2015 Cincy Manny Awards

Celebrating

MANUFACTURING Excellence

2015 CINCY MANNY AWARDS

BIGGEST BREAKTHROUGH: Brad Ruff, Patrick Sledz, GeckoTek 3D; Marvin Cunningham, The Long Stanton Group; Aniket Vyas, GeckoTek 3D; Dan Cunningham, The Long Stanton Group

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: Regular

PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS

BEST PLACE TO WORK: Bob Kissel, KDM P.O.P Solutions Group; Cheryl Neiheisel, Richards Industries; Bill Mosier, Polymet Corporation

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SALES RESOURCES

Outlined

White

NEW JOB CREATION: Jodi Burke-Toncar, Sims-Lohman; Rob Rye, Cincinnati Gearing Systems, Inc.; Tammie Koster, Eurostampa

NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT/INNOVATION: Mike Bruns, Arnold Gauge Co.; Herm Harrison, Foster Transformer Co.; Filip Geeraert, Deceuninck

HALL OF FAME RECIPIENT: Gary Heiman, Standard Textile

TOP GROWTH: John Deszcz, Fecon, Inc.; Doug Cain, Mubea NA; Chris Cole, Intelligrated Inc.

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BEST PLACE TO WORK

2015 CINCY MANNY AWARDS

KDM POP SOLUTIONS GROUP

Robert Kissel CEO

RICHARDS INDUSTRIES

LOCATION: Evendale OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 1970 EMPLOYEES: 238 in Cincinnati CEO: Robert Kissel WEBSITE: kdmpop.com BUSINESS: Prints point-of-purchase retail displays

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DM POP Solutions isn’t just a business; it’s a place where dreams come true.

Half the employees of the retail marketing solutions provider participate in its unique Dream Makers program, which helps employees develop and achieve personal goals.

The confidential program can include anything from achieving a promotion to losing weight to buying a first home.

The program is based on the book The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly that outlines how a fictitious company, based on Cincinnati’s Jancoa Inc., turned around staff retention by helping individual employees realize their dreams.

“Our CEO [Robert Kissel] read the book and thought it was something unique that would really make a difference,” says HR Generalist Samantha Sturk. Since 2008, KDM has helped fulfill about 300 dreams of employees and their family members, who are also eligible.

The program really took off about three years ago when KDM hired a full-time dream manager, Cara Shelton, who serves as a sort of life-coach, helping employees develop plans to achieve their dreams and keep them on track. KDM also offers up to $500 to help each employee fulfill his or her dream.

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POLYMET CORP.

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ichards Industries applies continuous improvement to stay among the best places to work in the Cincinnati region.

“We continually work at creating the best environment for our employees. Each year we just keep getting better,” says Cheryl Neiheisel, vice president for human resources. It is reflected in the fact that this is the seventh time in the past eight years the specialty valve maker has won a MANNY for Best Work Place.

Richards’ human resources department routinely goes above and beyond in helping employees, taking on things other companies wouldn’t think of, such as helping an employee plan a wedding or writing a resume for an employee’s child.

Last year when an employee was diagnosed with cancer, the human resources department set up a meal train for the day he received chemotherapy and compiled a video of fellow employees with encouraging messages.

Richards offers a full-range of benefits and has never had a lay-off or a reduction in benefits.

Recognition isn’t a one-way street, and the company encourages employees to thank their co-workers for a job well done with “RImpressive” or “RInvaluable” cards.

oly met k nows that its employees make it successful.

“Passionate and engaged employees are at the heart of efficient operations,” says a spokesman for the 48-year-old supplier of hardfacing, welding and thermal spray wire Bill Mosier used in the aerospace, President power generation, nuclear, mining and other industries.

