There was a strong field of candidates for the third annual award. That made it difficult for the team of judges, which included ASSEMBLY's editorial staff, to narrow down the list to five finalists, which included Gulfstream, Peterbilt, Schneider Electric and SMC Inc. in the honorable mentions category.
At first glance, business jets, heavy-duty trucks, industrial motor controls and contract electronics don't appear to share too much in common. However, all of those products are assembled in outstanding plants. In fact, the facilities were finalists in the 2006 Assembly Plant of the Year competition sponsored by ASSEMBLY magazine.