We are pleased to announce that Board of Directors member and longtime champion of the NIMS mission, Mr. Paul Huber, has been awarded the Precision Machined Products Association's highest recognition; The Frank T. McGinnis Merit Award.  First presented in 1943, this honor is the result of a distinct recommendation from the PMPA Executive Committee and recognizes the “contributions and continued service for the benefit of the Association and the Industry above and beyond the duties of any appointed or elected Association office,” according to the PMPA website. 

Paul is currently the President of COMEX (Continental Machinery Exchange Corp.) in Bridgeport, Connecticut, but his career began over fifty years ago as a set-up and toolmaker apprentice in his native Switzerland.  After spending time with American Belcher Corp. and Esco Switzerland, in 1966 Paul joined Burndy Corporation in Milford, Connecticut as a Senior Manufacturing Engineer, specializing in screw machining.  Two years later he became a partner at Industrial Precision Components Corp (IPCC), where he would serve as Vice President and General Manager.

In addition to his contribution to industry, Paul has been tireless in his efforts to contribute to Industry, its associations, and countless educational initiatives.  At PMPA Paul has held various officer chairs for the Naugatuck Valley Chapter (1998-2001), served on the PMPA Skills Standards Committee (1998), and continues to be a member of the PMPA Education Foundation Board (2001-present).  He is a member of advisory committees for metalworking programs at several secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, including Platt Technical High School, which was accredited by NIMS in December 2012. 

Here are the National Institute for Metalworking Skills, Paul has been an active member of the Board of Directors since 1996, including holding the office of Board President (2005-2007), and Paul has served on the NIMS Executive Committee since 2002. 

Paul is also a member of the Machinery Dealers National Association and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

The Frank T. McGinnis Merit Award is not granted on an annual basis, but only when an individual’s contributions warrant its value, so the NIMS community joins with PMPA and the Industry-At-Large to congratulate and thank Paul for his service over the years. 

Congratulations, Paul!