Polymet’s dedication to employee engagement is evidenced in an open-door communications policy. Employee feedback is solicited through a number of platforms: email, an internal blog, suggestion boxes, open-ended surveys and face-to-face

LOCATION: West Chester OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 1967 EMPLOYEES: Under 100 PRESIDENT: Bill Mosier WEBSITE: polymet.us BUSINESS: Makes world-class high-performance wire

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Cheryl Neiheisel VP Human Resources

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LOCATION: Hyde Park OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 1948 EMPLOYEES: 145 CEO: Bruce Broxterman WEBSITE: richardsind.com BUSINESS: Specialty industrial valve maker

meetings. Employees who participate can count on follow up and action plans.

Polymet offers a full-range of benefits including health insurance, tuition reimbursement and retirement plans. In addition, employee development is a core value at Polymet. “It is important for employees to know that their success is of the utmost importance and that the organization is willing to invest whatever it takes to ensure that,” says a spokesman.

That includes an extensive training program for new employees and an ongoing skills training program. A number of Polymet employees from across the business are also engaged in Innovation Engineering. This is a systems approach to empowering innovations within the organization.

BIGGEST BREAKTHROUGH

2015 CINCY MANNY AWARDS

SUGAR CREEK PACKING CO. LOCATION: West Chester OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 1966 EMPLOYEES: 1,500-2,000 CEO: Robert B. Daly WEBSITE: sugarcreek.com BUSINESS: Meat processing

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ugar Creek is rea lly bringing home the bacon. The diversified food manufacturer, which started in Washington Court House 48 years ago, is the largest independent bacon processor in the United States, representing about 3 percent of all pork belly procurement. But with Dan Barton pork bacon harder to procure Corporate Supply Chain and its increasing price, Sugar Creek undertook a benchmarking study two years ago and concluded it could improve operating results by focusing on the finished product, rather than just the raw material, when procuring pork.

GECKOTEK 3D

Brad Ruff CEO

THE LONG STANTON GROUP LOCATION: Norwood OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 2014 EMPLOYEES: 4 CEO: Brad Ruff WEBSITE: geckotek3d.com BUSINESS: Designs and produces 3-D printing bases

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s a mechanical engineering graduate student at the University of Cincinnati, Brad Ruff was fascinated with open-source 3-D printing technology to make prototypes and other items. But he was also frustrated there wasn’t a good solution to hold the parts while the plastic layers were added in the process. The base layers would often move causing imperfections or would break when being removed from the base.

“I told a friend working on his Ph.D. in polymer coatings in the lab across the hall that we ought to be able to find a better solution,” he says.

Two years later, Ruff and his friend, Aniket Vyas, feel they have. They’ve formed startup GeckoTek 3D and have come up a new build-plate system that has the adhesion needed to prevent warping of parts while allowing easy part removal using specially designed coatings and a flexible, stainless steel plate with magnets to hold it to an aluminum base.

Validating their idea, they raised four times the initial $15,000 they sought during a Kickstarter campaign last fall. They’re now completing the Kickstarter orders and expecting big things.

“We want to do both online sales to customers, and we’re getting a lot of interest from OEM makers of 3-D printers that want to incorporate this as a stock feature in their printers,” says Ruff.

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Deploying the latest 3-D scanning and X-ray technology on incoming pork with quantitative analysis, Sugar Creek learned what determines the best yield and developed enhanced raw material specifications to drive gains in performance.

The process involved capturing data on the length, width, height, weight and density of the pork and enlisted Techsolve to provide quantitative analysis and correlation among the attributes.

The company was then able to establish what physical dimensions were required to produce a bacon slice that met the product specification and maximized the number of slices per raw pound.

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Dan Cunningham CEO

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LOCATION: West Chester OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 1862 EMPLOYEES: 40 PRESIDENT: Marvin Cunningham WEBSITE: longstanton.com BUSINESS: Contract machining, welding and assembly services

hat started as an attempt by Long Stanton Group to help a customer has turned into a new business, offering a novel solution to tie down unwieldy loads on flatbed truck-trailers. Called the Cinch Winch, the product automatically tightens the straps holding logs or other cargo using the truck’s pneumatic air system.

Long Stanton, which is setting up a new local company, Cinch Winch LLC, to make and market the automated winch, says it’s easier and safer than manually tightening load straps and less expensive than a competing solution developed in Europe using an inflatable bladder.

