The Lawton Standard Co. is proud to once again be a finalist for the Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year award. This time around Lawton is a finalist for two awards, the Grand Award for large businesses (500-999 employees) and the Spotlight Award for our community impact.
Each year the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) , Baker Tilly and Michael Best hold the Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year awards, highlighting the best manufacturers in the state.
The awards recognize companies that are dedicated to quality careers, good business practices, financial growth, innovative processes and reinvestment into the community. The manufacturing industry in Wisconsin contributes around $70 billion each year to the economy.
Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Grand Award
Each year, the Grand Award is given out to businesses for overall excellence. Companies are required to fill out a rigorous application showing their operational excellence, workplace safety efforts and continuous improvement. The judges also look at each manufacturer’s management philosophy, employee commitment, community support, stewardship and community involvement.
Along with those criteria, the judges also look at the company’s financial records to make sure they are economically viable and financially stable.
The Lawton Standard Co. is a multi-metal, multi-site, multi-capability casting-centered business like no other. Innovation is key to staying ahead in the foundry industry and Lawton is committed to finding better, more efficient ways to provide high-quality iron and steel castings to our customers. We pride ourselves in the wide range of capabilities we provide, ranging from iron and steel castings to continuous cast products and wear products. Lawton is a one-stop shop for people looking for castings and has added benefits for customers like expert engineering, solidification software, in-house pattern shops, in-house machine shops and quality assurance.
Here is a look at this year’s Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year finalists in the small, medium, large and mega groups.
Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Spotlight Award
The Lawton Standard Co. is proud to be a finalist for this year’s Spotlight Award, highlighting our companies community impact.
Lawton De Pere is the only foundry in Wisconsin to be Green Tier 2 certified by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. It all started with CEO Alex Lawton’s “Beyond Compliance” initiative back in 2013. De Pere started in the Green Tier program with the DNR that same year. The program helps Lawton make better choices when it comes to sustainability and environmental impact.
Lawton took steps to improve our imprint on the community, including diverting waste streams from the landfill, raising environmental awareness through employee training and taking part in programs like “Adopt-A-Highway” and e-recycling events.
In 2021, Lawton De Pere became the first foundry in Wisconsin to join the DNR’s Green Tier 2 program, demonstrating a commitment to superior environmental performance. Lawton remains the only foundry in the state to be Green Tier 2 certified and was the first to receive coverage under the exclusive Green Tier Registration Permit (ROP-G). The company renewed it’s Green Tier 2 status in 2025.
One of the main accomplishments of being part of the Green Tier 2 program is Lawton’s ability to divert spent foundry sand from landfills. Our foundry operations reuse sand over and over again until it gets too fine to be effective. When that happens, the sand is now beneficially reused in a variety of ways. In Wisconsin, spent foundry sand can be beneficially reused in asphalt and cement, concrete and grout, bricks and roofing materials and in glass and ceramics.
Since 2022, Lawton De Pere has diverted nearly 10,000 tons of spent foundry sand away from the landfills and to beneficial reuse programs. The Wisconsin DNR uses Lawton as a shining example for other manufacturers to follow.
Last Year’s WI Manufacturer of the Year Awards
Lawton Standard had a blast at last year’s Manufacturer of the Year Awards in Milwaukee. It was fantastic to see such great and innovative manufacturing companies honored with awards. The Lawton Standard crew also enjoyed the engaging conversations with others in the manufacturing industry.
We were proud of our Northeast Wisconsin businesses who took home awards last year, including Plexus Corporation in Neenah, Redline Plastics in Manitowoc, JR Machine LLC in Shawano and Omnia Wood Products LLC in Crivitz. This year, 9 companies from Northeast Wisconsin are finalists for awards. We wish all of them luck at the awards in February!
The WMC’s Annual Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards
This will be the 37th annual Manufacturer of the Year awards presented by the WMC, Baker Tilly and Michael Best. An independent panel of judges, made up of trusted leaders from manufacturing, education and business, review the applications. The judging panel is fully independent of the award program sponsors, ensuring a fair process.
Once again, the awards will be held at the fantastic Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. The awards will be handed out on Thursday, February 19th.
You can learn more about the Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year award by clicking here.
Learn more about the WMC’s mission and goals for Wisconsin businesses here.
Find out what Lawton Standard could do for you by clicking here.