PROVIDENCE – Sean Davies’ passion for the challenging work that he does at General Dynamics Electric Boat is fueled by his strong belief that “it matters.”
“We care deeply about the people doing the work,” said Davies, Electric Boat’s vice president of operations and Quonset Point facility manager, “and have pride in the work that they do.” Davies received the Strategic Leadership Award, the top honor presented in Providence Business News’ 2020 Manufacturing Awards Program.
Davies was among 16 honorees recognized in this year’s program. The ceremony was held virtually Tuesday due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony video can be watched here and the special supplement highlighting each of the honorees will appear in the July 3-9 digital edition of PBN.
Davies’ career at Electric Boat began in 1997 and he’s held numerous positions with the shipbuilder, including his current role overseeing the Quonset Point facility in North Kingstown. Davies called his management style “interactive,” and says he regularly gets out of the office to meet employees in order to stay informed of current operations and establish positive relationships with the workforce.
The John H. Chafee Center for International Business at Bryant University was named the 2020 Manufacturing Champion. In lieu of its annual World Trade Day, which was canceled due to the pandemic, the Chafee center created a series of webinars to address various issues companies are facing both domestically and abroad. The Chafee Center also offers its practicum programs virtually to help manufacturers understand, and take advantage of, international opportunities.
“It’s designed to help Rhode Island companies find export markets, in addition to helping attract foreign companies to come into Rhode Island,” Chafee center Director Mark S. Murphy said.
Murphy added that there’s an “academic piece” of the Chafee center’s operation that helps students in Bryant’s international business and MBA programs learn through projects on “how to be better equipped” for real-world experiences.
Along with Davies and the Chafee Center, the other honorees in the 2020 PBN Manufacturing Awards program include:
- Blount Fine Foods Corp., for Overall Excellence at an Enterprise Manufacturer
- Igus Inc., for Overall Excellence at a Large Manufacturer
- Yushin America Inc., for Overall Excellence at a Mid-Size Manufacturer
- Pure Haven LLC, for Overall Excellence at a Small Manufacturer
- Cooley Group, for Excellence in Exporting
- Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, for Excellence in Green Manufacturing
- National Marker Co., for Excellence in Supply Chain
- Hitachi Cable America Inc. – High Performance Medical Solutions Division, for Excellence in Lean Manufacturing
- Finlay Extracts & Ingredients USA Inc., for Excellence in Safety Performance & Records
- Tedor Pharma Inc., for Family-Owned Business
- Amgen Inc., for Collaboration in Manufacturing
- SquadLocker Inc., for Emerging Manufacturer
- Creative Connors Inc., for Product Innovation & Design
- New England Institute of Technology Shipbuilding/Marine and Advanced Manufacturing Institute, for Workforce Development & Productivity
Polaris MEP is the presenting sponsor for the 2020 PBN Manufacturing Awards program. Amgen, Blum, Shapiro & Co. PC, Cox Business and Gallo|Thomas Insurance are the partner sponsors.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