Daniel Cunningham, CEO of the 153-year-old metal stamping and fabrication company, says research indicates there is a $1 billion-plus potential market for the winches for original equipment and aftermarket trucks.

Marvin Cunningham, his son, says they first learned of the winch, developed with the support of the Canadian logging industry, when a customer came to them with design issues and sourcing problems in China. Long Stanton began working on the problem when the Recession intervened and the original manufacturer went out of business. Long Stanton acquired the patents and has refined the original design.

NEW JOB CREATION

2015 CINCY MANNY AWARDS

CINCINNATI GEARING SYSTEMS LOCATION: Mariemont OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 1907 EMPLOYEES: 150 CHAIRMAN: Walter Rye WEBSITE: cincinnatigearingsystems.com BUSINESS: Gear & transmission manufacturer

Rob Rye President

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t’s no secret that recruiting good employees is a challenge for manufacturers. Cincinnati Gearing, for example, took 50 applications at a recent job fair and only four of those were eventually hired. The company, which specializes in making precision gears for a variety of industrial markets, has added 30 employees since 2012, and President Rob Rye says it has been most successful building employees from within.

“We’re happy to get somebody with a good mechanical aptitude and good math skills. If they have those two skills, they can really excel,” he says. “We grow people. One day they may be sweeping the floor and the next day running a hobbing machine.”

Sweeping the floors is how Rye’s father, Walter, who at 84 remains active as chairman, started. In 1988, he bought the company from the founding families and grew it to a $100 million-plus business with a subsidiary in Germany. In 2001, the company reorganized under the name Cincinnati Gearing Systems Inc. During the transition “we learned a lot,” he says. “We learned the value of people, how to grow methodically and to maximize each employee.”

SIMS-LOHMAN INC. LOCATION: Carthage OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 1971 EMPLOYEES: 400 CEO: Steve Steinman PRESIDENT: John Beiersdorfer WEBSITE: sims-lohman.com BUSINESS: Midwest’s largest distributor of cabinets and fabricator of granite countertops

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EUROSTAMPA

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Tammie Koster HR Manager

LOCATION: Roselawn OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 2007 in Cincinnati EMPLOYEES: 185 CEO: Gian Franco Cillario WEBSITE: Eurostampa.com BUSINESS: Label printer for wine and spirits industry

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he growing variety and popularity of alcoholic spirits in the United States is fueling the business of consumer products for label-printer Eurostampa North America, creating more jobs at its plant in Roselawn. This is the second MANNY Award for new job creation in three years for the familyowned Italian company that opened its printing plant here in 2007 to be closer to its North American customers.

Employment grew from 128 in 2013 to 158 at the end of last year and currently stands at 172. Tammie Koster, human resources manager, says the company is looking to fill about 22 more positions.

The company produces labels for brands such as Bacardi, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Skol Vodka and Kahlua, among others. Revenues grew from $12.3 million in 2010 to $29.7 million in 2013.

The plant, which expanded two years ago by more than 50,000 square feet to 125,000 square feet, produces about 1.9 billion labels annually.

“We keep getting more and more business from our customers,” she says. “As we continue to print and distribute quality labels, we pick up additional brands.”

ims-Lohman has grown jobs almost as fast as it turns out granite countertops and cabinets.

Employment has grown to 400 this year from 100 in 2010, and the company has averaged revenue growth the last five years Jodi Burke-Toncar of more than 30 percent, HR Director topping $92.4 million in total revenues last year.

The largest fabricator of granite countertops and distributor of cabinets in the Midwest, Sims-Lohman annually produces more than 5,000 countertops and cabinetry for more than 20,000 kitchens. It provides products for custom builders and remod-

elers, production builders, designers and architects, home centers and commercial contractors for not only single-family homes but also apartments and condominiums, and commercial projects such as nursing homes and hospitals.

As its revenues have grown, so has SimsLohman’s market reach across Ohio and into Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, and more recently into Tennessee and Alabama.

