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Ease.io Celebrates Champions for Quality in Manufacturing Sector for 2026

On April 9, 2026, Ease.io, a leading provider of AI-powered audit and inspection software, revealed the winners of its eighth annual Champions for Quality Awards. This prestigious event recognizes the outstanding efforts of professionals and organizations that are committed to enhancing manufacturing quality amidst a rapidly evolving technological landscape and transformative innovations.

A Celebration of Excellence

The Champions for Quality Awards act as a spotlight on individuals, teams, and companies that have not only integrated quality leadership into their operational frameworks but have also delivered measurable improvements in production processes throughout the last year. With an impressive array of submissions from global nominees, the 2026 winners exemplified a diverse community dedicated to driving significant impact across multiple sectors.

Adam Wegel, CEO of Ease.io, emphasized, "These awards shine a light on the dedication and creativity of individuals who are strengthening quality throughout their organizations. The achievements of this year's honorees are nothing short of remarkable and represent a broad spectrum of industries, ranging from automotive to consumer goods. Their ability to cultivate robust cultures of quality is critical in advancing overall manufacturing excellence on a global scale."

Supporting the Future of Manufacturing

This year’s awards also included a philanthropic aspect, with Ease.io pledging support to the SAE Foundation, a nonprofit focused on providing STEM education initiatives. Jamie Ferguson, Executive Director of the SAE Foundation, commented on this partnership, stating, "We’re honored to receive continued support from Ease.io. Their commitment helps enhance hands-on STEM learning opportunities, vital for preparing the next generation of tech-driven talent in our industry."

Nominated Categories Recognizing Individual Excellence

This year’s awards featured various categories aimed at celebrating individual achievements across the manufacturing spectrum. Nominations were submitted by the public as well as by Ease.io’s customers and partners, with winners selected based on merit. The award categories and their recipients include:

• - Leadership: Kevin Keane, ARTIFEX (Liverpool, UK) took home the award, with Kitso Kubheka from ElringKlinger receiving an honorable mention.
• - Ambassador: Chen Qiang of STABILUS (Jiaxing, China) was recognized for fostering quality culture, while Daniel Girardot from Magna Cosma Vehtek Systems (Bowling Green, Ohio) received honorable mention.
• - Trailblazer: The award was given to Demario Mercer from Millennium Print Group, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company International (Morrisville, North Carolina), with Nayan Sagitra from DANA (Karnataka, India) recognized as honorable mention.
• - Influencer: Robert Hamilton of JTEKT Automotive (Morristown, Tennessee) won this category, with Brandon Manning of Freudenberg-NOK (Cleveland, Georgia) receiving honorable mention.
• - Promising Newcomer: Vismay Chand from DANA (Karnataka, India) was celebrated as the winner, with Andrew Riley from Magna Exteriors (Du Quoin, Illinois) as honorable mention.

Metrics-Based Awards Highlighting Operational Success

Apart from the public-nominated categories, the Champions for Quality Awards included metrics-based evaluations that recognized outstanding performance using EASE data. These categories comprised:

• - Plant of the Year: Honoring DANA (Zaragoza, Spain) for exemplary audit insights, with Allison Off-Highway Drive Motion Systems (Yancheng, China) acknowledged as an honorable mention.
• - Auditor of the Year: Bruce Chubb from Mold-Rite Plastics (Plattsburg, New York) was selected for his audit excellence, alongside Francis Neri, also from Mold-Rite Plastics, receiving honorable mention.
• - Best Implementation: The award was given to Blanc Fisher Cerkno (Slovenia), with multiple honorable mentions from NIFCO's various global plants.
• - Quality Transformation: Great Dane (Danville, Pennsylvania) topped this category for remarkable improvement, with INTEVA PRODUCTS (Opole, Poland) receiving honorable mention.

Conclusion

The Ease.io team extends heartfelt congratulations to all winners and commends its customers for their relentless pursuit of excellence in manufacturing quality.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Irvine, California, Ease.io specializes in cloud-based solutions that modernize and enhance essential manufacturing processes. With a client base that spans over 40 countries, including major companies like Dana and Tenneco, Ease.io continues to champion quality, safety, and efficiency in manufacturing. For further information, please visit ease.io.