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The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association won the 2022 leadership award from the Conference of State Manufacturers Associations. COSMA members serve as the NAM’s official state partners.

The award: The COSMA leadership award was presented to the IMA for its work to attract and maintain the manufacturing workforce.

High praise: “All manufacturers should be proud of the role they have played in navigating the pandemic, and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association should be especially proud of the innovative ways it has helped its members address the workforce challenges we have all faced,” said Kris Johnson, president of the Association of Washington Business and chair of COSMA.

IMA achievements: Recent IMA achievements include a successful $7 million Manufacturing Jobs Campaign designed to attract students, veterans, communities of color, women and ex-offenders to the manufacturing industry. The association also co-chaired the state’s Equipment Task Force during the pandemic and led a recovery group that included representatives from Illinois’ manufacturing, transportation, construction and utilities industries.

What the NAM is saying: “At a time when there are more than 800,000 open jobs in our industry, we need the efforts of groups like the IMA to help us find that next generation of talent and strengthen manufacturing competitiveness so that we can continue to lead our economy and our country toward a better future,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.