The company, which began in Cincinnati in 1971, typically enters a market through a local acquisition and then expands its market share. The additional locations allow it to maintain industry-leading lead times on product deliveries.

NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT/INNOVATION DECEUNINCK NORTH AMERICA

ARNOLD GAUGE CO., INC.

Michael Bruns President

LOCATION: Fairfield OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 1918 EMPLOYEES: 12 PRESIDENT: Michael Bruns WEBSITE: arnoldgauge.com BUSINESS: Designs and builds high precision measuring equipment

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rnold Gauge Co., designs and builds custom measuring equipment. In one of the most complex projects it has ever undertaken, Arnold built an automated, laserbased measuring machine for Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown, Ky., that solved a long-standing problem of checking engine piston pins. If the small metal pins, used to connect pistons and connecting rods, have even microscopic irregularities it can lead to costly problems down the road. The Toyota plant turns out thousands of the pins every day. The automaker had relied on a visual inspection of a random sample of every 600 pins. “Toyota didn’t have many failures, but every one was very expensive,” says Michael Bruns, who owns Arnold Gauge with his brother, Brad. Arnold built an automated machine employing a sophisticated laboratory laser interferometer that takes 2,000 2 5/4/15 readingsFlynn_2015MannyAd_FNL.pdf a second and inspects every pin. 4:48 PM

Filip Geeraert CEO

LOCATION: Monroe OWNERSHIP: Public FOUNDED: 1969 EMPLOYEES: 450 CEO: Filip Geeraert WEB: deceuninck.com BUSINESS: Vinyl window and door manufacturer

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eceuninck, a global supplier of PVC window and door systems, is focused on innovation, design and sustainability. “Every year we try to create something new along those three pillars,” says Filip Geeraert, president and CEO of its North American operations in Monroe. Over the last year, the Belgian-based company has done just that with its new EOS (Energy Optimized System) window system that meets or exceeds U.S. Energy Star 6.0 standards for heat loss, and Rovex, a fiberglass reinforced resin with the strength of aluminum and the thermal properties of vinyl. Deceuninck doesn’t make windows and doors but supplies components to 170 fabricators.

Deceuninck’s innovative focus helped it grow at double-digit rates over the last three years, more than twice the industry average. To support the new products and growth the company has invested more than $10 million in its Monroe plant.

Congratulations

2015 MANNY AWARD WINNERS COMPREHENSIVE CPA SERVICES

CUSTOMIZED TO MEET YOUR NEEDS

CPAs & Business Consultants

WWW.FLYNNCOCPA.COM 7800 EAST KEMPER ROAD • CINCINNATI, OH 45249 513-530-9200

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NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FOSTER TRANSFORMER CO.

LOCATION: Northside OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 1937 EMPLOYEES: 27 CEO: Herman A. Harrison WEBSITE: foster-transformer.com Herm Harrison BUSINESS: Manufactures custom Vice President transformers and power supplies lectrical transformers haven’t changed a lot since the 19th century, but this manufacturer of custom equipment has developed a more efficient transformer that could be a game changer for its business. Foster is projecting half million dollars in new sales this year, growing to $2 million over the next few years, from its development of a smaller and more efficient medical isolation transformer, used in operating rooms and other medical facilities where a random spark could trigger a fire or explosion. “We approached it from the standpoint that transformers have to be extremely efficient, more than any of the current standards call for,” says Herm Harrison, vice president and son of CEO Herman A. Harrison. The family-owned business has added two jobs and projects adding at least eight more as it launches full production this summer. Foster sees potential for the product in a variety of other markets.

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TOP GROWTH MUBEA NORTH AMERICA

LOCATION: Florence OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 1916 in Germany, 1982 in Ky EMPLOYEES: 1,400 in U.S. CEO: Doug Cain WEB: Mubea.com Doug Cain BUSINESS: Automobile components CEO manufacturer ith revenues last year of $490 million, more than triple that of five years ago, auto component-maker Mubea North America has been one of the region’s fastest growing manufacturers. And it’s not slowing down.

The German-based company’s goal is to generate North American revenues of $1 billion by 2020 fueled by its ability to make lightweight, high-performance parts for all automakers.

