ACE Awards
ACMA’s Awards for Composites Excellence (ACE) recognise superior product and process achievements that help bring the composites industry to the forefront of innovation. This year's winners are:
Design Category
- Innovation in Green Composites Design Award: Blackbird Guitars of San Francisco for the Blackbird Ukulele made of Lingrove's Ekoa flax/bioresin prepreg.
- Most Creative Application Award: Celanese Corporation of Winona, Minnesota, and Southwire Company LLC of Carrollton, Georgia, for Stranded Composite Core for High Voltage Transmission Conductors.
Manufacturing Category
- Equipment and Tooling Innovation Award: TSE Industries Inc of Clearwater, Florida, for Near Dripless Resin Impregnation Applicator for Filament Winding Applications.
- Materials and Process Innovation Award: MarkForged of Somerville, Massachusetts, for 3D Printing Continuous Strand Carbon Fiber, Glass Fiber and Kevlar Composites.
Market Growth Category
- Composites Sustainability Award: Cargo Composites of Charleston, South Carolina, for Lightweight Composite Air Cargo Container Lowers Lifecycle Costs.
- Infinite Possibility for Market Growth Award: Composite Panel Systems LLC of Eagle River, Wisconsin, for Epitome Quality Foundation Walls.
Volunteer Awards
ACMA also recognises people who have played a great role in advancing the field of composites. The Outstanding Volunteer Award is given to ACMA members who have contributed significant volunteer time and effort to achieve positive results on behalf of the industry through service to ACMA. The 2014 winners are:
- Kenneth Lipovsky, Cast Polymer Application Specialist, Reichold Inc. Lipovsky has been chair of the ICPA Technical Committee for more than 20 years. He has served on the ICPA Board of Advisors for many years, run the 'Cast Polymer Hotline' for years and has presented numerous times at conventions.
- Thomas Johnson, Corrosion Industry Manager, Ashland Performance Materials. Johnson has devoted years of his technical expertise and industry knowledge to ACMA and led the 2012 and 2013 ACMA Chemical Processing Symposiums. He has strengthened ACMA’s partnership with NACE and the corrosion community. From the Corrosion Control Division, to conference presentations and technical expertise to the launch of corrosionresistant.org, Johnson’s willingness to take on a significant amount of volunteer responsibility proves to be an invaluable resource for ACMA’s membership and staff.
Hall of Fame
The ACMA Hall of Fame honours those who have attained distinction among their peers through their efforts, involvement and accomplishments in the composites industry and its associations. The 2014 ACMA Hall of Fame inductees are:
- David Denny, Executive Vice President, Molded Fiber Glass Companies. Denny is known for his pioneering spirit and is regarded as a friendly, dependable resource and a mentor to many. He launched a new, high-tech focused factory with self-managed work teams that is very profitable and a leader in the industry. He also negotiated one of the first five-year contracts with the UAW that included profit sharing. Denny also established one of the leading market analyses for the composites industry detailing products, customers and competitor profiles; this market study was used to help develop the strategic direction of the company.
- Kenneth Lipovsky, Cast Polymer Application Specialist, Reichold Inc. In addition to receiving the Outstanding Volunteer Award (see above), Lipovsky was also inducted into the ACMA Hall of Fame. His contribution to the industry has been immense, but colleagues say that even more important is his willingness to help people with problems and act as a 'friend of the industry.'
Chairman's Award
The Chairman’s Award is an ACMA tradition, chosen by the chairman of the ACMA board. Current chairman Jay Merrell gave the award to Bill Kreysler of Kreysler & Associates and to Monty Felix of Alaglas Swimming Pools for their enthusiasm, creativity, leadership and dedication to ACMA and the composites industry.
Lifetime Achievement Award
ACMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award is given to someone who has been involved in the composites industry for at least 20 years, who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the industry. The 2014 ACMA Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dave Mohnke, Chairman of E-T-M Enterprises.