Wiring Harness Manufacturers Association (WHMA) offers recognition awards each year to honor the accomplishments, leadership, and contributions of professionals working in the wire harness and cable assembly industry. These awards were distributed at the WHMA Annual Wire Harness Conference and the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE).
The first two awards, WHMA Hall of Fame and two WHMA Volunteer Excellence Awards, were presented at WHMA’s 29th Annual Wire Harness Conference on February 16, 2022.
This WHMA Hall of Fame award recognizes extraordinary contributions with broad significance to the cable and wire harness industry and distinguished service to WHMA. Award recipients support the advancement of industry, consistent with the goals and mission of WHMA. This is the highest level of recognition WHMA can give to a member and is based on exceptional merit over the long term.
This year’s inductees are Norm Sagon, NFS, and Bud Bowen, Winchester Interconnect.
Norm Sagon was recognized for his long-term service to WHMA as one of the association founders, Board of Directors member, and chair of the WHMA board, for many years of promoting WHMA and the programs of WHMA and for contributions to WHMA’s mission to lead, educate and connect our members globally.
Bud Bowen was recognized for his long-term service, strategic leadership as a member of WHMA’s Board of Directors, for his leadership representing WHMA’s interest in the industry’s acceptability standard, WHMA/IPC-A-620, and for contributions to WHMA’s mission to lead, educate and connect our members globally.
“The Hall of Fame winners represent the best of the best—strategic, visionary and committed—Norm Sagon and Bud Bowen have demonstrated passion, dedication and a continued commitment to propel the harness, cable and interconnect industry forward,” said Joe DeMan, chairman of the WHMA Board. “WHMA is honored to acknowledge the hard work of these exceptional leaders. They are truly the heroes and champions of our industry”
The next award is the WHMA Volunteer Excellence Award which honors individuals from WHMA-member companies who have demonstrated ongoing leadership in WHMA activities and have contributed significant time and talent to the association and the cable and wire harness industry.
This year’s recipients are Parker Garrett, EMSCO, and Cathy Hanlin, Precision Manufacturing Company Inc.
Parker Garrett was recognized for his contributions to the WHMA Board, the Board nominating committee, and his significant contributions to the WHMA annual meeting in the role of program committee member.
Cathy Hanlin was recognized for her leadership of the WHMA/IPC-A-620 committee, member of the A-620 “A-Team,” and helping to achieve the highest rating of on-time comment resolution and on-time publication of the standard.
“The leadership shown by our Volunteer Excellence Award recipients has made a significant impact on WHMA and will do so for years to come,” said DeMan. “We are privileged that Cathy and Parker have chosen to share their knowledge and expertise with us and with the entire global wire harness manufacturing industry.”
WHMA introduced a new industry award, the WHMA Hall of Builders Award, during EWPTE in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 11, 2022.
The Hall of Builders Award was created to honor individuals from WHMA-member companies who have made significant contributions toward advancing the cable and wire harness industry. Hall of Builders inductees are industry veterans, leaders, and mentors retiring from active employment, but whose legacies live on in the wire and cable industry, today.
Tom Andrasek, sales manager at Pressmaster U.S., the first recipient of the WHMA Hall of Builders Award, epitomizes service and contribution to the cable and wire harness industry. Andrasek was personally involved in the development and introduction of more than 500 discrete hand tool crimp solutions for the North American market, promoting quality crimp solutions for 37 years.
“Tom is known by colleagues as the godfather of connector crimping and educated connector manufacturers on how to achieve a ‘quality crimp’ while continuing to build the North American Market,” said Joe DeMan, WHMA Board chair. “We’re thrilled to present him with the first Hall of Builders Award, and to thank him for his outstanding contributions to the cable and wire harness industry.”
WHMA/IPC also recognized Marvac/Marsh Electronics for requalifying the IPC/WHMA-A-620 QML (Qualified Manufacturers List) program. QML is used to qualify EMS and OEM providers’ assembly processes to IPC standards. Marvac’s first 3-year qualification had expired, and the IPC Validation Services team renewed Marvac in late April. WHMA presented the certificate at the EWPTE show.
“MarVac Assemblies a division of Marsh Electronics, Inc. has worked extremely hard to obtain this requalification to the IPC/WHMA-A-620 Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML) for Class 2,” said Randy Cherry, IPC Director, Validation Services. “We are pleased to recognize MarVac Assemblies for maintaining their participation in IPC’s network of trusted QML suppliers.”
To nominate candidates for future WHMA awards, visit https://whma.org/recognition/ for award criteria and nomination form.
