SIGI establishes scholarship in honor of Brian McNamara

Southworth International Group Inc. (SIGI) has announced the establishment of the Brian E. McNamara Honor Scholarship sponsored by Southworth International Group Inc., also known as The Brian McNamara Fund.

The endowed scholarship, which is funded by SIGI and managed through the Material Handling Education Foundation Inc. (MHEFI), is created to recognize and honor the significant contributions made by Brian McNamara to MHI and to the material handling industry. McNamara retired from SIGI in 2020.

McNamara joined Southworth in 1981 as a Regional Sales Manager in the northeast, and quickly moved into the role of Vice President of Sales. In the early 1990s he became Southworth’s president, a role he held for 28 years. With his leadership and vision, McNamara positioned the company to grow and prosper. His tenure saw the consolidation of Southworth’s North American manufacturing operations in Arkansas, the development and launch of key new products, acquisitions and expansion in the United States, Europe and Asia, and the evolution of Southworth into an international leader in the material handling solutions market.

“Over a 40-year career with Southworth International Group, Inc. (SIGI), Brian McNamara provided key vision, leadership and determination to enable our business to continue to grow and evolve,” says James Cabot, SIGI CEO. “The modern SIGI is really a testament to this vision and leadership. At the same time, he has been an active and engaged participant in MHI activities. He has championed bringing new talent into our industry through involvement with MHEFI, CICMHE and other groups. It is therefore fitting that we recognize Brian’s business leadership, volunteer spirit, and focus on educating and mentoring the next generation through a scholarship fund bearing his name and endowed in perpetuity.”

The Material Handling Education Foundation is an independent charitable organization whose programs provide grants to students to promote the study of material handling, logistics, and supply chain education.

As sponsor of The Brian McNamara Fund, SIGI will contribute $33,000 each year for three consecutive years until the fund reaches $100,000 in total. Recipients of scholarships awarded by MHEFI from The Brian McNamara Fund attend colleges or universities in the United States in targeted programs of study that include emphasis on material handling, logistics, and supply chain management.

Modern had the chance to interview McNamara upon his retirement about thoughts on his career and the industry's evolution. Read that article here.