Southwire Company has been named the 2013 Georgia
Manufacturer of the Year in the large manufacturer category Wednesday at the
annual Manufacturing Appreciation Week ceremonies in Atlanta, according to an article
in the Times-Georgian newspaper.
Southwire CEO Stuart Thorn and Lee Richards, vice-chairman of the board, were
at the Governor’s Awards Luncheon at the Georgia International Convention
Center to accept the award from Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.
“Winning this award is a great honor for Southwire and is a real recognition of
63 years of hard work, building the company,” Thorn said after the event. “We
have a great company because we have great people. It was a wonderful deal to
bring some of those employees with me today, to share in this honor and to
thank them for creating a company worthy of this award,” the newspaper
reported.
The Technical College System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Economic
Development started the appreciation week program in 1995 to honor Georgia
manufacturers.
Richards said Southwire now has 15 manufacturing plants in North America, with
five in Georgia. The company employs 5,500 workers, including 2,900 in Georgia,
with headquarters in Carrollton. The company serves a variety of customers in
residential, utility, commercial, industrial and OEM (original equipment
manufacturing) markets.