Florida Sterling Manufacturing Business Excellence Award



FloridaMakes, in partnership with The Sterling Council, is leading the Florida Sterling Manufacturing Business Excellence Awards process.

The awards process is designed to:
  • Recognize high-performing Florida manufacturing companies.
  • Provide opportunities for organizational learning and development.
  • Promote and elevate participating manufacturers and the Florida manufacturing sector.


Eligibility: All manufacturers with production facilities in Florida are eligible to participate. It is not necessary for the nominee to be a member of any association.

How to Nominate a Company: A nomination may be made by any individual or organization including any industry group, supplier, customer, workforce or economic development organization, University/College/School, or government agency. Self-nominations are also acceptable.

When nominations are open, to nominate a manufacturer, complete the form or send an email to SMBE@FloridaMakes.com with the following information:

• the company you are nominating,
• a point of contact for the nominee company,
• their contact information,
• your name and contact information.

No nomination write-ups are required.

Nominations for 2022 are now closed.

Please contact Phil Centonze at (954) 684-2642 or SMBE@FloridaMakes.com with questions.

The Process:

1. Organizational Profile and Overview – Following the nomination, the nominee will be notified and asked to complete the Organizational Profile, and forward the completed questionnaire with attachments to Phil Centonze, at SMBE@FloridaMakes.com. The writing style of the Profile is not evaluated. The Profile provides context for evaluation, detailing company information, and describing internal and external pressures and influences. The Organizational Profile and Overview should be submitted by Friday, January 7, 2022.

2. Business Overview – Once the Profile is submitted, an initial web meeting is scheduled with the Nominee and a team of Examiners for an overview (about two hours) of the nominated company business. Discussion will include review of basic elements of high performance based on the Evaluation Criteria. Manufacturers screening favorably advance to the Semi-Finalist stage of the competition.

3. Site Visit – The Examiner team will conduct a more in-depth interview (about three hours) with managers and employees to discuss detailed aspects of each Semi-Finalist manufacturer to evaluate company systems and practices.

4. Selecting Finalists and Winners – Upon completion of all company interviews, Examiners confer to review the evaluations, select, and recommend Finalists. A team of Judges will review the recommended Finalist evaluations and decide the winners based on scoring against the 2022 Evaluation Criteria for high performance.

5. Recognizing Finalists and Winners – Finalists and winners will be recognized on June 3, 2022, at the 30th Annual Sterling Governor's Awards Banquet at the Gaylord Palms resort.

6. Additional Benefits – All Finalists and winners will be provided a value-added evaluation feedback session (about two hours) offering identified company strengths and opportunities for improvement. Afterwards, finalists and winners should also expect to be invited to participate in knowledge sharing and developmental activities in the manufacturing community.

Please join us to help recognize high-performing manufacturers and elevate Florida’s manufacturing community. We welcome your nominations and invite you to share this award information with companies and organizations throughout the state.

Connect with your FloridaMakes Business Advisor

Learn how FloridaMakes works with Florida manufacturers - and how we can help unlock growth opportunities and cost savings for your business.

By Phone:

407-450-7206

By Email

info@floridamakes.com