Five regional manufacturers won statewide awards in March from a growing field of entrants ? a sign the hard-hit sector is turning around, sponsors said.
The 18 winners of the state awards manufacture everything from mining equipment to hightech medical devices, and nominees for the awards were up to 52 companies from 41 last year.
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"There's no doubt our manufacturing sector is coming back and it's coming back strong," said Jim Pugh, a spokesman for event cosponsor Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce.
The 17th annual Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year awards, which were co-sponsored by accounting and consulting firm Virchow, Krause & Co. of Madison and law firm Michael Best & Friedrich of Milwaukee, included these regional winners:
Quinton Cardiology's Burdick plant in Deerfield won an award for measures that included implementing a manufacturing system that allows the company to respond more quickly to customers.
Portage Plastics Corp. of Portage won an award for creating local jobs and expanding its business in spite of the recent economic downturn.
Universal Die & Stampings of Prairie du Sac won for increasing its sales 26 percent over the last three years, a difficult time for its industry.
Industrial Combustion in Monroe, a division of Aqua- Chem, won for developing a line of fuel-efficient industrial burners that lead to a cleaner environment.
Great White Dental Lab in Lodi, a custom maker of porcelain dental crowns for dentists, won an award for its flexible work schedule for its nine employees.
