Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA (11 April 2011) – The Automation Federation (AF) announced today that it was selected as a winner of the seventh annual PM100 Awards by Manufacturing Enterprise Communications, Inc.—producers of the Manufacturing Leadership Summit and publishers of Managing Automation. This is the third consecutive year that AF has won a PM100 Award. 

In 2009, AF was honored for the development of the Automation Competency Model (ACM). In 2010, AF was honored for the completion of the ACM and efforts to disseminate information about the model to the international community. This year, AF is being honored for its new AutomationVETS program. 

AF’s AutomationVETS program gives military Veterans the opportunity to pursue new careers in automation. The program combines the technical skills Veterans acquired in the service of their country with mentoring from current automation professionals to make the transition to a lucrative career in automation smooth and straightforward. AF is proud to announce that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has offered its support to help make the AutomationVETS program a success.  

Steve Pflantz, 2011 chair of the Automation Federation membership committee, said, “Winning the award for our AutomationVETS program is especially meaningful to us because this program is designed to give back to our Veterans, who have worked hard to serve and protect the rest of us. Re-entering the workforce after retiring from service is often challenging for our Veterans. This program will help them use the skills they already possess to pursue careers in which they will continue to make a difference to the health, safety and well-being of our nation. We hope this award will help spread the message throughout industry that mentors are needed and that our Veterans are a prime source for new hires.” 

An independent judging panel chaired by David R. Brousell, editor-in-chief, and Jeff Moad, executive editor, of Managing Automation, reviewed project nominations. 

Judges included: 

• Lisa Bodell, CEO, futurethink
• David R. Brousell, editor-in-chief, Managing Automation
• Steve Bloomfield, director of manufacturing IT systems, Freescale Semiconductor
• Julie Fraser, president, Cambashi
• Bill Bradfield, director of IT, Interior Concepts
• Tim Hanley, vice chairman and U.S. process & industrial products leader, Deloitte & Touche LLP
• Brad Heath, president, VirTex Assembly Services, Inc. (2009 PM100 winner)
• Stephen Huffman, vice president, strategic accounts, Mead O’Brien, Inc.
• Larry Lapide, research affiliate, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics
• George Nickel, director, global manufacturing process, Johnson & Johnson
• Robert Parker, VP, research, Manufacturing Insights
• Sath Rao, research director, industrial automation & process control, Frost & Sullivan USA (Texas)
• Ben Sommerville, chief operating officer, Phoenix Logistics
• James Sourges, VP, manufacturing automotive sector, Capgemini

The 2011 PM100 Winners will be honored and presented with awards at the Awards Gala, scheduled for 11 May 2011, the last day of the Manufacturing Leadership Summit 2011, at The Breakers in Palm Beach, FL, USA. More than 200 manufacturing technology executives are expected to attend. 

“As we prepare for the eventual end of the Great Recession, these winning companies dramatically underscore how the manufacturing industry will begin to emerge in an even stronger position once a recovery takes a firm hold,” says David Brousell, editor-in-chief, Managing Automation. “The projects that enabled these companies to become PM100 winners reflect great creativity and inventiveness, a determined willingness to take risk and an enduring resilience to continually improve every aspect of their businesses. These companies are leading the way to a better future.” 

“Winning the PM100 award, for the third year in a row, provides AF and our member organizations important industry recognition for all the things we do to advance and enhance the image and recognized importance of automation professionals. This validation shows our hardworking volunteers and supporters that what they do through the Automation Federation matters and is making a difference,” said Mike Marlowe, managing director of the Automation Federation. 

To learn more about the AutomationVETS program, please contact Mike Marlowe at communications@automationfederation.org. 

About Manufacturing Enterprise Communications, Inc.
Manufacturing Enterprise Communications, a division of Thomas Publishing Co. LLC, the leading information resource for manufacturing executives, produces industry-specific information for global manufacturing markets. Manufacturing Enterprise Communications provides critical content to innovative and forward-thinking manufacturing companies that use enterprise systems and information and automation technologies to transform their businesses and create a sustainable competitive advantage. Manufacturing Enterprise Communications powers the Managing Automation magazine and Website; the Manufacturing Executive Website, Manufacturing Leadership Council, and Manufacturing Executive Leadership Journal; the Manufacturing Leadership Summit; and the PM100 Awards program. For more information visit www.manufacturingleadershipsummit.com or email us at summit@thomaspublishing.com. 

About the Automation Federation
The Automation Federation is a global umbrella organization under which member associations and societies engaged in manufacturing and process automation activities can work more effectively to fulfill their missions, advance the science and engineering of automation technologies and applications, and develop the workforce needed to capitalize on the benefits of automation. The Automation Federation is working to become the “Voice of Automation.” For more information about the Automation Federation, visit www.automationfederation.org.