Five Reasons to Submit an Entry for the 2018 PMA Awards of Excellence

Entering and winning industry awards provides great value to manufacturers as they seek to promote themselves in a crowded marketplace for fabricated- and stamped-metal parts and assemblies. Just ask those companies that have earned Awards of Excellence from the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) over the years, and have used the recognition to earn new business.

The awards—given in several categories including product development, innovation and technology, product and process design, use of process controls, quality, and training and education—recognize the high standards of achievement in our industry. Does the process of entering the awards competition take time and resources? Of course. But, the more important question is, is it worth the effort?

From my perspective, the answer is a resounding, “Yes.” And if you’ll allow me to steal from the website of 360 integrated PR, a UK public relations firm, I’ll explain. A recent blog post by the firm provides five solid reasons why metalformers should enter industry-award competitions, such as the PMA Awards of Excellence.

1) Staff recognition—“Industry awards provide a very visible way of recognizing the efforts of the specific staff who have worked on a particular project,” writes Philip Tutt of 360 integrated PR. “If the team is invited to attend the ceremony, so much the better.”

2) Driving employee engagement—Companies can use internal recognition of the project to spur on other employees. “The entry demonstrates what the company values,” Tutt says. “Smart employees say, ‘We could do that.’ In addition, internal presentation of the awards helps you share best practices throughout the company.”

3) Customer recognition—If the award entry involves a project completed for a specific customer, entering the competition “is a great way to enrich your relationship with the client,” Tutt writes. “Putting your joint activity forward for an award shows customers that you value your relationship with them.”

4) Networking/Influencer marketing—Optimize your industry recognition by fully leveraging the awards ceremony. “Put your best people forward to attend,” Tutt says. “They can use the event to reinforce their contacts in the industry—such (events) attract buyers and influencers to whom your team can chat in a more relaxed setting.”