AMBA Presents Mold Builder of the Year, Tooling Trailblazer of the Year Awards

The American Mold Builders Association (AMBA) presented Tom Barr, TK Mold & Engineering Inc., with the 2022 Mold Builder of the Year Award and CompuMold Tool & Design Inc. with the Tooling Trailblazer of the Year Award during the AMBA Conference 2022, May 11-13, 2022, in Itasca, Illinois. The awards, sponsored by Progressive Components, include a $5,000 endowment to each winner for continuing education in mold building, to be presented to the educational institution of the recipient’s choice.

Tom Barr has been a leader and mentor in the mold building industry for decades. In his early years, he learned the craft by working in the family business alongside his father and uncles. Barr earned his journeyman’s certificate in the early 90s, and he then worked for a mold manufacturer whose business he later purchased. In 2017, Barr officially registered his apprenticeship program, which — alongside improved quality, cultural change and a better understanding of where employees would thrive — is said to have generated significant returns for his business. Today, TK Mold & Engineering Inc. employs 24 employees, many of which are current or past apprentices. Through his work on advisory boards for Macomb Community College and Romeo High School, as well as being an active participant on the AMBA Board of Directors, Barr demonstrates his passion for this industry through his hands-on interactions with students and with industry peers.

CompuMold Tool & Design was awarded the 2022 AMBA Tooling Trailblazer of the Year Award, established to recognize AMBA member accomplishments that have resulted in a notable educational impact. The company is recognized for its involvement in the local school system, where company employees have demonstrated the range of jobs available in the industry and provided hands-on opportunities to students interested in the trade. Whether through investment in the industrial arts and fabrication classes at the local high school, its offering of a Student Assistantship program (through which local Wisconsin high school students can job shadow at the facility) or its recent hiring of apprentices through the Department of Labor-certified Wisconsin Apprenticeship Program, the AMBA recognizes the company because of its mission to cultivate the next generation of mold builders in its community.

For more details on the AMBA Mold Builder of the Year and Tooling Trailblazer of the Year Awards, visit AMBA.org.