Valley Industrial Association of Illinois

Still feeling lucky? ?? Join us for a belated St. Patrick's Day Member 411 this Thursday! Networking, updates, drinks, and shenanigans included. ?? Register here: https://lnkd.in/gt9bYQsD

Extra extra, read all about it! ?? The latest edition of VIA's quarterly Ezine, The Voice, is out now! Look inside for articles on AI, pictures, factory tour recaps, VIA benefits, and all things SPARK AWARDS! ?? Read here!: https://lnkd.in/gAAT2Aph

We're feeling very lucky this St. Patrick's Day as we reflect on last week's Spark Awards... what a night! We're so impressed by all the incredible finalists and winners and the best practices they display through their hard work. Very lucky and very thankful to be part of this special manufacturing community. ?? Announcing the 2025 VIA Spark Award Winners ?? Culture: MTH Pumps & Flexco Innovation: MTH Pumps/MTH Tool Company & Gripple USA Operational Excellence: Aurora Specialty Textiles Group, Inc. & Amsted Automotive Safety: Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc. & Flexco Social Responsibility: MTH Pumps/MTH Tool Company & Hoffer Plastics Workforce Development: Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc. & Amsted Automotive Impact Award: Chris Leuck, Rieke Interiors GCAMP Outstanding Mfg Student of the Year: Alejandro Vazquez, West Aurora HS, West Aurora School District 129 GCAMP Outstanding Mfg Educator of the Year: Mark Williams, West Aurora HS GCAMP Developing Our Future Award: Custom Aluminum Products, Inc. Congratulations to all!! ? A HUGE thank you goes out to our sponsors for their support: Platinum sponsors IMEC Illinois and ServPro's Jennifer Olson, Silver sponsor Illinois Manufacturers' Association, Bronze sponsors Continental Envelope and Manpower, Dessert sponsor Gierach Law Firm, LLC, and Coffee Bar sponsor Huntington National Bank. Your support is invaluable. We would LOVE to see you again soon- remember, there are 34 more events before the summer's golf outing!: https://lnkd.in/gPA-yMG2 ??

A HUGE congratulations to the graduates of our Stepping Up to Lead in Spanish class! We are so inspired by your dedication and hard work the last 5 weeks. We can't wait to see the amazing impacts you continue to make on your companies and team members! Custom Aluminum Products, Inc. Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions Check out more leadership opportunities on the calendar: https://lnkd.in/gPA-yMG2

We had a blast learning the latest trends in marketing from Nancy O'Leary, VP at Custom Direct, Inc. last week! She shared lots of helpful tips for companies looking to grow their businesses. From using social media to drive traffic to the website, to ending marketing emails with a call to action, or ensuring your website navigation is streamlined for ease of use, we discovered many ideas to put into practice! Keep an eye on the calendar for more events coming soon!: https://lnkd.in/gPA-yMG2

Meet our last finalist: join us in congratulating United Scrap Metal, Inc. on being named a finalist in the 2025 Spark Awards! ?? United Scrap is a finalist in 3 categories: Culture, Safety, and Social Responsibility. Congratulations and good luck in the competition! Congratulations again to all of this year's finalists. We cannot wait for next Wednesday, March 12th, when we will announce the winners and celebrate all who who have demonstrated incredible dedication to continuous improvement. #viaspark #sparkawards #benchmarking #excellence #manufacturing #innovation #workforcedevelopment #safety #culture #socialresponsibility #opex

Join us in congratulating The Suter Company Inc. on being named a finalist in the 2025 Spark Awards! ?? Suter is a finalist in the category of Culture. Congratulations and good luck in the competition! Last chance to grab your Spark tickets!: https://lnkd.in/g2ZyUBRj #viaspark #sparkawards #benchmarking #excellence #manufacturing #innovation #workforcedevelopment #safety #culture #socialresponsibility #opex

We are turning in our Spark Awards numbers at END OF DAY today! Don't miss this awesome night celebrating Chicagoland companies actively working on continuous improvement and best practices in their organizations! ALSO celebrating the Greater Chicago Advanced Manufacturing Partnership MFG Educator of the Year, Student of the Year, & our new award - Developing our Future Award for Manufacturers doing great things to promote this important industry! It's a very special night. Please join us! https://lnkd.in/g2ZyUBRj #mfgbestpractices #VIASpark

Join us in congratulating Simplex System Controls on being named a finalist in the 2025 Spark Awards! ?? Simplex is a finalist in the category of Operational Excellence. Congratulations and good luck in the competition! Don't miss out on tickets to the Spark Awards NEXT WEEK!: https://lnkd.in/g2ZyUBRj #viaspark #sparkawards #benchmarking #excellence #manufacturing #innovation #workforcedevelopment #safety #culture #socialresponsibility #opex

Join us in congratulating MTH Pumps on being named a finalist in the 2025 Spark Awards! ?? MTH is a finalist in 6 categories: Workforce Development, Innovation, Safety, Culture, Social Responsibility, and Operational Excellence. Congratulations and good luck in the competition! Join us NEXT WEEK as we reveal the winners: https://lnkd.in/g2ZyUBRj #viaspark #sparkawards #benchmarking #excellence #manufacturing #innovation #workforcedevelopment #safety #culture #socialresponsibility #opex