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Gerdau Receives 2013 Manufacturer of the Year Award in Florida

The Manufacturers Association of Florida presented the award to Gerdau at the organization’s annual Manufacturers Summit and Marketplace in St. Petersburg, Fla., on 5 December 2013.
 
“We are so honored to be chosen as the 2013 Manufacturer of the Year for the state of Florida,” said Carlos Zanoelo, vice president and general manager at the Gerdau mill in Jacksonville. “This is a major accomplishment and our employees should be proud of their hard work and dedication, which was a main factor for us in achieving this award.”
 
The award recognizes the initiatives and processes where Gerdau shows excellence in four categories: focus, measurement, analysis and knowledge management, and workforce focus and process management. The judges also toured the Gerdau facility in Jacksonville as part of their assessment.
 
“The Manufacturers Association of Florida is very proud to name Gerdau as a Manufacturer of the Year for 2013,” said Nancy Stephens, executive director at the Manufactures Association of Florida. “The judging team was impressed with Gerdau’s commitment to its employees, processes and technology. Manufacturers today must export their products and successfully compete in a global marketplace to prosper. Gerdau is doing just that.”
 
Twenty-six judges from the Manufactures Association of Florida narrowed the competition to 17 finalists in four categories. Gerdau received the award for the category including companies with 131–150 employees.
 
The company was nominated for the award by First Coast Manufacturers Association, Northeast Florida’s regional manufacturers association. Lake Ray, president of First Coast Manufacturers Association said, “We are proud of Gerdau for their outstanding accomplishments this year, and being recognized as Manufacturer of the Year for the state of Florida. This is truly a great achievement.”
 
The Gerdau mill in Jacksonville, Fla., produces rebar and wire rod. Rebar is commonly used in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures such as multi-story office buildings, bridges and roads, while wire rod is predominately used in welded mesh in concrete reinforcement, wire shelving and tie wire. The Jacksonville mill has a production capacity of 640,000 tons of steel annually and employs approximately 300 people in areas surrounding Baldwin County. Gerdau steel is a part of major Florida projects such as the Fort Lauderdale Airport, EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg, Fla.