MALVERN, Pa -- Saint-Gobain North America announced today that the organization and a Chryso plant manager have been named finalists by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) in three 2026 Manufacturing Leadership Awards categories. Saint-Gobain North America was recognized in the Sustainability and Circular Economy category for Building a More Sustainable Future with Industry-Leading Net-Zero Carbon Manufacturing Operations and in the Transformational Business Cultures category for Developing the Next Generation of Manufacturers: Saint-Gobain's Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities Program.
Sean Scadden, Plant Manager at Saint-Gobain's Chryso manufacturing site in Los Angeles, is also recognized as a finalist in the Next Generation Leadership category for his transformational leadership and operational impact.
Established in 2005, the Manufacturing Leadership Awards are administered by the Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC), the NAM’s digital transformation division. The awards recognize operational and leadership excellence and the companies and leaders that are shaping the future of global manufacturing.
“Saint-Gobain’s employees truly embody our purpose of Making the World a Better Home in everything they do, from product innovations to workforce development programs to solutions that advance light and sustainable construction in North America,” said Mark Rayfield, CEO of Saint-Gobain North America. “Congratulations to Sean and to our entire team for continuing to transform the manufacturing industry to ensure we have the talent and resources needed to provide game changing solutions for our customers that are advancing the manufacturing industry.”
Sustainability and Circular Economy Category – Saint-Gobain North America
Saint-Gobain North America is being recognized for its industry-leading net-zero carbon manufacturing operations. In 2025, Saint-Gobain opened North America’s first zero-carbon (scopes 1 and 2) gypsum wallboard plant and the largest plant of its kind in the world. Saint-Gobain is committed to its global objective of reaching net zero carbon by 2050 and continues to lead multiple sustainable projects across its portfolio of more than 160 locations in North America.
Transformational Business Cultures Category – Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities
Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities (SFRC) is a manufacturing workforce development program that offers students a chance to explore immersive manufacturing environments with a focus on plant jobs that do not require an advanced degree, helping them connect what they learn in school to what’s possible in the workplace. This innovative program, which piloted in 2025, has already exposed more than 200 students to modern manufacturing careers, with dozens of additional Saint-Gobain sites already scheduled to launch the program this spring and later this fall.
Next-Generation Leadership Award – Sean Scadden, Chryso
This award honors remarkable manufacturing professionals who have less than 10 years of manufacturing operations career experience and who pioneer and execute winning strategies, inspire and manage high-performing teams, and raise awareness of the positive impacts of manufacturing on society.
As the plant manager at Chryso’s Los Angeles plant, Sean has consistently demonstrated an ability to identify problems, challenge established norms, and champion creative, practical solutions to innovate processes for the betterment of the business and organization. He is a graduate of Saint-Gobain's Essentials of Manufacturing program, an unique 18-month experience for recent college graduates to gain real world engineering experience working directly in Saint-Gobain plants.
The finalists will be recognized on June 24, 2026 at the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala in Scottsdale, AZ.
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About Saint-Gobain
Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services adapted to the residential, non-residential and infrastructure markets. Its integrated and innovative solutions provide sustainability, performance and well-being for its customers. The Group is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.
€46.5 billion in sales in 2025
162,000 employees, locations in 80 countries
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050
For more information about Saint-Gobain, visit https://www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com/