Redlands, CA – The Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire (MCIE) invites manufacturers, trusted advisors and support resources to submit or nominate a local manufacturer to be recognized for their groundbreaking innovations at the preeminent manufacturing event of the year, the Manufacturers’ Summit.

The 8^th Annual Summit will take place on February 14, 2019 from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Riverside Convention Center.

“We have some of the most innovative companies in the world in the Inland Empire,” said Award Chair Lisa Anderson. To succeed in the California business environment as well as in the customer-focused Amazon-impacted business environment, innovation is no longer a nice-to-have; instead, it has become a “must. The E=mc² Innovation Awards are a great way to recognize these companies, and more importantly, the people inside them who translate these innovations into superior customer experiences and bottom line results.”

There are several categories for the E=mc² Innovation Award:

• Innovation in Resource or Process Efficiency –energy, water and other resources and/or process and flow improvement;
• Innovation in Product Development – products that support business and customer growth and margin improvement;
• Innovation in Human Capital and Talent – developing top talent within the organization, empowering employees and building skills;
• Innovation in Marketing – sales and marketing that facilitate business growth, increased market share and/or improved reputation.
• Innovation by students – these innovations could fall into any of the categories above and must be designed or developed by manufacturing students.

Beginning this year, manufacturers can be nominated for an innovation award. “Manufacturers tend to be “head-down” focused on execution and success, and so we are providing the opportunity for anyone to nominate a deserving manufacturer. We will follow up with the manufacturer to get the details of the innovation and related benefits. This is an exciting opportunity to increase the visibility of our local innovators!” explained Anderson. Submit your nomination here.

Submissions to be considered for the Manufacturers’ E=mc² Innovation Awards will be accepted until Friday, January 25.  For more information about applications or the Manufacturing Summit, please visit www mfgcouncilie.com.

The Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire (MCIE) supports and provides education on manufacturing topics to manufacturers, students, and the community. The Council provides a strong, unified voice when communicating with regional, state and national entities on issues impacting the region. Programming is designed to help manufacturers find solutions for issues including: employment and training, research, regulatory compliance, import and export, and funding.