The sun has set on another successful Utah Manufacturers Association Annual Awards Gala! This cowboy themed night on the town was a sold out event celebrating and recognizing the hard work of manufacturers across the State of Utah. This wild west soiree kicked off early with a large crowd ready to customize their very own GiGi Pip or Two Roads Hat Co. hat for the evening. This hat bar sponsored by Merit Medical helped people get into the cowboy spirit and complete their western which ensembles.
People were also invited to take a moment to visit the old west at the Governor Office of Economic Opportunity photo booth. All photos can be located HERE. It was the night of the big game and wether you were team Utes or BYU the real winners were STEMheads and the UMA Foundation due to all of the generous donations! The social hour continued with socializing and specialty cocktails and dirty sodas sponsored by Marathon and Select Health. Many cowboys and cowgirls tried their luck at riding the iMpact Utah bull, luckily all done before dinner.
VIPs were treated to an exclusive lounge sponsored by Paramount Machine. They were serenaded by the musical stylings of Chelsea Stallings while they enjoyed light appetizers and the signature drinks. We hope with all the networking they remembered to take a fun swag item from the tables. We understand if they didn’t because the centerpieces created by Paramount Machine were just too beautiful to dismantle.
Once the dinner hour hit everyone was invited to chow down on a delicious hearty menu of smoked meats, filling sides, and adorable shot glass desserts. The carving stations sponsored by Michael Best & Friedrich LLP featured a unique brand created by the law firm. As people settled in with their dinners at the beautifully set tables with their rustic centerpieces sponsored by Commercial Mechanical the main event began. The UMA Manufacturing awards in partnership with the Utah-MEP were awarded in five categories with four brand new awards selected by the UMA executive team. Before the winners were announced we invited STEMheads, a non-profit organization that provides opportunities for youth to explore careers in STEM fields, to award their scholarship winners and their STEMhead of the year.
UMA was excited to announce their new awards to highlight outstanding partners to the organization. The Associate Partner of the Year recognizes an outstanding service partner whose dedication, expertise, and support have significantly advanced the manufacturing industry in Utah. The Manufacturing Partner of the Year is presented to a company that exemplifies the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and commitment to excellence in Utah’s manufacturing industry. The Community Partner of the Year celebrates a manufacturing partner who exemplifies dedication to community upliftment, collaboration, and social impact. The Rising Star Award celebrates an exceptional young person who has already made a remarkable impact in the manufacturing industry early in their career.
The evening wrapped up with some heel-kicking line dancing with a live instructor and then everyone’s favorite part … the UMA product box! Thank you to everyone who donated to this year’s box and a special shout-out to Wasatch Container for the amazingly designed and crafted boxes.
Donations were provided by:
- Minky Couture
- Little Giant Ladders
- Swire Coca Cola
- Post Consumer Brands
- Hydro Extrusion
- Honeyville
- Gossner
- Taffy Town
- Davis Tech
- Sweets Candy Co.
- Rocky Mountain Power
- Procter & Gamble
- Capstone Nutrition
- Utah-MEP
- Bridgerland Technical College
- K-Safety
- Fastenal
- Smith Optics
- Altura
- USANA
- Jas. D. Easton
- Modere
- Shield Safety
- Lakanto
- Brush Brothers
- Moment Track
- Fastenal
- Chase Bank
- Better Body Foods
Thank you to everyone who came out and supported! This was an awards gala for the books and we are already looking forward to next year’s big event.