CEO Doug Cain says the biggest hurdle to that growth is finding enough people to fill the jobs it has and sees ahead. Mubea, which won a MANNY last year for job growth, has more than tripled employment since 2009 to about 1,400 in Northern Kentucky.

Cain sees the need for several hundred people more to reach its growth goal. To be a preferred employer, Mubea is spending more than $2.5 million on training programs and expanding its employee wellness center, opened in 2014.

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Innovative Retail Solutions that Drive Sales & Build Brands

SCAN TO LEARN MORE

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TOP GROWTH

Chris Cole CEO

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INTELLIGRATED INC.

FECON INC.

LOCATION: Mason OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 2001 EMPLOYEES: 2,600 CEO: Chris Cole WEB: intelligrated.com BUSINESS: Supplier of automated material handling equipment

LOCATION: Lebanon OWNERSHIP: Private FOUNDED: 1992 EMPLOYEES: 150 CEO: John Heekin WEBSITE: fecon.com BUSINESS: Makes construction and forestry mulching equipment

ntelligrated Inc., one of the region’s largest private employers, is also one of the fastest growing manufacturers.

The supplier of automated material handling equipment’s 2014 revenues topped $627 million, an increase of more than $300 million in the last five years. Last year, Intelligrated, which has won three previous MANNYs, added 318 new jobs. And over the last five years, Intelligrated has increased employment by more than 1,000, and it isn’t finished growing.

The company is expanding its Mason headquarters by an additional 83,000 square feet to accommodate a planned 238 new jobs, mostly in engineering.

The $10.2 million project is Intelligrated’s second headquarters expansion in three years, bringing its total Mason space to 389,000 square feet on 14 acres.

Intelligrated employs more than 500 at its Mason headquarters.

John Deszcz CFO

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econ has been growing as fast as the wood and vegetation its equipment cuts and grinds. Revenues have increased 62 percent since 2010 and to $45 million last year. The company’s Bull Hog is the best selling forestry mulcher in the industry. Last year the company added 30 jobs, bringing the number of jobs added since 2010 to 64.

John Deszcz, CFO, says much of the growth has been tied to a new, more disciplined product development process that won Fecon a MANNY last year for new product development.

“Those innovation and product development efforts have allowed us to grow top line revenue and bottom line income,” he says.

The growth resulted in the company acquiring 40,000 square feet of additional manufacturing space on more than nine acres across the street from its main 111,000-square-foot plant.

on you®

M A N N YAWA R D Long-Stanton congratulates our customers on joining us as a Manny Award winner!

www.longstanton.com Phone: 513-706-3667

"Family Business of the Decade" as selected by the Goering Center

Michael Gallagher Director of Sales and Marketing

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HALL OF FAME

2015 CINCY MANNY AWARDS

Heiman: A Leader in Innovation, Manufacturing

By Mike Boyer

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ary Heiman’s belief in the power of innovation and manufacturing has built Reading-based Standard Textile Co. into the world’s largest, vertically integrated manufacturer and distributor of health care, hospitality and industrial textiles and apparel.

The company, started in 1940 as a small linen distributor by his grandfather, today employs more than 4,000 people in two dozen manufacturing plants in 12 countries with annual sales approaching $800 million. “Manufacturing our own products is an unbelievable competitive advantage,” says Heiman, 64, president and CEO of Standard Textile since 1994

and recipient of this year’s MANNY Hall of Fame Leadership Award.

After serving in the Israeli military during the Yom Kippur War, Heiman, who holds dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship, opened Standard Textile’s first small manufacturing plant in Arad at the edge of Israel’s Negev desert in 1976.

