business backgrounder | employment & workplace
AWB Honors Top Manufacturers
The annual AWB Manufacturing Excellence Awards
recognize firms for their contributions to growing the economy
and improving quality of life.
Bobbi Cussins
Washington’s leading manufacturing companies demonstrate how to take care of employees,
the environment and contribute to the economy.
AWB presented its ninth-annual 2014 Manufacturing Excellence Awards to five Washington companies last October at the
ShoWare Center in Kent. The awards recognize all sizes of manufacturing firms for innovation and operational excellence.
Awards are presented to manufacturers in the categories of Green Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, Innovation
and for Manufacturer of the Year.
Kellie Johnson, third generation president of ACE Clearwater Enterprises, was the keynote speaker. In her address,
Johnson went straight to the heart of the matter and the reason AWB honors the manufacturing sector of Washington’s
economy each year, telling the crowd, “manufacturing lifts people up, manufacturing transforms lives, and manufacturing
makes our country strong.”
This is true for manufacturing workers in Washington who earn an average wage of $82,000, and for Washington state as
a whole where exports — bolstered by the state’s 6,900 manufacturing firms — contribute $75 billion a year to the economy.
2014 manufacturer of the year
cadet manufacturing, vancouver
Founded in 1957, Cadet Manufacturing creates high-efficiency wall, baseboard
and garage heaters and thermostats. The company is a leader in generating jobs,
streamlining operational practices, maximizing energy efficiency and reducing
waste. This family-owned company takes care of its 105 employees with flex time, a
vacation gifting program, an employee garden on site and profit sharing. They help
their community with a volunteer program that includes earning company pay while
working on charity projects. Through sustainability and continuous improvement
programs, Cadet has reduced its waste by 75 percent since 2007 and implemented
65 lean improvements involving 1,538 separate actions.
2014 awb manufacturing
excellence awards recipients
manufacturer of the year
Cadet Manufacturing, Vancouver
www.cadetheat.com
operational excellence award
Ozone International, LLC, Bainbridge Island
www.o3international.com
innovation award
TigerStop LLC, Vancouver
www.tigerstop.com
green manufacturing award
Emerald Services, Tacoma
www.emeraldnw.com
green manufacturing award
Manhasset Specialty Company, Yakima
www.manhasset-specialty.com
Cadet Manufacturing, winner of the 2014 AWB Manufacturer of the Year award.
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