CSIA awards recognize contributions to the system integration industry

The Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) has recognized five outstanding organizations and individuals for their contributions to the system integration industry.

Winners were announced during the CSIA’s annual Awards Dinner, held as part of its annual executive conference in Puerto Rico, April 19-22, 2016.

Hargrove Controls + Automation, LLC, was named 2016 Integrator Member of the Year. Founded in July of 2012 with a team of five, the company has rapidly grown to include 75 control systems engineers and specialists spread across 11 office locations. According to the CSIA, they are one of the few fully integrated automation groups in the country for safety systems, industrial IT and plant automation in addition to engineering, construction management and project execution, and have received numerous recognitions, rankings and awards.

National Instruments was recognized as 2016 Partner Member of the Year. National Instruments received this award for their achievements within the industry and for the way they work with and encourage CSIA’s integrator members.

The 2016 Rising Star award was presented to Chris Schleich, Enterprise Automation. According to CSIA, Schleich was recognized for traits that set him above his peers, including a ferocious appetite for learning, an inherent ability to identify and mitigate risk and the drive to follow through on his initiatives. These traits were recognized right away when he was first hired at Enterprise Automation as a junior engineer in 2007, and he was subsequently fast-tracked to a management position.

Don Ulrich, Stone Technologies, Inc, received the 2016 Charlie Bergman Award. The Charlie Bergman “Remember Me” Award, named in honor of CSIA founder and visionary, Charlie Bergman, remains the highest distinction for CSIA members. This award recognizes a member for upholding the principles of sharing, leadership and promoting the profession. Ulrich was recognized for his ongoing and consistent contributions to CSIA, as well as his proactive willingness to support his peers.

A newly created Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributions to the Automation Industry was awarded to Dick Morley, a well-known figure in the automation world. Primarily known for his invention of the programmable logic controller (PLC) in 1968, he has enjoyed a prolific life as an engineer, consultant, inventor and serial entrepreneur. He set up several companies, including Modicon and Andover Controls, and also published three books and numerous articles. The Modicon brand of PLC and Andover Controls are now owned by Schneider Electric. Morley’s ideas allowed other companies to bring products like the floppy disk and anti-lock brakes to market. He was also a mentor to a large community of younger engineers, several of whom are CSIA members today.