Legends in Manufacturing Awards

Nominations

Elevate Advanced Manufacturing, a program of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) Foundation, recognizes up to five outstanding leaders in manufacturing each year at its “Legends in Manufacturing” awards, as part of ABI’s Iowa Manufacturing Conference.

Nominees for the first three categories should be individuals who are/were key company leaders, past or present. Nominees for the Manufacturing Champion award should be individuals or organizations not directly engaged in manufacturing activities, but whose activities support the industry. Nominators can nominate as many people as they wish! 

2025 nominations will open in early Summer 2025.

Awards Celebration

The Iowa Association of Business & Industry (ABI) and Elevate Advanced Manufacturing host the annual Legends in Manufacturing Awards to celebrate the manufacturing industry and to recognize legends in manufacturing for their hard work and dedication to Iowa, the industry, and their company.

The 2024 Legends awardees will be recognized during a lunch ceremony on October 2 as part of the Iowa Manufacturing Conference.

If you wish to support the Legends in Manufacturing Awards and the Iowa Manufacturing Conference as a sponsor, please contact Holly Mueggenberg at 515-235-0572 or hmueggenberg@iowaabi.org for more information.

Past Legends in Manufacturing

2024 Award Winners: 

  1. Under 100 Employees: Hernan Etcheto, Nutriom (Panora)
  2. 100-300 Employees: Gary Sharp, Advanced Heat Treat Corporation (Waterloo)
  3. 300+ Employees: John Lisle, Lisle Corporation & EZ Way Inc. (Clarinda)
  4. Posthumous: Jim Tyler, Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
  5. Manufacturing Champion: Mike Ralston, Iowa Association of Business and Industry

2023 Award Winners:

  1. Under 100 Employees: Jackson Manufacturing, Jack Hasken (Maquoketa) 
  2. 100-300 Employees: Osmundson Manufacturing, Heather Bruce (Perry) 
  3. 300+ Employees: Arconic, John Riches (Bettendorf) 
  4. Manufacturing Champion: Cindy Dietz, Collins Aerospace (Cedar Rapids) 

2022 Award Winners:

  1. Under 100 Employees: Kirk McCollough, Seneca Foundry (Webster City) 
  2. 100-300 Employees: John Bruntz, Cementech (West Des Moines) 
  3. 300+ Employees: Jerry Krantz, SSAB (Muscatine) 
  4. Manufacturing Champion: Debi Durham, Director at Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority 

2021 Award Winners:

  1. Under 100 Employees: Larry Raymon, Owner & CEO – Raymon Donco Air Distribution Equipment (Albion, Iowa)
  2. 100-300 Employees: Tim Bianco, President & CEO – Iowa Spring (West Des Moines, Iowa) 
  3. 300+ Employees: Kellan Longenecker, Plant Manager – General Mills, Inc. Avon Plant (Carlisle, Iowa) 
  4. Posthumous Award: Larry Countryman, Former CFO & Treasurer – Wilson Trailer Company (Sioux City, Iowa)
  5. Manufacturing Champion: Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds 

2019 Award Winners:

  1. Under 100 Employees: Kevin & Karen Alstot, C&S Products
  2. 100-300 Employees: Connor Deering, Cementech
  3. 300+ Employees: Al Jennings, EFCO
  4. Posthumous Award: Fred Lisle, Lisle Corporation
  5. Manufacturing Champion Award: Beth Townsend, Iowa Workforce Development Director

2018 Award Winners:

  1. Under 100 Employees: Tim Greene, Quality Machine  
  2. 100-300 Employees: Richard Davidson, Thombert, Inc. 
  3. 300+ Employees: Jim Tyler and Kirk Tyler, Atlantic Coca Cola Bottling 
  4. Posthumous Award: Eugene Sukup, Sukup Manufacturing  
  5. Manufacturing Champion Award: West Delaware County Community School District and the Delaware County manufacturers; Henderson Products, XL Specialized Trailers, and Paladin Implements 
  6. Manufacturer Export Award: Roger Brown, Precision Pulley Idler

2017 Award Winners:

  1. Under 100 Employees: Fred Buie, Keystone Electrical Company 
  2. 100-300 Employees: Todd Sommerfeld, Kreg Tool Company 
  3. 300+ Employees: David Zrostlik, Stellar Industries, Inc.   
  4. Posthumous Award: Gary Vermeer, Vermeer Corporation 
  5. Manufacturing Champion Award: Dr. Ron Cox & Michael O'Donnell, Central Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) 
  6. Ambassador of the Year: Kelly Barrick, The Private Bank 
  7. Honorary Ambassador of the Year Award: Dennis Murdock, Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) 

2016 Award Winners:

  1. Under 100 Employees: Bruce Tamisiea, Tecton Industries 
  2. 100-300 Employees: Roger Hargens, Accumold 
  3. 300+ Employees: Paul Gregorie, Emerson Process Management 
  4. Posthumous Award: John Norris, Lennox Industries, Inc.  
  5. Manufacturing Champion Award: Mark Hanawalt, UEA 
  6. Ambassador of the Year Award: Sarah Dvorak 

2015 Award Winners:

  1. Under 100 Employees: Robert Wersen, Interpower 
  2. 100-300 Employees: Dick Smith, Agri-Industrial Plastics 
  3. 300+ Employees: Co-winners Drew Vogel, Vogel Paint, Inc. and Charles Sukup, Sukup Manufacturing  
  4. Posthumous Award: Jack McMahon, Barker Company (Hillphoenix) 
  5. Manufacturing Champion Award: Iowa Association of Community Colleges & Iowa’s 15 Community Colleges