In October, Domtar’s Hawesville Mill in Hawesville, Kentucky, earned a major award. The mill was recognized by the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM) as the Kentucky Manufacturer of the Year in the large business category. Gov. Matt Bevin presented the award at the organization’s annual awards luncheon in Louisville.
KAM, which has advocated for manufacturers in Kentucky for more than 100 years, created the Manufacturer of the Year award to bring attention to the important contributions manufacturers and industries make to their employees, customers and communities. The award recognizes entrepreneurial spirit, community leadership and policy contributions made by manufacturers to enhance sustainable and long-term prosperity in the commonwealth.
Winners are selected by a committee composed of various business leaders from the region using criteria such as innovative and entrepreneurial leadership, contributions to quality of life in the community, and active involvement in advancing industry and manufacturing.
“I couldn’t be happier for our Hawesville team for receiving this prestigious award,” said Steve Henry, manager of Hawesville Mill. “This honor recognizes our team and colleagues for their leadership, employee engagement, innovation and impact in our local community too.” Henry was also honored by industry colleagues earlier this year when he was named Mill Manager of the Year at the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry’s annual conference.
Recognized for Innovation and Productivity
Domtar is proud to have operated in Kentucky since 1967, and its annual regional economic impact today sits at about $1.5 billion. KAM recognized Hawesville Mill for its innovation and productivity. A series of continuous improvement and reliability projects created “a significant increase in employee engagement and participation,” KAM noted in its remarks. “Many longstanding productivity and quality records have been broken as a result, and Domtar has also been able to improve their cost position in the industry.”
The mill has also been recognized for its corporate citizenship, its industry advocacy and its sustainability efforts. Its employees also play an important role in the community, spending hundreds of hours of their personal time volunteering on school boards, in area chambers of commerce, with Junior Achievement programs and with local Scout troops and sports teams.
Domtar and Hawesville Mill support many local charity and outreach programs, such as the Ben Carson Reading Room at Foust Elementary School in Owensboro, Kentucky, and the Exploration Station in Daviess County, Kentucky.
The Kentucky Association of Manufacturers created this video to highlight Hawesville Mill’s achievement.
