The American Mold Builders Association (AMBA), Indianapolis, Indiana, proudly presented Rick Finnie, M.R. Mold & Engineering Corp., Brea, California, with the 2019 Mold Builder of the Year Award and Century Die Company, Fremont, Ohio, with the Tooling Trailblazer of the Year Award during the AMBA Conference 2019, May 8-10, Itasca, Illinois. The awards, sponsored by Progressive Components, include a $5,000 endowment to each for continuing education in mold building, to be presented to the educational institution of the recipient’s choice.

AMBA 2019 Mold Builder of the Year
During the awards ceremony, Rick Finnie was recognized as a leader and mentor. At an early age, he learned the value of a strong work ethic and what it meant to take pride in one’s work. Two decades later, he opened his own shop with one employee. Today, 30+ employees strong, he has assembled a management team that reflects the core values and beliefs upon which his company was built – driving continuous improvement to promote its growth and future sustainability. Well respected by industry colleagues for his expertise in mold building, his innovative “outside the box” thinking has put his company on the map as one of the top three silicone mold builders in the U.S. He is actively involved in education-related activities through several trade organizations and committees. He is very involved in The Los Angeles Rubber Group Incorporated (TLARGI), sits on the Board for the Century High School STEAM program in Santa Ana and is part of a team of industry experts that offers a ”fundamentals of silicone” course twice a year through various universities.

AMBA 2019 Tooling Trailblazer of the Year
Century Die Company was awarded the AMBA Tooling Trailblazer of the Year Award, established to recognize AMBA member accomplishments that have resulted in a notable impact in the area of education. Century Die Company was recognized for its outstanding job shadowing program, the Mold Maker Professional for a Day Program, which has engaged more than 300 students (grades 7-12) over the past six years and has resulted in half a dozen new hires. From participation in job fairs and mock interviews at local high schools to sponsorship of the Green Box Derby where students compete for scholarships to Terra State Community College, Century Die works throughout the year to increase visibility of the mold manufacturing industry to hundreds of students, parents and teachers in the greater northern Ohio area.

For more details on the AMBA Mold Builder of the Year and Tooling Trailblazer of the Year Awards, please look for the upcoming spread later this month in the newest issue of The American Mold Builder or visit americanmoldbuilder.com.