Three Seminole County manufacturers win regional awards
Three Seminole County manufacturers earned regional honors for products ranging from adhesives to transformers and smart lighting, underscoring the county’s advanced manufacturing base.
Hernon Manufacturing in Sanford, JST Power Equipment in Lake Mary and ILLUMUS in Sanford won Manufacturer of the Year awards from the Manufacturers Association of Central Florida in their respective divisions. The awards were presented June 18 during MACF’s Annual President’s Dinner at The Florida Hotel in Orlando, and Seminole County announced the wins in a July 10 announcement.
MACF bases the honor on an on-site evaluation that looks at leadership and strategy, customer focus, technology and innovation, measurement, workforce and operations. The program follows the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award framework, focusing on how well a company runs day to day rather than name recognition. MACF has served Central Florida’s manufacturing community since 1992 and originally covered Orange, Osceola, Lake, Seminole, Sumter, Brevard and Volusia counties.
Hernon Manufacturing won Division 1 Manufacturer of the Year. The Sanford company was founded in 1978, relocated to Sanford in 1990 and later expanded its Sanford facility. It makes high-performance sealants, adhesives and precision application equipment, and its product line includes more than 5,000 formulas. The award recognized its work in innovative adhesive and sealant technologies, automation, process improvement and service to customers in critical industries worldwide.
ILLUMUS won Division 3 in the large manufacturer category. Headquartered in Sanford, the company received recognition for manufacturing leadership, innovation, workforce development, customer focus and operational performance. Its portfolio includes ILP, GREEN CREATIVE, Barn Light Electric and NUROAir Bluetooth Controls.
JST Power Equipment won the 2026 Manufacturer of the Year award from MACF. The company focuses on transformers and advanced power solutions, a sector that depends on specialized engineering, supply chains and skilled technicians. JST has manufacturing plants and offices across three continents.
Seminole County had 218,172 total regional jobs in 2022, up 6.7% from 2017, and a median household income of $70.3K in 2020, according to CareerSource Central Florida’s Seminole County economic overview. In December 2025, CareerSource Central Florida opened its first Seminole County community hub at Seminole State College’s Sanford/Lake Mary campus, at 100 Weldon Blvd., Building C, Room C103 in Sanford.
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