If you do not find the answers you are looking for, please call the MOTY Coordinator at 800-362-7301 with your questions.
Who can apply?
Manufacturers with significant physical presence/operations in Wisconsin.
What if we have a manufacturing facility in Wisconsin but we are headquartered outside of Wisconsin?
Your company is not required to be headquartered in Wisconsin. Your company is only required to have significant presence/operations in Wisconsin.
How do I know what the appropriate size category for my company is?
Companies are based on company-wide employee count, including parent company and all subsidiaries, in and out of Wisconsin. Breakdown is as follows: Small (1-99 employees), Medium (100-299 employees), Large (300-750 employees), and Mega (751+ employees). If you have any questions as to which category is appropriate for your company, contact MOTY coordinator prior to submitting your nomination. Total employee count will be verified through Dun & Bradstreet. MOTY sponsors reserve the right to modify the category selected based on these findings.
Should temporary employees be included in the company-wide employee count?
No
What if our company just has steady performance every year?
You do not have to wait to experience tremendous growth or overcome adversity to submit a nomination. Many winners in the program's history have simply been well-run, solid performing manufacturers.
What does it cost to enter?
Nothing, there is no entry fee.
How long should my nomination be?
There are no minimums/maximums, but past nominations have averaged 20 to 35 pages, including supporting materials. The key is to tell your story concisely and convincingly.
What should I write?
You'll want to address each area detailed in the Required Nomination Information section in the Nomination Form. The amount of detail you write on any one area will depend on the strengths of the manufacturing company.
Should I include graphs and photos?
Yes. Judges may find it easier to understand the material if graphs and photos are included to help illustrate your story. For instance, you may want to include graphs to depict company financial history.
We have great product samples and a corporate video, should I send them along with the nomination?
No. However, you are encouraged to include photos or product spec sheets of your key product(s) to help the judges understand what your company manufactures. It is not necessary to include product samples, detailed product specifications, or entire product catalogs.
Our company has received other awards, should I include this information?
Yes. Information that demonstrates your leadership in the industry, including articles and awards, should be included.
Is financial information really required?
Yes. It is important that the judges understand that a company is financially sound. Submission of lengthy financial reports is not necessary, but concisely demonstrating growth and profitability is extremely relevant from the judges perspective in the overall review and selection of winners. Nominations that do not include this information will not be considered for an award. Financial information will be kept confidential and judges are asked to sign confidentiality agreements prior to review of the material.
What financial information are you looking for?
We suggest submitting the following pieces of information for the past three years (08, 09 & 10): Income Statement, Balance Statement, Cash Flow Statement. At a minimum include annual sales revenue and profitability figures for the last three years. Proprietary detailed financial information will be kept confidential. A summary of items in a chart or graph format is extremely helpful to the judges. Since a company will be placed in a category based on the demographics of its parent company, please send the financial information for the parent company in its entirety.
If my company has an outside auditor, should the auditor be contributing to the MOTY nomination with statements of findings or success?
The outside auditor is welcome to submit a letter of recommendation for the judges to review and consider, either with the nomination, or separately. A letter from your outside auditor is not required.
Does the financial statement count as part of the 20-30 pages?
Yes
I am not a manufacturer, but would like to nominate one. What do you recommend?
You can suggest a manufacturer to be nominated by completing this
form by November 1. The manufacturer will then need to submit the actual nomination packet in order to be considered.
Do the sponsors choose the winners?
No. Award winners are determined by an independent panel of judges from industry, government, education, and the business media. Quite often the judges are past MOTY winners. The sponsoring organizations do not judge the nominations, and each judge is required to review the listing of nominees prior to seeing the actual submission to check for any business conflicts. If there are any with a particular company, they will be precluded from judging that company and viewing their submission materials.
Is it better to submit a self-nomination or have someone outside the company write the nomination?
According to past judges, it has had no impact on their decisions if the nomination came from a second party or the company itself. It is most important to submit complete information.
How are the Special Awards chosen?
There are no pre-determined Special Award categories. Nominees who excel in a particular area may be recognized by the judges with a Special Award. Choosing and developing the categories are based on information provided in the nomination and are entirely determined by the judges. Examples of previous Special Awards are: international growth through exports, product innovation, employee dedication, and community commitment.
Are the winners notified right away?
No. Winners are announced at the black-tie banquet February 23, 2012. All nominees and nominators will receive invitations to the celebration, but none will know who has won until the event.
Does "black-tie" really mean tuxedo?
Yes. Banquet attendees dress in formal attire (tuxedos for the men and evening gowns of varying length for the women). If you'd like to see photos of previous MOTY award banquets, you may do so
here.
How many attend the award banquet?
Anywhere from 300 to 400 nominees, nominators, key employees, and other industry executives typically attend the award banquet. Tables seat 8 to 10 people.
What does it cost to attend the awards banquet?
$100 per person. The President, CEO, owner, or other designated representative of each nominated company will receive one complimentary registration for the banquet. If the company is nominated by an outside source, that outside nominator (whomever is indicated on the nomination form) will also receive one complimentary registration.
