
Leadership: Chad C. Abel, president
Manufactures: Custom contract precision sheeting company specializing in converting fine paper, poly, vinyl, film, canvas and paper board rolls

Who we are: Northwoods Paper Converting Inc. has been providing paper mills, printers  and merchants with high-quality paper converting services since 1999. The company’s products are converted into sheets for products such as CD holders, cereal boxes, books and magazines. The company’s 155,000-square foot manufacturing facility is strategically located in Beaver Dam. NPC is proud to say that it has never lost a customer. The mainstay of NPC lies behind the owner’s commitment to purchase the best available precision machines and then customize them to handle a wider variety of product, while holding tighter tolerances and providing superb quality that exceeds customer expectations beyond what other converters can provide.

Northwoods Paper Converting’s sales have grown by approximately 1,000 percent since the first business year – from $700,000 to an expected $7 million in 2009 – an average growth of 100 percent each year. And with sales, so too has its employment grown – by nearly 1,200 percent, from seven full-time employees to 88 full-time employees at the end of 2009.

NPC believes that Wisconsin is home to some of the greatest manufacturers in the world and continually invests in those close-to-home manufacturers. Nearly 95 percent of equipment expenditures and more than 60 percent of packaging requirements are sourced from Wisconsin.

Grand Award: Sustainability Category
Frito-Lay Inc., Beloit
www.pepsico.com

Established: 1973
Size: 700 Employees at the Beloit plant; 975 Wisconsin employees
Leadership: Indra Nooyi, chairman & CEO, PepsiCo
Manufactures: Food

Who we are: As part of the world’s leading snack food manufacturer, the Frito-Lay, Inc. Beloit plant produces a variety of branded snacks as the snack food division of PepsiCo. The Frito-Lay Beloit facility began in 1973 on 15 acres of land with less than 300 total employees. During the past 35 years there have been continuous improvements made to the plant in the Beloit Industrial Park location. New technology has increased production efficiency and improved product quality in the more than 500,000-square foot plant.

Frito-Lay’s Beloit facility has developed a five-year sustainability strategy that addresses environmental compliance, the conservation of energy resources, a zero landfill program and a greenhouse gas reduction strategic plan. As a direct result of recycling or reusing over 99 percent of company waste streams in 2009, Frito-Lay was able to reduce landfill contributions by 37 percent over the previous year. Through the use of technology best practices, including high-efficiency lighting, the site’s electrical consumption was down 26 percent per pound of finished product. And through key technology investments in the packaging department, Frito-Lay was able to save in product transportation, avoiding more than 368 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

Special Award: Commitment to Community & Employees
Plastic Components Inc., Germantown
www.plasticcomponents.com

Established: 1989
Size: 46 Wisconsin employees
Leadership: Thomas O. Duffey, president
Manufactures: Plastic injection molds

Who we are: Plastic Components  Inc. is a globally competitive, world-class producer of custom injection-molded plastic parts. Its 40,500-square foot plant operates on a fully automated production basis to manufacture small- and medium-sized injection parts at the lowest possible cost. Plastic Components is ISO 9001:2000 registered. In 17 years, the company has shipped more than one-billion molded parts and is proud of its position as a globally competitive, low-cost producer of critical molded plastic parts. Plastic Components is proud of its performance scorecard, having shipped 125,129,271 parts in 8,389 shipments with an on-time delivery rate of 99.96 percent.

The management of Plastic Components views the talent and commitment of its work force as the single most important factor in the current and future success of the company. The management team is committed to providing a safe, healthy and positive working environment for all employees, supporting a casual working environment with a healthy handful of employees who have been there almost since the company’s inception. Plastic Components aggressively supports the acceptance of continuous improvement suggestions from all employees and encourages continuing education to help employees maintain a level of awareness and education that keeps them tuned in to industry trends. Through donations and hands-on involvement, Plastic Components supports local community organizations and hosts tours for various student groups.

Special Award: Industry Perseverance
Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry Co. Inc., Manitowoc
www.wafco.com

Established: 1909
Size: 327 Wisconsin employees
Leadership: James Hatt, president
Manufactures: Non-ferrous castings, pressure cookers, cast aluminum utensils and medical sterilizers

Who We Are: Throughout its history as a manufacturer of non-ferrous castings, pressure cookers, and medical sterilizers, Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry Co. Inc. has been an important employer in Manitowoc County. The company is family-owned and consistently provides the finest quality non-ferrous castings for customers. The company’s ability to produce both low -and high-volume casting orders has attracted customers globally.

In its 100 years in business, Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry has outperformed others in its industry through innovation and best practices. The company’s implementation of lean manufacturing through cell concepts and robotics has increased productivity by 30 percent. Continuous improvement has allowed the company to successfully compete in the foundry industry — an industry that is becoming more international in nature every day. By continually investing in new technology and processes, Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry has solidified existing customer relationships, garnered new ones and successfully faces the challenges of increased global competition.

Special Award: Community Involvement & Conservation Education
Mayville Engineering Co. Inc., Mayville
www.mayvl.com

Established: 1945
Size: 860 Wisconsin employees
Leadership: Robert Kamphuis, chairman / president / CEO
Manufactures: Prototyping, manufacturing, production fabricating, coating and assembly services to a variety of markets including agricultural, construction, military, recreational, medical and industrial

Who We Are: Mayville Engineering Co. Inc. is the parent company to six divisions; MEC Shotshell Reloaders, MEC Contract, MEC Prototype/Service, MEC Engineered Products, Phoenix Coaters and Fabricating Specialists. At the company, employee shareholders are creating outstanding value and support every day for the customers they serve and the communities where they live and work. MEC is an employee-owned company where employees use the acronym PRIDE (Personal Responsibility In Daily Excellence) as a way of doing business and treating others. MEC is highly involved and actively supports the four Wisconsin communities in which its six divisions are located Mayville, Beaver Dam, Berlin and Neillsville.

Mayville Engineering built a new 303,000 square foot plant in 2009 that allowed it to increase their employment and production. In order to keep business close to home and help contribute to the success of other Wisconsin businesses, more than 87 percent of supplies and materials used in their products are sourced from Wisconsin-based companies. A highly involved community company, Mayville Engineering makes regular charitable donations to local area student programs and community groups such as firefighters and emergency medical service groups. MEC supports conservation efforts of land and wildlife resources through donations of time, money and resources.

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