The ILPEx Awards for Excellence recognize the recipient’s organization-wide dedication to performance improvement that meets three levels of performance criteria.

IMEC has announced six organizations selected as the 2016 recipients of the ILPEx Recognition Program’s Awards for Excellence. The high performing organizations were evaluated against the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence by the ILPEx Board of Examiners as part of the annual application process. Application scores and award determinations are made by the ILPEx Panel of Judges. The recipient organizations will be formally honored with the awards at the 22nd annual ILPEx Recognition Program Award Ceremony and Dinner on Thursday, March 30, 2017, at The Hyatt Lodge at Hamburger University in Oak Brook, IL.

Advantage Components Inc (ACI) is a wire harness and cable manufacturer for OEM customer applications. Company capabilities include a variety of wire constructions from multi-conductor cable to single conductors, 2/0 down to 32AWG. Advantage Components Inc was founded in 1997 and is located in Joliet, IL., just 45 minutes southwest from downtown Chicago.  Production is located in their 15,000 sq. ft. climate controlled building. The employees at ACI are  committed to providing a quality product, at a competitive price, on time, for 100% customer satisfaction.

Fox Creek Vineyards Company is a small, family owned and operated winery with their own modest vineyard. They are dedicated to using Illinois- grown grapes, fruit, and berries. Fox Creek's wine making is based on simple time-tested methods used by the old masters of wine making.

 Fox Creek Vineyards is located in the Southeastern Illinois countryside amid the low rolling hills of the old orchard country of Richland county. Once the center of the apple and peach growing industry, this area is ideal for the growing of French-American hybrid wine grapes. Some of their top products include: Hearthside II, Blackberry Cheer, Deer Farm White, Deep Purple, Golden Fox, and Deer Farm Red.

Laserage Technology Corporation specializes in precision tube cutting, flat part laser cutting, laser machining & scribing, laser drilling, laser welding, and other custom job shop services. We laser process metals, plastics, ceramics & many other materials.

Laserage is registered to ISO 13485:2003 for medical device components and ISO 9001:2008 for all other products and components. We provide you with consistent quality, on time delivery, and competitive costing.

Chicago Green Insulation manufactures and installs high quality, lifetime warranty, spray foam insulation. Spray foam insulation is used to replace existing insulation or to meet increasing expectations for comfort and energy efficiency in a remodel, addition, commercial build out or new residential/commercial construction.

Spray foam insulation, when properly installed, reduces heating and cooling, and makes spaces more energy efficient and comfortable.

Spray foam insulation is one piece of making a structure better, reducing the cost of operation and making a building more comfortable. Spray foam insulation can help you meet 2012/ 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (Now code in Illinois), while still using 2×4 construction. Spray foam replaces fiberglass/ cellulose in the design of any new space or refinishing of existing space.

Written by Mary Hallock, IMEC Technical Specialist and OSHA Authorized Trainer

Falls from heights and from the same level happen at workplaces more often than you might think. Injuries from falls are a leading cause of serious workplace injuries and deaths. OSHA has recently updated their walking-working surfaces and fall protection standards for general industry. Make today the day to consider training so your employees are aware of these workplace hazards.

What does Metro Chicago Exports Do?

Building Connections. Through our network of service providers and other partners, Metro Chicago Exports provides vetted referrals to help companies hit the ground running with an exporting strategy.

In 2016 Metro Chicago Exports established partnerships with the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), U.S. Commercial Service, and Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank).

Since 1953 Chicago Magnesium has been at the forefront of magnesium and aluminum sand casting. Chicago Magnesium was the first foundry in the world to supply production castings in the latest magnesium sand casting alloy, WE43. This high strength corrosion resistant alloy developed by MagnesiumElektron offers excellent elevated temperature mechanical properties up to 480˚ F. The alloy is targeted at applications such as helicopter and aero engine transmission cases. Chicago Magnesium has developed capabilities necessary to produce castings weighing up to fifty pounds net. Many casting produced by Chicago Magnesium have thin walls and require complex internal coring to satisfy design applications. Sophisticated computer programs, coupled with rapid prototyping techniques, aid our customers to compress lead times. Chicago Magnesium Casting is synonymous with aerospace castings. In aluminum, we  produce castings for helicopters, jet fighters, jumbo transports and regional jets, satisfying many diverse applications.