Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue will present awards to the Manufacturers of the Year at a luncheon April 21, at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. Companies from three categories – large (more than 750 employees), medium (151-749 employees) and small (150 or fewer) – will be honored for their contributions to the prosperity of Georgia. Channel 11’s Wes Sarginson will be Master of Ceremonies.

Winners of the statewide student design contest will also be announced at the luncheon. More than 1,100 students from around the state submitted entries featuring Georgia manufacturers and their products to be considered for this year’s placemat, poster and t-shirt designs. Three winners will be chosen in each category, and they will be presented scholarship checks totaling $2,700. The design contest is intended to promote awareness of this vital economic sector among Georgia’s students.

The awards luncheon is the culmination of Manufacturing Appreciation Week, which will be celebrated from April 18 - 22. Organized by Georgians for Manufacturing, Manufacturing Appreciation Week brings attention to this significant component of Georgia’s economy. According to the Governor’s proclamation declaring Manufacturing Appreciation Week, approximately 10,000 manufacturing facilities are located in Georgia and provides almost 500,000 jobs, contributing more than $18 billion to the state’s economy each year.

The awards presented to the Manufacturers of the Year are handcrafted by Georgia artist Barbara Mann. It features a 6-inch-tall, 4-inch-wide sterling sculpture in the shape of a Mobius strip, etched with images and symbols found in manufacturing processes and mounted on a base made of polished pink Georgia marble from Tate, Ga., the only place in the world where pink marble is found.

This year’s sponsors include BellSouth, Georgia Power, Pattillo Construction, Randstad, the Georgia Tech Economic Development Institute, and Habif, Arogeti, and Wynne, LLP.

Okefenokee Technical College has nominated 10 area manufacturers for the small and medium category. Those nominated are: Milliken & Company (Alma); D. L. Lee & Son (Alma); GE Energy (Folkston); BWay Corporation (Homerville); Wells Cargo-South (Waycross); Simmons Company (Waycross); Flanders Provision Company (Waycross); General Housing (Waycross); Clayton Homes (Waycross); and VOITH (Waycross).

In addition to the State MAW event, a local ceremony will be held on April 26 to honor the area manufacturers in Bacon, Brantley, Charlton, Clinch, Pierce, and Ware counties. The Okefenokee Area Development Authority, Okefenokee Technical College, Bacon County Development Authority, Folkston/Charlton County Development Authority, and the Clinch County Development Authority are sponsoring a luncheon and awards ceremony at the historic Rail Depot in downtown Waycross beginning at 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. All area manufacturers are invited to attend.