To be an innovator, Heiman says, Standard Textile had to vertically integrate its manufacturing. The culmination of its R&D journey came about 18 months ago when it opened its state-of-the art Global Institute for Innovation & Leadership in Reading, a space dedicated to exploration, discovery and creative solutions. n

2015 Winner New Product Development / Innovation We’ve come a long way since William Stanley developed the first practical transformer in 1885. Transformers make possible the safe and efficient delivery of electricity from the point of generation to the point of use. Our new transformers advance the state of the art. n Reduced Size & Weight. Up to 25% smaller and lighter than previous generation. n More Efficient. 97% to 99+% efficient at full load. n Lower Operating Costs. Save $500.00 per year on 25.0 kVA models when compared to transformers meeting NEMA TP-1-2002 Energy Efficiency Standards. Based on $0.1075/kWh. n Improved Safety and Reliability. Leakage current to ground reduced by more than 50% when compared to previous generation.

Available from 1.0 to 25 kVA. 120V-600V Primary & 100V-277V Secondary.

3820 Colerain Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45223-2586 Phone 513.681.2420 Fax 513.681.2424

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Honoring the previous winners of the MANNY Awards since 2007 Company

Year(s) Won

Company

Able Tool Corp.

2013

Freeman Shwabe Machinery LLC

AK Steel

2008

Gallatin Steel Company

Altimet-Global Scrap Management

2012

General Data Co.

Amano Cincinnati

2009, 2011

Year(s) Won 2009 2007, 2008 2007, 2012, 2014

General Tool

2008

American Fan

2011

Ghent Manufacturing

2010

American Micro Products

2007

Glasshand LLC

2011

Ampac

2013

Gold Medal Products Co

Amylin Pharmaceuticals

2012

Graeter's Manufacturing Co.

2010

BAE Systems

2009

Greg G. Wright & Sons

2008

Batesville Casket Co.

2008

Hamilton Caster & Mfg. Co.

2007

Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc.

2007

Hill-Rom/Hillenbrand Industries

2007

B.I.C. Precision Machine Co., Inc.

2012

Huhtamaki Inc.

2014

Innovative Labeling Solutions

2011

Intelligent Green Products

2014

Bonfiglioli USA Brighton Tru-Edge Heads Inc.

2013, 2014 2012

2011, 2012

Champion Window Manufacturing

2009

Intelligrated

CKS Solution, Inc.

2009

Interplex Medical

2011

Cleaning Technologies Group LLC

2014

It's a Wrap Ideas LLC

2009

Clippard Instrument Lab, Inc.

2009

Kaivac, Inc.

2007

Cold Jet

2008

L'Oreal USA

2013

Comfort Care Foods

2009

Lafarge Gypsum

CONTECH Engineered Solutions

2010, 2013

Long-Stanton Manufacturing Co.

2007, 2010, 2013

2007, 2009 2014

Company

Year(s) Won

Micropyretics Heaters International, Inc.

2007

Middletown Tubeworks

2009

Mil Air

2010

MillerCoors Brewery

2012

Mubea

2014

Multi-Color Corp.

2008

Nilpeter USA, Inc.

2011

Nolte Precise Manufacturing

2008

Odom Industries

2007

Polycraft Products Inc.

2014

Pro Mach, Inc.

2010

Ransohoff-Cleaning Technologies Group LLC

2012

Richards Industries

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014

Rite Track

2007

Rotek, Inc.

2009

Rumpke Waste & Recycling

2010, 2014

Salamander Sinkers

2013

Servatii

2010

Sharonville Transmission Plant/ Ford Motor Co.

2009

Coolant Control Inc.

2009

LSI Industries

D & E Machine

2011

MAG

2011

Sims-Lohman Inc.

2014

Star Manufacturing

2011, 2012, 2013

2010, 2013

Eagle Specialty Vehicles

2011, 2013

Makino

2012

Enerfab

2008, 2009, 2010, 2014

Mazak

2011, 2014

Emerson Industrial Automation

2012

2008, 2010, 2011

Meridian Bioscience Inc.

2012

2013

Mesa Industries, Inc.

2010

2008, 2014

Metalworking Group

2008, 2012, 2013

Emery Oleochemicals LLC

2012, 2013

Eurostampa North America Fecon Inc.

Melink Corp

Flottman Company

2013

Formica Corporation

2011

Michelman Inc.

2014

Storopack Inc.

