Applications Surge for State's Manufacturing Awards; Judging Panel Named

COLUMBIA, SC – December 6, 2012 – Dozens of applications have been submitted from across South Carolina for the 2013 Silver Crescent Awards for Manufacturing Excellence,the acclaimed annual program honoring the achievements andcontributions of South Carolina’s leading manufacturers.  Meanwhile, anillustrious panel of national manufacturing experts has been named toselect which companies will earn the state’s top manufacturing award.

The Silver Crescent Award is the most prestigious award that a SouthCarolina manufacturer can receive. Presented annually by the SilverCrescent Foundation, its partners and the statewide manufacturingCommunity, the Award recognizes the most excellent small, medium andlarge manufacturing operations demonstrating superior performance in 7Crescents of Excellence — citizenship, employee engagement, customersatisfaction, environmental stewardship, innovation, financialperformance and commitment to longevity in South Carolina.  Past Silver Crescent Award recipients include such notables as Robert Bosch, Bridgestone-Firestone, BorgWarner, Alcoa, Sonoco, and GE Energy.

We are pleased to see nominations from all across South Carolina -Lowcountry, Midlands, Pee Dee and Upstate – representing technology totextiles, food to automotive, large enterprises and smallerorganizations, said Tony Smith, president of the Silver CrescentFoundation.  We are excited to honor those organizations which areleading the way in advancing our state’s manufacturing vitality.

An exceptional panel of judges has been named to determine winnersfor the 2013 Silver Crescent Awards, Smith added.  Nationalmanufacturing leaders who will select the honorees include:

• William (Bill) Baker is founder and president of Speed to Excellence,a cultural change consulting firm, and former knowledge management andbenchmarking champion for Raytheon Company.  He led TexasInstruments/Defense Systems Electronics Group to the Malcolm BaldrigeNational Quality Award in 1992.   
• Robert Doc Hall is Professor Emeritus, Operations Management, at Indiana University,and a founding member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence(AME).  The author of six books on manufacturing excellence, he is arecipient of AME’s Lifetime Achievement Award and a judge for the autoindustry’s PACE Award.
• Glenn Marshall leads SupplyChain Quality at Newport News Shipbuilding in Norfolk Virginia, and isLean and Six Sigma Certified.  He is co-founder of BenchmarkingCommunity of Practice and the Director for the Senate Productivity &Quality Award for the State of Virginia.
• Rebecca Morgan is founder and president of Fulcrum Consulting Works, Inc.with experience in operations, supply chain management, accounting andinformation systems, and strategic planning.  She is certified as aFellow by the Association for Operations Management (APICS).
• Burgess Oliver is founder and president of Transition Management Services and an expert in developing team-based work units. His experienceincludes electronics, metal fabrication, re-manufacturing, logistics andhigh volume manufacturing. He was formerly VP/GM for Post MarketServices Worldwide with Nortel.
• John Puckett is president and founder of Visions of Excellence,a management consulting firm focusing on self-directed work teams, leanmanufacturing, Kaizen facilitation and cultural transformation in theindustrial arena. He has held management positions with RCA Corp.,Teledyne and GTE, and co-founded XEL Communications, recognized by Industry Week as one of America’s Top 10 Plants. 

To be considered for honors, companies must first submit an Intent toApply form, a one-page form that can be filled out in under two minutesby any manufacturer or partner/vendor of a manufacturer indicatingtheir decision to proceed with the process.  Once submitted, the Intentform will be acknowledged by the Silver Crescent Foundation and anomination package sent to each candidate company. 

Application forms and guidelines are available online at www.SaluteToManufacturing.org.  All nominations must be submitted by December 31, 2012.  Nominations may be submitted by companies directly or by third parties,and will be evaluated for completeness and ranked by a review panelfrom the Silver Crescent Foundation based solely on responses received.

Top companies will be honored on March 21, 2013 at the Salute To Manufacturing Awards Luncheon at the TD Convention Center in Greenville, South Carolina.  Awards willbe presented in the Small, Midsized and Large Manufacturer Categories.  A private best-practices forum will precede the luncheon.

Presented annually by The Silver Crescent Foundation, the 2013 Silver Crescent Awards are co-sponsored by SCRA, CPM Federal Credit Union, and by SC Biz News, LLC.  Sponsorship opportunities are also available for the awards luncheon and best-practices forum.

We want to encourage as many eligible manufacturers, or individualswith supplier-partners to manufacturers, to consider nominating amanufacturer for consideration in this important honors program, saidSmith.  By being nominated, they can benefit from expanded awareness oftheir organization, networking with top manufacturing executives,positive employee morale and regional/national recognition.  It’s agreat opportunity for Palmetto State manufacturers.

For more on the Silver Crescent Awards or the Salute to Manufacturing Luncheon, or to nominate an organization, visit www.SaluteToManufacturing.org or contact Sharon Halsey at (803)