Ah, spring! Flowers in bloom. About time to cut the grass after you catch the latest episode of "Game of Thrones." But here's the best part: Once again it's time for the Plastics News Processor of the Year Award!
Who needs fire-breathing dragons and epic battles — or seasonal allergies — when you can compete for the annual award that recognizes well-rounded excellence at your plastics company?
We now are officially seeking nominations for Processor of the Year. It's easy to get started, by filling out a simple nomination form explaining why you think the company deserves the award. The form is online at www.plasticsnews.com/processor-year-award.
The Processor of the Year Award honors a North American plastics processor for performance, corporate responsibility and overall excellence. Officials from past winners, finalists and other companies that have participated say the award is a good way to get some publicity and confirmation by a third party. Plastics News editorial staff members do the judging.
Anyone can nominate a plastics processor, defined as a company that manufactures plastic parts. A nominee can be a company or an operating division — public or private — that has been engaged in plastics processing for at least five years.
You can self-nominate your company or a processor can be nominated by an outside party, such as a supplier, customer or economic development official.
We contact each nominee, asking for a longer written submission report that covers seven criteria: financial performance, quality, customer relations, employee relations, environmental performance, industry/public service and technological innovation.
The deadline for entry is Oct. 1. By that date, we want to receive each company's submission.
Before you launch into the report, you should first check our frequently asked questions, on the website link listed above (scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the FAQ link). We also recommend calling award coordinator Bill Bregar, a senior reporter at Plastics News. Bill can be reached at 330-203-5991 or emailed at [email protected].
In addition to the Processor of the Year Award, Plastics News honors worthy contestants with the PN Excellence Awards for specific categories. And we encourage former Processor of the Year winners to apply for our Sustained Excellence Award.
The 2018 Processor of the Year was MTD Micro Molding in Charlton, Mass., which injection molds minutely small medical parts for implant in the human body.
The winners of the three PN Excellence Awards were Plastek Industries Inc., an Erie, Pa.-based custom injection molder, for customer relations; Vital Plastics Inc. of Baldwin, Wis., a custom molder and assembly company, for employee relations; and Denver custom molder Intertech Plastics Inc. for industry/public service.
The 2019 winners will be announced at the next Plastics News Executive Forum, scheduled for Feb. 24-26, 2020, in Naples, Fla.