Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award®

What Is the Challengers Award?

The IWF Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award has become known throughout the world for recognizing outstanding companies who have distinguished themselves by developing innovative technology in products, services, or manufacturing techniques that will advance the industry.

The 2024 IWF Challengers Award competition featured 92 submissions from 75 exhibiting companies.

VIEW THE 2024 CHALLENGERS AWARD WINNERS

See the full list of 2024 Entrants & Finalists

The seven winners in the 2024 Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award competition were announced onsite during IWF 2024. A panel of 9 distinguished judges, all of whom were industry professionals representing a broad cross-section of the industry, reviewed and analyzed each entry. From these entries, 20 finalists were selected to perform live demonstrations of their entries on the day before the opening of IWF 2024 for the panel of judges, who then made their final decisions on the most innovative product development. The finalists were on display in the Challengers Award Gallery throughout the duration of the show.

See a full list of all previous winners

Companies that have developed new and innovative technologies in products, services, or manufacturing techniques should all take part in this internationally recognized competition. Entering is free to all exhibitors contracted for that year’s IWF and will put you in the spotlight as one of the forward-thinking companies making advancements to move the industry forward.

For more information regarding the IWF Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award competition, please contact JP Roberts at jp@iwfatlanta.com or by phone at 404-693-8333.

See What Recipients of the 2022 Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award® Had to Say:

“The 2022 Challengers Award experience was a wonderful one for the Taylor team. During the months leading up to the show, the process of building the machine, creating the final machinery cell and practicing our demonstration to the judges created excitement and enthusiasm throughout the whole company. Every member of the Taylor team took pride in being considered for the award and focused on doing their best to make sure we won. Our machine that won the award was the Cameron Rack & Stack Nester. It was, and remains, an exciting and innovative design that moves the hardwood flooring industry forward. The accuracy with which it will create finished flooring bundles and the automated nature of the machinery cells will allow our Flooring customers to expand their production and be more efficient while doing it. If you have an innovative design, machine, piece of hardware or software, etc. etc. I highly recommend considering entering it into the Challengers Award competition. It will create excitement and pride with you team, and it will show the woodworking world your innovative spirit.”
— Gordon Burdis, President – James L. Taylor Mfg.

“The IWF Challengers Award is a visitor’s Cliff’s Notes on what’s new. I believe most visitors who go to the show are repeat attendees with a shortage of free time but are coming back to see what is new. This contest does a great job at promoting the Challengers Award Winners as the industry’s newest, latest and greatest. This saves visitors time by giving them a short list of where to find the industry leading companies that are hot and out in front of the competition.  While we have seen growth year over year at the IWF show, this year was exponentially so. I believe there were several reasons for this, but one of the reasons was clearly the Winners sign in our booth that could be seen from aisles away. For us, it was another badge on our chest to show everyone that it is time to know Northtech.”
— Northtech Machine LLC