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The Top Shops Workshop, presented by Modern Machine Shop and Gardner Business Media, gathers leading manufacturing professionals across industries to connect and learn from each other. This year, the event is taking place Thursday, September 13, right here at IMTS. The event is for owners, executives and managers at top contract manufacturing businesses to celebrate their contributions to the manufacturing community and to honor their achievements.

Top Shops is a comprehensive benchmarking program, originally launched in 2011, for machine shops of all sizes across the industry. Optimal shopfloor practices and operational and business metrics are identified through surveys of machining businesses. Based on these annual metrics, four machine shops are awarded the “Top Shop” designation each year in one of four main categories: machining technology, shopfloor practices, business strategies or human resources. An awards ceremony takes place at the Top Shops Workshop.

Thursday’s workshop includes discussion of the year’s Top Shops results; technical sessions on topics related to data-driven manufacturing, workforce development, and business development and sourcing; networking opportunities; and more. Moderated by Modern Machine Shop editors, the panels give professionals a platform to share knowledge and tips with their peers in the manufacturing community.

“The event allows us to take these ideas that we've captured numerically, and talk them out, ask questions,” says Peter Zelinski, editor-in-Chief of Modern Machine Shop. “It's also the chance to network with other leaders of other shops who are trying to advance their own organizations forward.”