Michigan Manufacturing Week
John G. Thodis Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Awards

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Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Award Winners (left to right): Small Tier Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Edward Walker, President and CEO of W Industries in Detroit; Small Tier Finalist Nancy Ayres, General Manager of Flexco Grand Rapids; Angie Iocoo, vice president of Cartridges Are Us, accepting for Small Tier Finalist Steve Iocco, President of Cartridges Are Us based, in Ithaca; Special Achievement winner Mitchell Tomlinson, President and CEO of Peckham, Inc. in Lansing; and Large Tier Michigan Manufacturer of the Year William Demmer, CEO and President of Lansing-based Demmer Corporation

Once a year, MMA recognizes manufacturing executives who have displayed exceptional leadership, entrepreneurial ability and service to their communities.

The 2010 honorees were presented their awards at a luncheon held in conjunction with the MMA CEO Forum on 5/10/10 at the Henry Center for Executive Development in Lansing.

The Large Tier Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Award, granted to a company with 500 employees or more, was awarded to William Demmer in recognition of his leadership and visionary business strategy which moved Demmer Corporation from a strong reliance on the auto industry to a successful and broadly diversified manufacturer of defense, aerospace, transportation and energy products. Demmer is also being honored for his extraordinary dedication, not only to his company and his industry, but also to his community. He is actively involved in a long list of community and professional organizations, including serving as a member of the MMA Board of Directors.

Edward Walker was selected as the Small Tier winner, bestowed on companies with fewer than 500 employees. He is being honored for successfully transforming W Industries through dynamic innovation that has driven consistent growth. Under Walker’s leadership, the company’s sales have increased from $15 million to over $82 million in the last five years and 200 new employees have been added since 2003. He has also generously shared his time and knowledge with other small to mid-size auto suppliers looking to diversify by serving as a mentor. His ultimate goal is to encourage, educate and empower other manufacturing companies.

Mitchell Tomlinson was chosen to receive a Special Achievement Award celebrating the extraordinary mission of Peckham, Inc. which is leading the way in providing vocational training, individual assessment and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities or barriers to employment in mid-Michigan. The non-profit corporation employs 900 workers, providing real world opportunities for persons with disabilities to develop job skills and a work history assembling automotive components for the General Motors Company and manufacturing military apparel.

Nancy Ayres and Steve Iocco were both named as Small Tier Finalists. In addition to initiating, implementing and sustaining a number of employee-focused training and benefit programs, Ayres is credited with helping Flexco set revenue and profit records for the last seven years resulting in a 60,000 square foot expansion of manufacturing floor space — nearly doubling the size of the factory — to allow continued growth and added employment for the West Michigan area. Iocco is being honored for his role in bringing 200 jobs from Mexico to Michigan, renovating and refurbishing a former factory brownfield site in Ithaca to house his growing company as a testament to his commitment to environmental sustainability.

Contact Amy Shaw, at 800-253-9039 ext. 513 or 517-487-8513, for more information.

Past Award Recipients