Modex Industry night celebrates MHI Innovation Award winners

Virtual reality training, yard management software and forklift/pedestrian safety systems were the big winners at the MHI Innovation Awards during the Industry Night celebration at Modex on Wednesday.

The recipients of the 5th annual MHI Innovation Awards were among 111 total applicants narrowed to 12 finalists in three categories: Best New Innovation, Best Innovation of an Existing Product and Best IT Innovation.

Five judges comprised of professionals from the material handling and supply chain industry completed the initial vetting process. Judges included representatives from The Home Depot, Mohawk Industries, Champion Petfoods, Group Deschenes, and 3M. Four finalists were chosen as the most innovative products in each category based on concept, value, and impact.

The contest defines innovation as a new product, product line, technology or service – or a new application of existing products or technology – that creates quantifiable and sustainable results in terms of return on investment (ROI), cost savings and customer satisfaction. On Monday, the judging panel visited finalists’ exhibits in person before selecting winners in each category.

The Winners

Best Innovation of an Existing Product
ELOKON GmbH, ELOShield Proximity Detection System
Best IT Innovation
Yard Management Solutions, Eagle Eye Yard Management Software
Best New Innovation
The Raymond Corporation, Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator

Industry Night also recognized the winners of the MHI Young Professional Network Award.

Outstanding Young Professional
Brian C Neuwirth, Unex Manufacturing

The Outstanding Young Professional is awarded to an MHI member under the age of 40 who has displayed professional accomplishments and affiliations, effective leadership skills and contributions to their company and innovation at work or in the industry.

Mentor Award
James J, Radous III, UniCarriers America

The Mentor Award is awarded to an MHI member who offers professional guidance, is a positive and inspiring role model, instills and nurtures talent, advocates for employees and supports their professional development and possesses a commitment to the company and its people.

Mentor Award Finalists:
● James Radous, President, UniCarriers Americas
● Mark Johnson, Sales Manager, Precision Automation Company
● Robert Kennedy, Partner/VP of Business Development, DMLogic

Outstanding Young Professional Award Finalists:
● Anshul Joshi, Research & Development Engineer, Cubiscan
● Brian C. Neuwirth, VP, Sales & Marketing, UNEX Manufacturing
● Justin Sturek, Continuous Improvement Manager, The Raymond Corporation
● Molly Wood, Engineering Manager, Ace Industries
● Paul Berkes, Senior Manager, Production Control and Logistics, UniCarriers Americas
● Rylan Hamilton, Co-Founder, 6 River Systems

Full list of Innovation Award finalists:

Best New Product:
● Ancra Systems B.V. for SkateLoader
● 6 River Systems Inc. for (6RS) Collaborative Fulfillment Solution
● The Raymond Corp. for Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator
● suitX for suitX Industrial Exoskeleton: MAX Systems

Best Innovation of an Existing Product:
● Komar Industries, Inc. for Komar Auger-Pak™
● Caljan Rite-Hite for EXPRESS Snoot
● ELOKON GmbH for ELOshield - Proximity Detection System
● ID Label Inc for Clean Release - Removable Warehouse Barcode Label

Best IT Innovation:
● Yard Management Solutions for Eagle Eye Yard Management Software
● The Raymond Corp. for Pick2Pallet™ LED Light System
● Ubimax Inc. for Frontline Creator
● LogistiVIEW for Enterprise Augmented Reality Computing