ABMA Innovation showcase
ABMA William A. Cordes Innovation Excellence
Award
The ABMA William A. Cordes Innovation Excellence Award is given to recognize outstanding innovation in any manufactured product, component or service in the brush industry in any given year. Submitted entries will be showcased during the ABMA Annual Convention.
Award Name
ABMA William Cordes Innovation Excellence Award — “The Willie”
The award is named after William Cordes, who served as the Association’s first President from 1917-1928. This award serves as a constant reminder that all new and exciting endeavors have beginnings that connect with real people.
Established in 2006
2014 Winner:
Borghi’s Jupiter machine with “e-STROKE and KERS”
Why
Should We Make A Submission?
Winner of ABMA’s William A. Cordes Innovation Excellence Award in 2011, Sanderson MacLeod first introduced their revolutionary patented medical brush tip, the Z-Tip, at the 2011 ABMA conference held in Austin, Texas. Recently, the company offered a retrospective look at what winning the award has meant to the company.
“Winning Innovation Excellence Award has had a very positive impact on our organization,” said Mark Borsari, President of twisted-in-wire contract manufacturer Sanderson MacLeod.
“Since winning the award, our Z-Tip technology has become actively utilized in key markets such as medical, aerospace and cosmetics. The market reception has been beyond our expectations. Many of our customers are considered innovators in their markets, and knowing we received the Innovation Excellence Award from the ABMA has enhanced our credibility as a top tier design and supply partner, ” Borsari said.
When asked to list the top three benefits winning the award provided, Borsari offered the following.
“First, winning ABMA’s innovation award gave us the ability to share our innovation and receive vitally important feedback from our trusted fellow brush association members. Second, the award has become a source of tremendous pride to our development team…a real acknowledgement of the long hours and dedication it took to make our concept a reality,” reflected Borsari. “Finally, it reinforced the importance of bringing new technologies to the brush making industry. Today, when considering future projects, we ask ourselves if our concepts would be worthy of another Innovation Excellence recognition.”
“For us, the ABMA and the William A. Cordes Award has made innovating new ideas challenging and purposeful. I’d recommend to any company that they submit any qualifying product for consideration…You never know where it may take you.”
Rules of the Award
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
The submission period is the calendar year for any consideration. November 30 of any year shall be the final day of submission for that year. Submissions received after November 30 in any calendar year shall be considered for the upcoming calendar year.
ELIGIBILITY
- Manufactured Products are defined as products manufactured by a member company in their respective member country of origin, or in the member company’s owned facility outside of their country of origin. Assembled products are to be considered manufactured if such member company’s assembled products may legally display their specific country of origin label. Manufactured products may be contract or co-manufactured for others and shall be considered eligible provided permission has been granted and provided from the contracting party.
- Marketed Products are defined as products which may be produced by others, but for which the member company is the “creative source” of the product. Creative source is defined as the holder of the Patent, Trademark or Copyright; or can show the origination of the idea or concept came from the member company.
- Components and Services may be nominated provided they can be shown to fulfill the intent of any of the eligibility requirements above.
GENERAL ELIGIBILITY
Manufactured Products, Marketed Products, and Components and Services must be readily available in the year for which they are being submitted for consideration. To be eligible, any nominated product, component or service must have been introduced into the marketplace up to 18 months prior to the convention in which it will be voted on. Any and all manufactured and marketed products, components and services that pertain to the Broom, Brush, Mop and Roller Industry are eligible for consideration.
What to Submit
FORMS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED
Submissions must include signed nomination form, actual production pieces, copies of patents or patent applications, copyrights, trademarks, permissions, design drawings, description of service, where applicable, along with proof service is actually in use in the industry, such as certification letters or warranties. Proof of introduction into marketplace within the previous 18 calendar months is also required. A one page description summary may also be included. Nomination forms may be found by clicking here.
Considerations
ORIGINALITY
Only original submissions will be considered.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
The Selection Committee consists of the standing Public Relations Committee of the ABMA and may include any such additional members the committee shall deem appropriate.
Nominations
AND THE WINNER IS ...
All approved nominations will be displayed during the ABMA Annual Convention in the year following the submission year. Any attendee shall be entitled to one vote for the nomination of their choice; such voting taking place at and during the Annual Convention as provided. The voting shall be used to assist the Selection Committee in their final determination of the overall winner, such winner being announced at the Closing Business Session on the final morning of the convention.
DISCLOSURE
The nominee warrants that disclosure of material submitted with or in support of any nomination does not breach the terms of any contract and that the nominee is entitled to make use of the material. The decision of the selection committee is final and no award shall be given in a year the committee deems that no nominees are deemed suitable. A signed nomination form must accompany each nomination; such signature constitutes agreement to the rules of the award.
Conditions
GENERAL GUIDELINES
The selection committee shall consider all nominations properly made and material submitted with or in support thereof.
Material received with or in support of any nomination shall be received on the condition that:
- Any item may be nominated only one time.
- Submission samples and descriptive material shall not be returned, and may be displayed at the ABMA Annual Convention.
- Supporting material used to certify a nomination may be confidential and shall be treated as such by ABMA; and shall be returned if requested at the time of submission and clearly marked as such. Supporting materials shall not be displayed at any time during the ABMA Annual Convention.
- The ABMA may make such disclosure of nominees, names and innovations as it deems appropriate.
- No claims shall be made or actions taken against ABMA, its committees, Directors or members arising out of the use made of such material or of any such disclosure.
