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Manufacturing Hall of Fame 2009: The Inaugural Class

Originally posted in Industry Week on November 18, 2009.

What gets you into a Manufacturing Hall of Fame? Like many other halls of fame, we looked for individuals with a history of significant achievements, living examples of a combination of character, talent, drive and productive work that resulted in outstanding success in their organizations. But we also sought individuals who had demonstrated vision and leadership that had transcended those boundaries and impacted the larger manufacturing community and even our society as a whole. In some way, these 10 outstanding people likely have touched all our lives, from the cars we drive to the computers on our desks to the ideas that have helped inspire how we run our businesses. Their story is part of our story as the IndustryWeek audience continues to write the next chapter in American manufacturing.

Infor is delighted to serve as the sponsor for the inaugural class of the IndustryWeek Manufacturing Hall of Fame. George David, Joseph Engelberger, William George, Andrew Grove, Charles Holliday, Lee Iacocca, Steve Jobs, Gordon Lankton, Jack Welch and James Womack bring rich legacies of leadership, intellectual vigor and proven performance in both their businesses and social commitments. These 10 manufacturing giants embody the entrepreneurialism, innovation, competitiveness and customer focus that we believe was instrumental in building the American manufacturing sector into a global economic force.

During the span of their careers, these 10 leaders have helped to shape a historic and challenging era of change in the manufacturing enterprise. Companies have become increasingly global, sourcing their products across continents, seeking new markets in developing nations and welcoming talent from around the world. They have invested in new technologies that have made manufacturing operations faster, more flexible, leaner and more productive. At the heart of many of these changes has been unprecedented access to, and use of, communications and information technology, allowing component orders placed in Atlanta to be processed in Bangalore, manufactured in Shenzhen and shipped to Seattle with increasing precision, speed and clarity.

Since its founding in 2002, Infor has worked hard to provide its customers with software built for the way they do business. We never forget the value of human creativity, experience and hard work in solving business challenges. The 10 members of the IndustryWeek Manufacturing Hall of Fame all have demonstrated that people are the most important assets of a company.

On behalf of the more than 8,000 associates of Infor, we salute the IndustryWeek Manufacturing Hall of Fame inductees and wish them continued success.

Click here to see the 2009 inductees and why they were selected.