Blog

Sep 29, 2023

2023 Manufacturing Awards: Innovation winners

Few business sectors can top the production and employment numbers of

Few business sectors can top the production and employment numbers of manufacturing. This year, Buffalo Business First is proud to honor 25 standouts within the industry.

This year's winners in the category of innovation: Integrity Machining & Fabrication LLC, Red Disk, Starco Lighting and T&T Legacy Metals LLC.

4179 Cambria Wilson Road, Lockport • integritymachinefab.com

President: Justin Reynolds

Key executives:

Manufactured product: As a contract manufacturer. We make metal products using CNC mills and CNC lathes. We also fabricate metal products using laser or waterjet parts that sometimes require forming, welding and assembly.

Employees, local: 4

Annual revenue: $750,000

Plans for 2023 and beyond: In the last 2 years, IMF has proven our business plan to be profitable and scalable. Our culture and core purposes along our code of ethics all are consistent and ready for scaling as well. In 2023 we will invest in equipment and personnel in an attempt to double in size.

Company innovation: Building and launching a home-grown "ERP" system to minimize data input and obtain organization. Using our engineering team and experience to help multiple customers bring concepts to life.

Key event in company history: At year-end reporting a profit is evidence that our hard work is paying off.

An interesting fact: IMF is owned by the team. We treat our company, equipment, supply chain and customers like owners because we are all owners.

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255 Great Arrow Ave., Buffalo • reddiskstudio.com

Partner: Traci Ackerman

Key executives

Manufactured product: Red Disk hand-silkscreens wallpapers, from vintage Charles Burchfield designs to modern patterns created by diverse artists from Buffalo and beyond.

Founded: 2017

Employees, local: 8

Plans for 2023 and beyond: Red Disk is growing current product lines, building on historic Charles Burchfield designs and the architectural series, and we are poised to expand into additional markets.

Company innovation: This past year was the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Red Disk, with the formation of a partnership between Red Disk and White Bicycle. Founder Traci Ackerman welcomed White Bicycle's Brian Grunert and Kyle Morrissey to become partners in Red Disk. Initially motivated by Traci's relocation to Arizona, this partnership has created powerful possibilities in evolving operations, creating operational efficiencies, and advancing a strategic plan for strengthening and growing the Red Disk brand.

Key event in company history: There have been many key moments in Red Disk history, but none more defining than our recreation of Charles Burchfield "Flowers at Night" wallpaper. It was our first step toward all we’ve become.

An interesting fact: Our company's name, Red Disk, is a reference to the oldest known art in the world, a red ochre disk shape found on a cave wall in Northern Spain, believed to be created around 39,000 BC. Around 41,000 years later, our studio emerged as Red Disk, honoring our shared human instinct to leave a meaningful mark.

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2495 Main St., Buffalo • starcous.com

CEO/COO: Muk Musleh

Key executives

Manufactured product: Starco Lighting manufactures premium LED tubes and commercial, industrial and agricultural lighting fixtures. Our products come with a 10-year warranty.

Founded: 2015

Employees, local: 8

Plans for 2023 and beyond: Expand the depth and breadth of our local manufacturing capabilities; produce cost-effective architectural fixtures and provide BAA compliant solutions for federal contracts by year-end; and create more high-end technical and engineering jobs

Company innovation: We are proud to have received a BrightStar Award at Light Fair International 2022 for our modular tunable grow light, a key component of our innovative 2-phase grow lighting system. Indoor growers use our affordable modular tunable grow light for mass production. After several cycles, growers use their findings to incrementally add extra wavelengths and spectrum modules without requiring extra power or data wiring. Our plug-and-play modules provide growers with a more convenient and hassle-free process.

Key event in company history: Starco Lighting, previously a subsidiary of Zhejiang Starco Lighting Manufacturing of China, was purchased in 2022 and is now owned by residents of Buffalo. Since the transition, we have expanded product lines significantly and are now importing some production to pursue BAA compliance required federal opportunities.

An interesting fact: For the last seven years, our small company has been the exclusive supplier of T8 and T12 replacement tubes for General Motors. We are proud to have provided over 700,000 units and counting. We have been specified alongside major brands such as GE, Philips, and Acuity Lighting for high bays and linear lights. We’re currently in the process of providing high bay lighting for over a 1 million square-foot plant in Springhill, Tennessee.

We’ve also been the contract awardee of T8 and T12 LED tubes for the NY Department of Corrections for the last 6 years. We have provided over 250,000 units for 25 locations and we are scheduled to do several other locations in the next year.

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303 Industrial Drive, Grand Island • tandtlegacymetals.com

President: Jim Terhune Sr.

Key executives

Manufactured product: T&T processes metal products, primarily for government military and defense entities but also serves many Buffalo-based manufacturers.

Founded: 2020

Employees, local: 18

Employees, total including local: 22

Plans for 2023 and beyond: We intend to continue to increase our value-add processing capabilities as we grow into our new facility on Grand Island.

Company innovation: We went from one team member and a small bandsaw locally in 2021 to 12 team members and 3 production bandsaws, plasma burning, non-ferrous plate sawing and various drilling and machining equipment for operations.

Key event in company history: Before 2020, we had a sales staff in Rochester, where the company originated but no operations. In 2020, we acquired an 11,500-square-foot warehouse in Tonawanda and grew out of it quickly. In 2022, we acquired a second facility on Grand Island with 36,000 square feet and are thinking about what comes next.

An interesting fact: Most of our current staff worked together at another Western New York manufacturing company before it closed.

We're looking for world class leaders- right here in Western New York. Do you work with one? Do you know one? Make your nomination today.