 |
||||||
|
SEDCOR Members Honored at Annual Luncheon FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 23, 2005 On Thursday, June 23, SEDCOR held its Annual Honors Luncheon at Willamette Valley Vineyards, with over 300 members in attendance. The event was sponsored by Garrett, Hemann, Robertson, Jennings, Comstock & Trethewy, P.C. The awards honor outstanding companies in the following categories: Innovative Product, Exporter of the Year, Service Provider, Community Service and Manufacturer of the Year. The Mary Pearmine Workforce Leadership Award was also presented by the Enterprise for Employment and Education. Bob Ottoway, SEDCOR Board Chair and President, Westview Products, presented the awards and was assisted by Paul Dakopolos, Partner, Garrett, Hemann, Robertson, Jennings, Comstock & Trethewy, P.C. Innovative Product - Specialty Polymers, Incorporated
Specialty Polymers is a family owned company headquartered in Woodburn. Since 1969, they have been developing innovative products for the paint and coatings industry. From its start in founder Ray Southwell’s garage, the company now has production facilities in both Oregon and South Carolina and has quadrupled in size over the past four years. One of the most recent in a long line of Specialty Polymers’ innovative products is Woodsure. Starting with plain wood, and using their proprietary process to infuse it with acrylic, Woodsure is tougher, harder, more attractive and significantly more durable than the original material. Available in a wide variety of colors and has a variety of applications; from countertops to cabinets and furniture to flooring. The beauty of the product, couple with its enhanced strength and durability, are why it is called “natural wood made better”. Sheryl Southwell, President, accepted the award. Exporter of the Year - Marquis Corporation
Marquis was founded in Independence, Oregon in 1980. Since then, Marquis’ leadership and commitment to innovation have been continually recognized. Marquis is a true pioneer in the spa industry. In 1998, they became the first company to receive both of the industry’s top awards and also unveiled their “Your Back Yard” stores. In 2002 they launched a new product line, “Everyday Hot Tubs”. They are still headquartered in Independence and employee over 225 people. In 2000 Marquis signed its first European distributor in Norway. In 2003, they expanded into the United Kingdom. In 2004, company President Jerry Lankheet, said, “Our spas are taking Europe by storm . . . This year our international business is up roughly 65%.” So far in 2005, Marquis has signed three European distributors - the Netherlands, Spain and Iceland and their international sales numbers are running 93% ahead of last year. A Marquis spa can be bought in Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, France, Italy and Spain. John Schrenk, Executive Vice President and CFO, accepted the award. Service Provider - Salem Hospital
Salem Hospital is the city’s largest private employer, with approximately 3,300 full and part time employees, over 400 physicians, and some 500 volunteers who provide non-medical support for the hospital. The hospital traces its origins to 1896, when the first patient was treated at the five-bed converted school on 12th Street. They are among Salem’s oldest continuously operating private employers, as well as the largest. The hospital is one of the largest among Oregon’s 63 acute care hospitals. It is a not-for-profit hospital with licensing for 454 acute care beds. It is governed by a 15 member volunteer Board of Directors. The following quote from the Hospital’s own website best describes their position in our community. “Being a part of the community we live in means being actively involved with other individuals and organizations. We are continually working with others to expand and improve the scope and support we offer.” Clearly, they have been successful in these endeavors and are SEDCOR’s choice as this year’s Service Provider. Norm Gruber, Salem Hospital’s President and CEO, accepted the award. Community Service -Saalfeld Griggs PC
The members of the Saalfeld Griggs law firm are committed to community involvement, which is clearly demonstrated by the level of their activities in the Salem community. Their participation in worthwhile organizations, programs and causes is broad, diverse and long-standing. Firm members have served as Presidents of a variety of community organizations including: the Salem Library Foundation, the Salem Art Association, the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village and several local Rotary Clubs. Of special note to us is that Kris Gorsuch, who is retiring from the SEDCOR Board today, having served since 1992, was our own Board Chair in 1994. Members of the firm have also played volunteer leadership roles in many other worthy community activities, including, but not limited to: the Chemeketa Community College Foundation, the Salem Keizer School District in many capacities, the Boys and Girls Club, the Blanchet School Advisory Board, the Salem Hospital Foundation, the YMCA, the Willamette Valley Hospice, numerous City of Salem Committees and many, many more. Bob Saalfeld, President of Saalfeld Griggs, accepted the award. Manufacturer of the Year - Neilsen Manufacturing
Jack Neilsen founded the company as Neilsen Metal Industries in 1957 and they have been an active member of the Salem Community ever since. Today, Neilsen occupies 180,000 square feet in two locations and provides jobs for 250 full time employees. In the early years, Neilsen primarily produced materials for local industries and food processing facilities. As electronics companies began moving to Oregon in the 1970s, Neilsen changed its focus to accommodate their needs. Today, their leading customers include Hewlett Packard, Tektronix, IBM Credence and Sun Microsystems. About 99% of Neilsen’s products are sold outside of the Salem area with products going to Mexico, Europe, Asia and across the United States. Neilsen’s manufacturing capabilities include laser cutting, punching, forming, robotic bending, full service electro-mechanical assembly and a number of welding applications. Their products include mainframe server cabinets, cell site telecommunication cabinets and amusement car chassis. They have been a forerunner in the market in regard to Just-In-Time manufacturing, Cellular Manufacturing, Open Book Management and Value Added Services. They were an early proponent and implementer of Lean Manufacturing. Over the years, Neilsen Manufacturing has received many awards, including: Sun Microsystems Performance and Outstanding Supplier Awards, the Tektronix Preferred Supplier Award, the Austin Family Business Award, the Oregon Disabilities Commission Governor’s Employer Award, the MassMutual National Family Business of the Year Award. Though Neilsen Manufacturing has changed and grown considerably since 1957, they remain true to their original core values. It’s best summed up in their own words. “We view the future positively. We are biased toward action, staying nimble to changing realities and continually seeking opportunities for improvement. We are not complacent with success but continue to pay attention to the details.” Tom Neilsen, Owner, and Charlie Hopewell, President, accepted the award. Mary Pearmine Workforce Leadership Award
The Mary Pearmine Workforce Leadership Award was presented to Charlie Hopewell of Neilsen Manufacturing for his commitment to workforce training and the partnerships he has built with private and public organizations to increase worker skills. Enterprise for Employment and Education, has presented this award since 2003 to increase public awareness of workforce development issues. This award recognizes individuals or organizations that actively invest in the development of a more highly skilled and capable workforce. Other individuals nominated for the award included: Bob Ottaway of Westview Products, Dean Craig of Personnel Source and Yolanda Ojeda of Rainsweet. For information contact: Susan Appleby, Communications Manager - 503-485-9803 or email sappleby@sedcor.com |
||||||
