- 1 December 2004 -
Awards Program Honors Industry MVPs

by Greg Valero, g.valero@elsevier.com

The metal finishing industry is constantly evolving, with new products, technologies, and business strategies under development each year. Many of these initiatives play a major role in organic and inorganic finishing processes. Other programs may impact the future growth and direction of companies.

Metal Finishing realizes the efforts of the individuals driving these changes often go unnoticed, which is why we are creating the “People of the Year” awards program. Several outstanding candidates will be considered, from the shop floor to the executive suite, employed by companies both large and small. This is our version of the Most Valuable Player award as we identify people from the technical (individuals who are advancing the art and science of metal finishing) and business sides who deserve accolades.

We are organizing a selection committee consisting of numerous industry members—including representatives from industry trade associations—to help us identify potential nominees from job and captive shops. After careful consideration, the committee will choose four winners—two each from the organic and inorganic finishing operations—who clearly made a big impact in the industry this year, the primary criteria for the award. The winners from the inorganic finishing category will be honored at SUR/FIN in St. Louis while individuals honored from organic finishing operations will receive their awards at a separate event serving this part of the business.

We are interested in knowing if you think certain individuals, or yourself, should be cited for contributions to the industry. Please e-mail your selections and a brief description why these people deserve to be honored to g.valero@elsevier.com. The winners will be announced in the March issue.

New Weekly Newsletter
I am pleased to announce the creation of a new value-added service our magazine is offering for the metal finishing industry. Last month marked the debut of Metal Finishing Weekly, a newsletter offering hard news, market data, new developments, and original reporting. The editorial also includes a sneak preview of technical and business articles that will be published in the next issue of the magazine.

MFW provides you with a vehicle for staying informed on breaking news. We save you the time and effort of learning about the latest industry developments by e-mailing this information directly to your computer. The newsletter is free; if you are interested in signing up for a trial subscription, please contact Jason Awerdick at 212-633-3103; or email him at j.awerdick@elsevier.com.