The South Florida Manufacturer Association’s (SFMA) is pleased to announce that nominations for the 2027 Manufacturer of the Year Award (Award) are now open. This award celebrates and honors excellence from an operational excellence standpoint. The deadline to make nominations is Friday, December 04, 2026.

This competitive Award is solely focused on manufacturing process and operations and does not assess how a company is doing financially. The SFMA’s Award is modeled on performance excellence, and companies are judged based on the following six criterion: Leadership and Strategy, Customer Focus, Technology & Innovation, Measurement, Workforce, and Operations.

Why Manufacturers Should Participate in the Award:

• Receive Detailed Feedback from the Judge’s Evaluation.
• Benchmark Your Scores Against Other Manufacturers.
• Be Recognized and viewed by suppliers and the manufacturing community as the crème de la crème of manufacturing in South Florida and beyond.
• If selected as a finalist, gain exposure in front of over 500 attendees at the SFMA’s Recognition of Excellence Ceremony on June 24, 2027.

Eligibility Criterion:

Who is Eligible to be Nominated?

• Any manufacturer located in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Indian River, Martin, or St Lucie counties.
• Manufacturing operations must take place in at least one of the following Florida counties: Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Indian River, Martin, or St Lucie counties.
• The nominee DOES NOT have to be a member of the SFMA to be eligible.

Who is Eligible to Make a Nomination?

• Any organization (e.g., industry group, chamber, supplier, customer, workforce or economic development organization, government organization, individuals, other manufacturers, etc..) can make any number of nominations.
• Self-nominations by a manufacturing company are also accepted as long as they meet the above listed criteria.

The Award Process Explained:

Step 1: Accept the Nomination. If a manufacturer self-nominates, then that acts as the acceptance.

Step 2: Complete the 2027 Organizational Profile.

• Once a nomination is accepted, the SFMA will send the nominee the organizational profile to complete. The organizational profile provides the judges with baseline information about your company and provides the judges with your intent to go through the Award Process.
• Deadline for Submission: The deadline to submit the Organizational Profile is December 18, 2026

Step 3:  Complete your Onsite Evaluation and Tour.

• The Onsite Evaluation is where you are assessed by the judges based on the following six criterion: Leadership and Strategy, Customer Focus, Technology & Innovation, Measurement, Workforce, and Operations.
• The Onsite Evaluation will take 3 to 4 hours and is divided into two parts during the Onsite Evaluation. Part 1 is a presentation to the judges focusing on the six criterion being assessed and a Q&A session with the judges. Part 2 is a tour of the manufacturing facility so the judges can validate what was presented during Part 1.
• Evaluation Period: The Onsite Evaluations will take place between January 2027 and March 2027.

Step 4: Finalist Position: Upon being notified by the SFMA that you have made it to a finalist round, you will be instructed on any next steps and also how to prepare for the Ceremony. Being a Finalist means that you are in contention to win the award in your respective category. The Winners and Runners-up in each category are unveiled for the first time at the Ceremony on June 24, 2027 at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, FL.

Take this opportunity to recognize one or more high-performing manufacturing companies by nominating to the SFMA’s Award process. Nominations are easy to complete with no write-ups needed! Simply fill out the form below to make your official nomination. The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, December 4, 2026.

Nominations are easy to complete! Simply fill out the form below to make your official nomination. Don’t forget to hit the “Submit” button at the end of this form to complete your nomination.

Please also see the below for more information on the award: