Just-in-time manufacturing, advanced automation and process control, sustainable operations and a relentless focus on food safety and sanitary plant design are the hallmarks of Food Engineering’s most recent Plant of the Year award winners.

Although technological innovations have changed over the past three and a half decades since the award was first presented, all the past winners have one thing in common: a commitment to manufacturing excellence.

Entries for the 2016 Plant of the Year award are due December 3, 2015. All new food and beverage manufacturing facilities or major expansion/renovation projects fully completed and operational during 2015 are eligible. The entries are judged according to the following criteria:

  • The plant’s contribution (actual/projected) to the company’s long-term business plans/strategies
  • The level of innovation in processing and packaging line design (creative new technology or creatively used existing technology); this can include post-production materials handling
  • Building and site innovations
  • Productive integration of workers into the overall plan.

If there is additional relevant information that goes beyond the stated criteria, please be sure to include it in the entry. These might include: on-time/on-budget performance; environmental impact; worker safety innovations; food safety innovations; advanced automation, process control and software technologies; size of project; manufacturing teams; flexible manufacturing; supply chain management; vertical startups; and enterprise resource planning.

The 2016 Plant of the Year Award will be presented next year during Food Engineering’s Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference and Expo, scheduled for April 10-13 at the Sanibel Harbour Marriott in Fort Myers, FL.

For more information about submitting an entry and to view the entire list of past winners that have recently included Mars Chocolate North America, Blue Diamond Growers, Chobani and Northeast Foods - Automatic Rolls of NC, please visit http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/PlantoftheYearCallforEntries

We look forward to receiving your entry.