Manufacturers’ Association Awards Ceremony Recognizes Leading Businesses, AMP Founder, Uncas A. Whitaker, Awarded Manufacturing Trailblazer Award

(York, PA) On May 20th, 2025, The Manufacturers' Association honored outstanding members and individuals at the Association's 119th Annual Event at the York College of Pennsylvania. The event included a keynote featuring Billy Beane, baseball legend and subject of the film and best selling book "Moneyball."

Manufacturing Trailblazer

The late Uncas A. Whitaker was awarded the lifetime achievement award, the Association’s Manufacturing Trailblazer.  Founder of AMP, Inc. in 1941, the company became a manufacturer of electronic connectors and is now known as TE Connectivity.  Mr. Whitaker was a giant in the world of manufacturing, a visionary engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist whose legacy endures today.  Headquartered in Harrisburg, PA, AMP. Inc. grew to be the world’s largest manufacturer of electronic connectors whose products were used in PCs, aerospace, defense, automotive and communications and found in brands like Apple, IBM, and Hewlitt Packard.  He grew the company to over 46,000 employees across 53 companies and nearly $6 billion in annual sales with dozens of manufacturing sites across southcentral Pennsylvania that are still in use today.  Southcentral Pennsylvania became know as the “electronic connector capital of the world” and created a huge local supply chain and attracted other leading manufacturers to the region.  Mr. Whitaker’s fortune created the Whitaker Foundation after his death in 1975 which went on to fund $120 million in giving that helped create the emerging biomedical engineering fields as well as funding local community projects like the Whitaker Center for Science and Technology Center in downtown Harrisburg.  Accepting the award on behalf of Mr. Whitaker was Eric Himelright, Chief Commercial Officer for Aerospace Defense and Marine Businesses for TE Connectivity.

Manufacturer of the Year

Universal Ingredients Shanks was presented with the Manufacturer of the Year award. Shank’s has been headquartered in Lancaster County since 1899 and makes and distributes more than 2,400 products, including flavors extracts, colors, and sauces for retail and food industry customers globally.  The company is a top producer of vanilla extract in the United States.  Last year Shanks opened an 85,000 square foot expansion at their headquarters in Lancaster County and invested over $30 million in the project.  The project will create 83 new jobs and retain another 234 jobs statewide.  Now known as Universal Ingredients Shanks, the original company started with a local entrepreneur with an idea. The founder, Jacob Shank, was pioneer pharmacist who created a vanilla bean flavoring to improve the taste of his medicines.  He established a separate business to offer his services to people for food flavoring and the rest became history.  Craig Hoosier, Senior Director of Operations,  accepted the award for Universal Ingredients Shanks.    

Additional Award Winners

• The Manufacturing Innovator award to Ring Container Technologies, located in York County and is one of the largest consumer packaging manufacturers in the country, and was recognized for the companies extensive investment in automation and technology. Justin Wagner or Ring Container Technologies accepted the award.
• The Partner of the Year award went to the Milton Hershey School for their work with the Association on a manufacturing pre-apprenticeship program that has served 60 students since 2022. Accepting the award was Jennifer Benson, Milton Hershey School Career Services for Tech Education.  
• The Community Investor award was presented to Ledge, Inc., a second-generation quality management and engineering consulting firm that was recognized for their work in the community and charitable donations. Accepting the award was Adam Marsh, President.

The following organizations underwrote the awards presentation at the May 20th event: Partner of the year sponsored by Women in Manufacturing Central PA Chapter, Community Investor sponsored by Eckert Seamans Attorneys at Law, Manufacturing Innovator sponsored by Ledge, Inc., Manufacturer of the Year sponsored by Thaddeus Stevens School of Technology and Manufacturing Trailblazer sponsored by New Standard Corporation.