DIRTT Environmental Solutions Named Georgia Manufacturer of the Year

#1355 |  April 5, 2013

ATLANTA –DIRTT Environmental Solutions has been named Georgia Manufacturer of the Year in the small company category (150 or fewer employees). Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle presented the award this week at the annual awards luncheon for Georgia Manufacturing Appreciation Week.

DIRTT Environmental Solutions won the award for its “commitment to environmental sustainability, economic vitality and workforce excellence,” according to the remarks read when the award was announced. DIRTT Environmental Solutions was nominated by Savannah Technical College.

“I am so pleased that DIRTT was selected as Georgia’s Manufacturer of the Year in its size category,” said Savannah Tech President Dr. Kathy Love. “I can think of no company more deserving of this honor. The quality of DIRTT’s environmentally friendly product is only surpassed by the company’s commitment to its workforce.”

Founded in Canada in 2004, DIRTT chose Savannah, Ga., for its first U.S. manufacturing facility in 2009. The company’s name stands for “Doing it Right This Time.” And they do.

The company manufactures walls, doors, flooring and modular interiors that create flexible, contemporary spaces. They do it using materials and practices that reduce or eliminate waste — and make money. In five years, DIRTT doubled its revenue and prevented more than 65 million pounds of manufacturing waste from ending up in landfills.

“In the Calgary economy, we couldn’t find the workforce we needed; however, we were able to find skilled DIRTTbags in Savannah,” said Tracy Baker, DIRTT’s chief operating officer, accepting the award alongside a production and leadership team from DIRTT. “We’d like to thank the sponsors of this event for creating awareness and support in the youth and the manufacturing community that is essential as we move manufacturing back to North America. This award is a testament to the Savannah team’s efforts. Great job, DIRTTbags.”

Three manufacturers are chosen each year in categories based on the size of their employment. The other award winners were Southwire Company in Carrollton and Douglas (more than 500 employees), and Swainsboro’s Nordson Corporation (151-500 employees).

The annual awards luncheon, held in Atlanta this week, is the highlight of Georgia Manufacturing Appreciation Week, which is co-hosted by the Technical College System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

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