ore than 1400 community and business leaders came together April 15th to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Manufacturing Appreciation Week. The Governor’s Awards Luncheon is co-hosted by the Department of Technical and Adult Education and the Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism. This year the awards ceremony was held at the Cobb Galleria with Governor Sonny Perdue as the keynote speaker.

In his address, Gov. Perdue acknowledged the importance of manufacturing to the prosperity of Georgia and said of the 114 Manufacturer of the Year nominees that, “You are all winners.”

This year’s winners were Woodbury Box Co Inc. – Thomaston, in the small manufacturer category; Heatcraft Refrigeration Products – Tifton, in the medium manufacturer category; and the NACOM Corp. – Griffin, in the large manufacturer category.

Small manufacturer category winner Woodbury Box relocated to Thomaston from Woodbury, Ga., in 1994. The company employs 47 associates and has a payroll of more than $1.5 million. In 2003, the Thomaston plant had annual sales of almost $4 million.

Susan Rudder Hall, CEO of Woodbury Box, praised Quick Start’s customized training for keeping Woodbury Box on the cutting edge of manufacturing. “I can’t say enough about Quick Start,” Hall said in her acceptance speech at the awards luncheon. “Your quick response and technical help were excellent.”

Medium manufacturer category winner Heatcraft draws 250 full-time employees for its Tifton facility from eight counties in South Central Georgia. The 29-year-old Tifton plant produced more than $90 million in product in 2003.

“It’s only through the continued cooperation of local, state and federal agencies,” noted Steve Dyer, director of operations for Heatcraft’s Tifton facility, “that U.S. manufacturing will regain its competitive edge and maintain that edge.”

Large manufacturer category winner NACOM employs over 800 employees at its Griffin plant. The plant has been in operation for nine years and had annual revenues of $161 million last year.

“I am humbled to be among this elite group of companies here today and especially to have NACOM be honored at this awards luncheon during Manufacturing Appreciation Week,” NACOM VP and General Manager John Olson told the crowd at the awards ceremony.

In addition to the manufacturing winners, nine students from across Georgia won scholarships in the student design contest, which is intended to increase awareness of the importance of manufacturing among Georgia’s school children.

For more information visit: www.georgiamaw.org

		Small Manufacturer Category Gov. Sonny Perdue presents Woodbury Box Co. Inc. executives with the Manufacturer of the Year award in the small manufacturer category. Standing with Gov. Perdue, from left, are Woodbury Box CEO Susan Rudder Hall; Woodbury Box Chief Marketing and Financial Officer Kim Sidey; and Woodbury Box President Dan Fuller.
		Medium Manufacturer Category Gov. Sonny Perdue presents Heatcraft Refrigeration Products executives with the Manufacturer of the Year award in the medium manufacturer category. Standing with Gov. Perdue, from left, are Heatcraft’s Director of Tifton Operations Steve Dyer; Heatcraft Human Resources Manager Jon Krispen; and Heatcraft VP of Operations-Americas Howard Schmidt.
		Large Manufacturer Category Gov. Sonny Perdue presents the NACOM Corporation with the Manufacturer of the Year award in the large manufacturer category. Standing with Gov. Perdue, from left, are NACOM VP and General Manager John Olson; NACOM/Yazaki North America Chairman Satoshi Negishi; and NACOM 2003 Associate of the Year Mary Goggins.
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