November 2017
MiMfg
Contents
Magazine
6 Celebrating
Michigan
Manufacturing Excellence
10
MiMfg Magazine
3
November 2017 • Vol. XXX • Print Issue No. 6
6
MFG Leadership Award
Governor Rick Snyder
12 MFG Emerging Leader
Adam Tabor, Gerdau Special
Steel North America
14
MFG Community Impact
Vantage Plastics
Cover Story: The individuals and companies that exemplify excellence in
manufacturing were celebrated on 11/9 in Lansing at the inaugural MFG
Excellence Awards. Thank you to everyone who made this event a success.
16
MFG Talent Champion
Dr. Paul Plotkowski, Seymour and
Esther Padnos College of Engineering
and Computing at Grand Valley
State University
22
18
22
26
30
John G. Thodis Michigan
Manufacturer of the Year
Phil Sponsler, Orbitform
MFG Lifetime Achievement
James B. Nicholson, PVS Chemicals, Inc.
MFG Lifetime Achievement
Fred Keller, Cascade Engineering
Editorial Staff
Elyse Kopietz
Chuck Hadden
Copy Editor
Publisher
Joy Wolf
Editor/Layout
33 MMA Premium-Associate Members
34 Member Anniversaries
38
MFG Innovation Excellence
Rapid-Line, Inc.
Read the MiMfg Magazine digital edition:
http://mag.mimfg.org.
The Seven Benefits of Video
By Siobhan Findlay, Michigan Creative
30
Brett Gerrish
Copy Writer
Michigan Manufacturers Association
and MMA Service Corporation
620 S. Capitol Ave., Lansing, Michigan 48933
Phone: 517-372-5900
Fax: 517-372-3322
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mimfg.org
MiMfg Magazine Vol. XXX Print Issue No. 6,
November 2017 (ISSN 1936-8860), (USPS
024-973)published bi-monthly for $18 per year
by the MMA Service Corporation (MMASC),
620 S. Capitol Ave., Lansing MI 48933-2308.
Periodicals postage paid at Lansing MI and
additional offices.
POSTMASTER: send address changes to
MiMfg Magazine, P.O. Box 14247, Lansing,
MI 48901-4247.
Cover: MFG Lifetime Achievement Award
recipient James Nicholson, center, with
Ghafari’s Peter Ghafari,left, and MMA’s Chuck
Hadden.
Above: The team from Vantage Plastics was
excited to be recognized for Community
Impact at the inaugural MFG Excellence
Awards. Learn more beginning on page 6.