ANN ARBOR, MI - Dwight Carlson, chairman and chief executive officer of Ann Arbor-based Coherix, has received the Shien-Ming Wu Award for his lifelong dedication to manufacturing excellence. Coherix provides metrology systems that use digital holography to measure machined parts.

Established in 1999 in honor of the late University of Michigan Professor Shien-Ming Wu, the global award recognizes automotive executives who have “made a profound impact on the manufacturing industry and serve as a role model for future leaders in terms of vision, strategic thinking, courage and the ability to build a winning organization.”

The award was presented to Carlson by David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), and Daisy Wu, chairperson of the Wu Foundation and wife of the late Professor Wu, at CAR’s recent management briefing seminars in Traverse City.

“No one better exemplifies the leadership values and dedication to manufacturing excellence espoused by my late husband than Dwight Carlson,” Mrs. Wu said. “They were colleagues and shared a common vision for the future of manufacturing.”

Wu award winners are selected for demonstrating the leadership qualities of the late University of Michigan Professor Shien-Ming “Sam” Wu, who worked diligently throughout his life to raise the level of manufacturing science.

“This award has special meaning on a number of levels,” Carlson noted. “Sam Wu was a close friend-someone whom I admired both personally and professionally. To receive an international award named in memory of a man of Sam’s stature is an honor without equal.

“Sam Wu’s work in the field of engineering has had a tremendous impact on generations of manufacturing engineers and at companies throughout the automotive industry. At Coherix, we’ve dedicated our main conference room to his name as a reminder to our employees and customers of his many contributions to our careers and our industry.”