SYRACUSE — MACNY, The Manufacturers Association on May 6 announced that Richard Rothenberger, vice president of engineering and new product development at Eaton Crouse-Hinds, has won the 2014 MACNY Innovator of the Year award. The award recognizes manufacturing company officials who consistently demonstrate forward-thinking ideas in the areas of technology, innovation, and advancement of products […]
SYRACUSE — MACNY, The Manufacturers Association on May 6 announced that Richard Rothenberger, vice president of engineering and new product development at Eaton Crouse-Hinds, has won the 2014 MACNY Innovator of the Year award.
The award recognizes manufacturing company officials who consistently demonstrate forward-thinking ideas in the areas of technology, innovation, and advancement of products and production, MACNY said in a news release.
Rothenberger was nominated for the MACNY Innovator of the Year honor by his colleague, John Bonaccio.
He wrote the following about Rothenberger’s work results at Eaton Crouse-Hinds, which is a division of Eaton Corp. (NYSE: ETN). “From the business side, top line sales revenues and bottom line profits have set company records and are among the lead for all of Eaton’s operating divisions … From a product side there has been 100+ new products introduced each year since 2011, some of which have been category winners of “product of the year” by EC&M magazine. And finally, the team’s innovation efforts have yielded over 30 new U.S. patent awards and over 80 new patent disclosures. This could not have happened without the leadership and vision that Rick has brought to Crouse-Hinds.”
Rothenberger has been at Eaton Crouse-Hinds, headquartered at 1201 Wolf St. in Syracuse, since 2010 and has “consistently exceeded all expectations,” according to the MACNY release. He initiated three key changes at the firm, including rebuilding the engineering department, implementing a new project-management process, and establishing an advanced technology development team that would drive future product innovation.
“On behalf of the Innovator Award Selection Committee, I would like to extend my congratulations to Richard and Eaton Crouse-Hinds on the receipt of this well-deserved honor,” MACNY President Randy Wolken said in the news release. “We were pleased to receive nominations for many well-qualified candidates who are considered outstanding innovators by their peers and colleagues. Richard has demonstrated forward thinking skills, an ability to take a challenge and address it head on, and deliver much needed results that have allowed for records sales and growth.”
Rothenberger will be honored at MACNY’s 101st annual dinner, in front of Eaton Crouse-Hinds colleagues and an audience of more than 450 manufacturers from Central and Upstate New York, the association said. The dinner will be held at the Oncenter in Syracuse on May 8. For tickets or more information, contact Debbie Sindone at dsindone@macny.org.
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