2007

StratusGroup, Inc.

2010

Sweco

2007

The Hillman Group

2010

TSS Technologies

2008

Victory Industrial Products

2008

ZF Steering Systems

2011

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2015 CINCY MANNY AWARDS

MANNY WINNERS HONORED

EVENT EMCEE

Manufacturers from across the Tristate will be honored at the ninth

An award-winning reporter, producer and editor, Tom McKee has been a part of the WCPO-TV Channel 9 news team for more than 30 years.

McKee, who covers government, politics, business and education for WCPO, has produced its election Democracy series for more than decade, allowing citizens to pose Tom McKee questions that candidates have to answer. The 2012 series won a Walter Cronkite Award for Civic Engagement.

As a journalist, McKee says he’s most proud of “giving members of the public information they need to make informed decisions.”

McKee was graduated from Ohio University in 1973, and joined Channel 9 as a reporter for the Al Schottelkotte News.

From 1978 to 1983 he was the producer for Schottelkotte’s 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts, and was producer when WCPO launched Newswatch in 1983. He left TV news in 1984 and spent five years in private video production, returning to the station in 1989 as assignment manager. In 2001, he switched back to daily reporting.

McKee and his wife, Claudia, have three grown sons and seven grandchildren.

annual MANNY Awards, presented by Cincy Magazine, for achievements in five categories: Best Place to Work, Biggest Breakthrough, New Job Creation, New Product Development/Innovation and Top Growth.

The 15 winners will be celebrated at a dinner June 17 at the Sharonville Convention Center. Cocktails and networking begin at 5:45 p.m. with dinner and presentation following at 6:45 p.m.

This is also the third year for the MANNY Hall of Fame Leadership Award. This year’s recipient is Gary Heiman, president and CEO of Standard Textile, who will be honored for his contribution to manufacturing in the Tristate, his leadership and inspiration to others.

Visit cincymagazine.com to purchase tickets.

For questions, contact Events Manager Jenna Toon at 513-297-6215 or jtoon@ cincymagazine.com. RSVP deadline is June 11.

SPONSOR SPO T L IGH T S

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ood, Herron & Eva ns, L L P, aids clients in the acquisition, development, protection, licensing, defense and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights. The firm has been servicing businesses, trade associations, universities, foundations and individuals since 1868.

Wood, Herron & Evans anticipates legal issues that might threaten or compromise IP assets, and handles negotiation and

litigation effectively and vigorously when clients’ rights require enforcement. Its experienced attorneys and professional support staff understand the value of IP assets, such as patents, trademarks and copyrights.

The firm focuses on in-depth involvement with clients, using its combined experience

to address complex IP issues with flexible and dynamic solutions. Its approach fits and enhances business objectives, while simultaneously increasing the value provided to shareholders and owners.

Wood, Herron & Evans offers a seasoned and informed view of technology, identity, and branding in relation to the complex laws protecting intellectual property rights in business, manufacturing, entertainment, sports, publishing, electronic media and commerce. whe-law.com, 513-241-2324.

the most efficient methods to identify opportunities across ever-changing markets for more than 30 years.

The nonprofit’s proven approach aims at eliminating extraneous costs, increasing

productivity and maximizing profits. Comprised of business specialists, engineers, and scientists, TechSolve’s experts work with a wide spectrum of organizations to help identify and execute custom-tailored solutions that achieve any customer’s unique needs—for the ideal top-line growth, the best bottom-line savings, and an overall optimal experience, every time. techsolve.org, 513-948-2000.

T

echSolve is a nationally recognized provider and Ohio’s leader in process improvement expertise across four major industry sectors: manufacturing, advanced machining, aerospace and defense, and health care. Starting with best practices at the core of everything it does, TechSolve has been dedicated to process improvement and innovation in order to remain highly competitive, and to provide 66

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lynn & Company, Inc., is a fullservice certified public accounting and management consulting firm headquartered in Cincinnati.

Founded in 1994, the firm is committed to assisting businesses and individuals in achieving financial Regular success. Its staff has significant experience in a wide array of industries including manufacturing, pri-

vately owned businesses and nonprofits.

