ATLANTA — Savannah-based DIRTT Environmental Solutions has been named Georgia Manufacturer of the Year in the small company category of 150 or fewer employees.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle presented the award this week at the annual awards luncheon for Georgia Manufacturing Appreciation Week.
DIRTT won for its “commitment to environmental sustainability, economic vitality and workforce excellence,” according to remarks read when the award was announced. DIRTT was nominated by Savannah Technical College.
“I can think of no company more deserving of this honor,” said Savannah Tech president Kathy Love. “The quality of DIRTT’s environmentally friendly product is only surpassed by the company’s commitment to its workforce.”
Founded in Canada in 2004, DIRTT chose Savannah for its first U.S. manufacturing facility in 2009. The company’s name stands for “Doing it Right This Time.”
The company manufactures walls, doors, flooring and modular interiors that create flexible, contemporary spaces, and they use materials and practices that reduce or eliminate waste.
In five years, DIRTT has doubled its revenue and prevented more than 65 million pounds of manufacturing waste from ending up in landfills.
“In the Calgary economy, we couldn’t find the workforce we needed. However, we were able to find skilled DIRTTbags in Savannah,” said Tracy Baker, DIRTT’s chief operating officer who accepted the award with a production and leadership team from DIRTT.
“We’d like to thank the sponsors of this event for creating awareness and support in the youth and the manufacturing community that is essential as we move manufacturing back to North America,” Baker said.
Three manufacturers are chosen each year during manufacturing appreciation week in categories based on the size of their employment. The other award winners were Southwire Company in Carrollton and Douglas (more than 500 employees) and Swainsboro’s Nordson Corporation (151-500 employees).
A winning design
In a separate competition, Mina Smith, a third grader from Virginia L. Heard Elementary Academy in Savannah, took second place in the K-5 division of the manufacturing week student design contest. She received a $300 scholarship check.
“These young students are our best and brightest, and our future in manufacturing depends on them,” said Larry Callahan, CEO of Patillo Industrial Real Estate, as the awards were presented.
Students from around the state submitted design entries featuring Georgia manufacturers and their products. Winners were named for grades 9-12, 6-8, and K-5. Smith won second place in a placemat design competition for elementary students.
Georgia Manufacturing Appreciation Week is in its 19th year and was co-hosted by the Technical College System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.