2015 Productivity Achievement Award winners announced

Each year, Modern’s Productivity Achievement Awards honor those companies that made outstanding operational improvements through materials handling systems and related information systems. Modern’s editorial team selects finalists from among the monthly system reports published by Modern in the previous year. A panel of industry experts then reviews the finalists in each category, selects a winner and outlines the merits of the winning company.

Finalists in the Manufacturing and Warehousing/Distribution categories are recognized for their ability to provide outstanding customer service, quickly respond to changing business conditions, deliver orders that meet customer requirements, and improve operations. The Innovation category recognizes a company that successfully employed a solution that defies convention.

In addition to achievements in productivity, throughput or efficiency, winners were also judged on how projects inside the four walls enable or complement the broader business objectives of the company.

This year’s panel of Productivity Achievement Awards judges consists of: James A. Tompkins, CEO of Tompkins International, a supply chain consulting and implementation firm; Bryan Jensen, vice president and principal for St. Onge Co., a supply chain strategy and logistics consulting firm; Steve Simmerman, senior director of North American sales for JDA; and Ron Grove, vice president at TZA, which specializes in workforce productivity solutions for manufacturing and distribution operations.

This year, none of the votes were unanimous, and winners edged out their fellow finalists by narrow margins. Still, Modern’s editors and guest judges agree the winners offer models for success in their respective fields as well as for the future of the industry as a whole. For the full text of last year’s honorable mentions, visit “Year in Review: 2014 System Reports.”

The 2015 winners are:
Innovation Award: Tech Data

Manufacturing Award: Diversity Vuteq

Warehousing/Distribution Award: BRG Sports