First Coast Manufacturers Association Announces 2016 Manufacturers Awards

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Oct. 17, 2016 - PRLog -- The First Coast Manufacturers Association (FCMA) announced the winners of its 2016 "Excellence In Manufacturing" awards at a banquet honoring nominees and winners at the World Golf Village during its fourth annual Manufacturing Summit.

         The two Manufacturer of the Year awards went to:

UTC Aerospace

This company aims to enhance the manufacturing base in Jacksonville through a strong commitment to their business strategy, their workforce and the community. They are aggressive with their environmental goals to annually reduce water usage and waste and to promote recycling and energy efficiency. Plus they have an extensive workforce education program that provides scholarships to cover tuition, fees, books and three hours of paid study time a week.

Fleet Readiness Center Southeast

Fleet Readiness is the largest industrial employer in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. They have allocated more than $7 million over the past five years in a state-of-the-art facility to assist in the training of employees as well as to provide classrooms for computer and hands-on training. Their environmental program has resulted in reduced energy consumption through lighting improvements; and they have recycled over 160 tons of used oil for energy recovery and reduction.

         The association also recognized other FCMA members with the following awards:

Workforce Education Award – Vac-Con

Vac-Con has instituted programs this year that has helped educate their workers to the extent that it has resulted in a reduction of accidents, even despite the fact that employees and crews shift on an hourly basis. In addition, the company has spent time and resources to educate their community and area schools students to the arena of manufacturing.

Environmental Award – Saft America

Saft has taken advantage of its Florida location to demonstrate its own company mission of producing power. The company has a roof covered with over 4,000 solar panels. The system's annual renewable energy panels have a peak capacity of 97.6%. And by using solar power, they conserve 2.5 million gallons of gasoline annually.

Economic Impact Award – Beaver Street Fisheries

This company has consistently offered strong support for the economy of Northeast Florida. In addition to enhancing its sales process internally, the company has distinguished itself through sponsorships of local professional sports teams and other philanthropic endeavors throughout the community.

Partner of The Year Award – Golder Associates

Golder actively assists their clients in becoming more environmentally conscious while they seek to incorporate environmental protection into their own operations. They feel so strongly about sustainability and reducing their carbon footprint that they encourage their staff to bike to work, work from home, and limit non-essential travel.

Founders Service Award – Carlisle Interconnect Technologies

Carlisle reflects the true example of the association's founders in their commitment to improving their business and working to benefit the community. This company focuses on economic goals, recognizing the need to understand their customers and specifically their needs. Their business is environmentally friendly and mandates employee training on environmental policy and safety.

         The First Coast Manufacturers Association is a non-profit trade association serving Northeast Florida. There are over 1,500 manufacturing companies on the First Coast, supplying over 30,000 jobs and generating nearly 15% of the total gross regional product. Additional media information on FCMA is available at www.fcmaweb.com.