Aurora Specialty Textiles in Yorkville took first place in two categories at the 2022 Spark Awards for Level 1 (companies under 150 employees) including Operational Excellence and Social Responsibility.
“We rise together,” said Valley Industrial Association (VIA) President Kathy Gilmore in her opening remarks welcoming nearly 200 guests to the annual 2022 Spark Awards at the Arrowhead Golf Club.
According to a news release, since the founding of VIA in 1902, the group has grown from 16 to more than 200 members with one higher goal in mind: to learn from one another. Nowhere is this more evident than the Spark Awards, where VIA members, located throughout the Fox Valley and Chicagoland area, are invited to rate themselves using 10 survey questions ranging from one to 10. They may submit in one or more of six categories: culture, innovation, operational excellence, safety, social responsibility and workforce development, with one additional award for the most improved. Contenders in each category are judged among their peers in two levels: those smaller and larger than 150 employees. There is no entry fee, and all VIA members are invited to participate.
The Spark Awards fulfills two of the VIA’s main pillars by providing tools for best practices and connection to growth.
This year, 13 companies were chosen as finalists, which means they then were invited to be interviewed by a panel of three judges diving deeper into real data backing up their survey answers. During these interviews, judges explored each finalist’s systemic approach, metrics, how they have adjusted and improved, and lessons learned.
Source: The Daily Chronicle
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