Recognizing emerging manufacturing talent | Meet IACMI’s Inaugural Rising Star Award winners
The winners and honorable mentions span across eight states and work in engineering, forging, machining, metallurgy and smart manufacturing.
Manufacturing remains a powerhouse for the Tennessee economy, contributing $70 billion in value last year and accounting for 11.7% of the state’s GDP (National Association of Manufacturers).
To celebrate the emerging workforce behind these numbers, Knoxville-based IACMI, or the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, officially launched the 2026 Rising Stars Awards back in April. Now, they’ve announced the winners.
“The inaugural class of the Rising Star Awards exemplifies modern manufacturing skills, an eagerness to learn and the ambition to make a measurable impact,” said Justin Brooks, deputy director of workforce development, IACMI. “Manufacturing’s future begins with retaining the great up-and-coming talent already working in the industry. These awards were created to highlight these individuals and motivate them as they continue to advance and shape their careers.”
Winners:
- Alonzo Bullman – Trenton Forging Company; Trenton, Michigan
- Julian Espinoza – Gretna Machine Shop; Houston, Texas
- Nick Knotts – The Lawton Standard Co.; Novi, Michigan
- Samantha Melnick – SKF USA; Falconer, New York
- Jake Carney – Trenton Forging Company; Trenton, Michigan
Honorable Mentions:
- Matthew Sausen – Endeavor Composites, Inc.; Knoxville, Tennessee
- Daniel Levine – IsoTruss, Inc.; Springville, Utah
- Farbod Moghaddam – Sense Manufacturing Inc.; Washington, D.C.
- Daniel Stewart – Finkl Steel; Chicago, Illinois
- Kevin Vazquez – Pyka Inc.; Alameda, California
For the rest of the year, IACMI will publish spotlight features on each winner across its social media channels.
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