Lippert’s Plant 113, located in Bradenton, Florida, was recognized as one of three gold winner recipients for the Florida Sterling Manufacturing Business Excellence Award (SMBE), by the FloridaMakes Network and the Florida Sterling Council.
Leaders accepted the award at the 30th annual Governor’s Sterling Award Banquet on June 3 in Orlando. Plant 113 manufactures marine canvas, upholstery and shade systems for the Taylor Made and SureShade brands.
More than 160 Florida manufacturers were nominated for this year’s award. A team of Sterling Council-trained examiners and manufacturing community representatives contributed a significant amount of time and expertise to evaluate nominations and narrowed them down to 23 finalists. The examiners then conducted virtual site visits, interviews with leadership, and employee focus groups with each finalist and then chose 11 winners designated as gold, silver and bronze.
“I was stunned when I heard our name announced as a gold winner! To be among the two other highest achieving companies, ones that are larger and very well-known, further emphasized that what we’re doing inside the four walls of our company is right and it’s working. I believe our team’s engagement and focus on core values truly set us apart from others. I could not be prouder of the entire team and the dedication they show each and every day. This is their award,” said Don Zirkelbach, regional operations leader at Taylor Made.
“It was a pleasure to present the gold award to the Taylor Made team. They most certainly demonstrated high performance, specifically in the area of leadership and culture. Our examiners observed their strengths in the development of positive leadership competencies and behaviors, and a climate that contributes to a positive culture, clear communication, and focus on the customer,” said Phil Centonze, director of performance assessment at the FloridaMakes Network.
“It’s an honor to recognize Florida manufacturers who are superlative examples of the state’s manufacturing prowess,” said Kevin Carr, CEO of the FloridaMakes Network. “The 11 winners went through a stringent assessment process to get an SMBE award and their dedication to the process was inspiring. They truly represent the best of the best among manufacturers in Florida. On behalf of the entire FloridaMakes Network and our statewide partners, I want to congratulate each company on its well-deserved SMBE award.”
The FloridaMakes Network will feature the finalists and winners in webinars, plant tours and events that share best practices to benefit Florida’s manufacturing sector.