2014 Excellence Award Winners

2014 Excellence Award Recipients

A. Lindberg and Sons, Inc.

Lindberg and sons

A. Lindberg & Sons, Inc. is a construction company that has been producing quality products and services for almost 100 years. Other than it’s reputation as a quality road and bridge builder in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, AL&S has continued to expand it’s expertise. This includes all types of heavy construction associated with the area’s mining, papery and forest industries, as well as all types of utility construction associated with the continued development of the region.

AL&S also operates various quarries and gravel pits which produce high quality aggregates used not only for their own construction projects, but are also available to other area contractors, businesses, and to the public. Any needed sand material (such as manufactured sand and topsoil), aggregates and various stone can be mined and produced by Lindberg’s experienced rock crushing operators.

A. Lindberg & Sons, Inc. Video

 

Biogenic Reagents

Biogenic Reagents

Biogenic Reagents (“BR”) is a developer and producer of patented high-value carbon products made from renewable woody biomass.  BR’s specialty products include activated carbon for use in water purification and emissions control, high-purity metallurgical carbon for use in specialty metals production, and agricultural carbon used to improve crop production.  BR has developed and patented a least-cost and environmentally superior platform for production of its high purity carbon products that outperform competitors.   The company’s headquarters and laboratories are located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the company operates its flagship commercial production facility–Michigan Renewable Carbon–located in Gwinn, Michigan which is the largest advanced bio-carbon production facility in North America and produces products that purify air and water and help grow food for millions of people.

 Biogenic Reagents Video

Nor-Fab Enterprises

Nor-Fab

Since 1994 this Gladstone-based business has created a cohesive team focused on serving their customer’s needs while training and cross training employees in the latest technologies.  By installing their own powder coating line, Nor-Fab Enterprises now holds the ability to expedite deliveries and improve the quality in painting products: both of which are customer-focused necessities.  An additional milestone in the business’ history was becoming ISO certified in 2008.  With this certification, Nor-Fab was then able to capture production work, as well as upgrade equipment and hire workforce.  This business’ secret for success is simple. As the company states, “In today’s manufacturing world more demands are placed on employees than ever before.  Our main strength is a corporate culture whereby people are valued first as human beings.”

Nor-Fab Enterprises Video

Thomas Theatre Group

The Thomas Theatre Group was founded in 1922 by Martin Dawe Thomas. At the time, he managed more than 20 theatres for FOX across Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. His vision for Thomas Theatre Group was to bring the most modern theatres for local entertainment to the region. He did so by opening/purchasing and operating theatres in Houghton (Lode), Laurium (Peoples), Iron Mountain (Capitol, Colonial, Braumart), Menominee (Lloyd), Ironwood (Cloverland, Morgan, Rialto, Ironwood), Calumet (Calumet), Hancock (Kerredge, Orpheum) and Fond du Lac (Garrick, Bijou, Orpheum).  In 1936, the family business was passed on to Martin’s daughter, Elizabeth Thomas. She and her husband, Thomas Renn, operated the business from 1945-1979.  Elizabeth’s daughter and son-in-law, Kristina and James Andes, took over the business operations in 1979. As industry technologies rapidly changed in the 1990s, Thomas Theatre Group – in fulfilling Martin’s vision – kept up. In the fall of 1994, James and Kristina built two 8-screen movie complexes in Escanaba (Willow Creek), Michigan and Quinnesec (Tri-City), Michigan. Any remaining Thomas Theatre Group theatres across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan were either sold or closed.  In 2014, Thomas and Valarie added a chapter to the history and tradition of what Martin Dawe Thomas created – a state-of-the-art multiplex in Marquette, Michigan.

Thomas Theatre Group Video