Flynn offers a wide range of tax services

and a full line of financial accounting, reporting and attestation services. It also provides technical assistance to companies’ accounting staff. The firm’s interactive process, foresighte™, provides clients with a clear, fiscal snapshot and forecast of their business so they can navigate with a new White perspective and make confident informed decisions. flynncocpa.com, 513-530-9200.

emulate the TOPGUN flight school’s approach in the pursuit of perfection, the expectation of extensive knowledge, the

repeated practice of sales techniques, excelling in presenting your strategic messaging and closing the sale.

Top Gun believes it is the premier center of excellence in adult education. Because in its world there are no points for second best. topgunhq.com, 513-770-0870.

and businesses.

Steve Bloemer, senior vice president T:7.5” of Commerce Bank, is a 25-year banking

veteran with a deep knowledge of the Cincinnati market. Commerce is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2015 and, for the sixth year in a row, has been ranked among the top 10 on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Banks. commercebank. com, 513-881-5571.

Outlined

PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS

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or more than a decade Top Gun has worked with selling professionals and their companies to improve their ability to compete and win. It does this with a blend of powerful tools, training and SA L E Stechnology.

RESOURCES Top Gun Sales Performance seeks to

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ommerce Bancshares, Inc., a subsidiary Commerce Bank, operates as a super community bank offering an array of financial products delivered with personal customer service. Commerce provides a diversified line of financial solutions to individuals

Upgrade your world.

Exploring lending and leasing options for your business?

Commerce Bank can help. We ask you the right questions, listen to your answers and then get to work structuring smart, cost-effective options that fit your needs and your business.

T:4.875”

Let’s talk business.

513-881-5576 | commercebank.com

©2015 Commerce Bancshares, Inc.

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2015 CINCY MANNY AWARDS COMMUNI T Y PA R T NERS Leadership, service and teamwork are the values at the core of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, which marked its 175th anniversary last year. Partnering with some 5,000 member businesses, the Chamber aims “to grow our regional economy and community, stimulating

opportunities for everyone,” while helping Cincinnati become a premier international business destination.

T

he Clermont County Office of Economic Development was established to provide assistance to companies of all sizes that wish to grow in Clermont County. The Board of County Commissioners has initiated one of the region’s most aggressive economic

development programs, engaging in massive infrastructure improvements, shovel-ready site development, image enhancement and improved communications with the business and development community. clermontcountyohio.biz.

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The Chamber provides numerous services to members—programs and events, benefits to improve businesses’ bottom lines, solutions to workforce challenges, government advocacy and more. cincinnatichamber.com.

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he mission of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce is to develop strong businesses and a vibrant economy in Northern Kentucky and its surrounding region through business advocacy and leadership, resulting in a better quality of life for all.

The Chamber focuses its efforts on education, workforce development, international trade, leadership development

and government relations at the federal, state and local level.

One of Greater Cincinnati’s leading business organizations and a nationally accredited five-star chamber, the Northern Kentucky Chamber represents all types and sizes of businesses whether small, mid-size or large. nkychamber.com.

the local communities to develop the resources and infrastructure to support their economic development programs.

It also markets and promotes the three Northern Kentucky counties on a national and international basis as a location for new or expanding businesses in several key areas: advanced manufacturing, professional offices, technology businesses, aviation-related industries; distribution and logistics, entrepreneurial start-ups and emerging markets such as life sciences. northernkentuckyusa.com.

T

he Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Corporation (Tri-ED) was created in 1987 as a nonprofit organization, blending public and private funds to enhance the business climate and to foster a spirit of regional cooperation among the Northern Kentucky counties of Boone, Kenton, and Campbell.

Tri-ED assists local companies in expanding their operations and works with

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DECEUNINCK NORTH AMERICA Winner of the 2015 Manny Award for New Product Development/Innovation Deceuninck is one of the largest window and door systems suppliers in the world with a wide range of innovative window and door systems – designed, engineered and extruded right here in Monroe, Ohio.

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