Gov. Nathan Deal named Grenzebach Corporation, located in Newnan, the winner of the 2017 Manufacturer of the Year award in the category of Small Manufacturer (fewer than 150 employees) last week.

“We are here to acknowledge and honor those manufacturers who have won this award,” Deal said during the awards luncheon last Thursday. “I want to thank our manufacturers for being part of what has made Georgia the best state in the nation in which to do business for the fourth consecutive year.”

Grenzebach is a longstanding partner of West Georgia Technical College, with West Georgia Tech nominating the corporation for the award.

“It's a great honor to accept this prestigious award today,” said Martin Pleyer, Chief Operating Officer at Grenzebach. “We at Grenzebach are humbled to be recognized today.” 

Grenzebach earned the title of Manufacturer of the Year because of its continued excellence in manufacturing and its commitment to educational partnerships with the community.

The three winning companies were nominated by business and civic leaders and chosen for their excellence and contributions to the state’s economy and their respective local communities.

On top of a 30-year history of manufacturing high-tech equipment that its customers use to make a wide range of products, Grenzebach has also maintained a dedication to fostering education in the community by implementing the nation’s first German-style apprenticeship program at West Georgia Technical College’s Central Educational Center in Newnan.

Also during Manufacturing Appreciation Week, a Newnan eighth-grader won third place in the 2017 MAW student design contest in the sixth- through eighth-grade category.

Samson Khokhar, of Newnan’s Evans Middle School, received a $100 scholarship check presented by Gov. Deal and had lunch with the governor.

Students from around the state submitted design entries featuring Georgia manufacturers and their products.