Childhood friends Jed Seifert and Vince Bartozzi founded Stakes Manufacturing in 2019 after building experience in print-on-demand services and sports and entertainment partnerships. Today, their Eastlake operation serves brands and retailers from a 110,000-square-foot digital production facility, with inclusion central to its culture: people with intellectual and developmental disabilities make up 10% of its 300-person workforce. That work earned Stakes the 2022 APSE National Employer of the Year award.
National Employer of the Year by APSE
Counselor Bess Cohn Humanitarian of the Year Award
Spectrum DesignsFounded in 2011 in a backyard barn, Spectrum Designs is a nonprofit custom apparel and promotional-products company whose work creates meaningful careers for people on the autism spectrum. What began with two employees and one printing machine has grown into an 80-plus-person operation with facilities in New York and New Jersey, while maintaining its focus on inclusive employment and individualized workplace support. Spectrum also pairs that mission with environmentally responsible production and is certified by the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership.PORT WASHINGTON, NY
Lott IndustriesSince 1955, Toledo-based Lott Industries has combined contract manufacturing and business services with vocational training and employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities and others facing barriers to work. Its nonprofit operation spans a 160,000-square-foot production facility with more than 200 employees, while community programs such as the Lott Urban Farm and Inspiration Kitchen extend that mission beyond the factory floor. Lott serves customers locally and throughout the United States, making purposeful employment part of its business model.TOLEDO, OH
Requip'dRequip'd turns broken and player-used hockey sticks into handcrafted goods, most notably BBQ sets, while giving the material a second life beyond the landfill. Founded by two hockey-loving dads and now owned by ABLE Force Employment, a Pennsylvania 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the company hires adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its work has recycled more than 250,000 sticks and supports fundraising for hockey and other community organizations.RICHBORO, PA
POV SolutionFounded in 1993 by childhood friends Chris Yuhasz and Greg Elliot, POV Solution is a mid-sized print communications company rooted in Chagrin Falls and serving businesses and nonprofits nationwide. The company has employed special needs workers for more than 20 years, making inclusive employment part of its long-standing community character. POV is especially known for self-contained donation mailers that help nonprofits combine outreach with an easy response.CHAGRIN FALLS, OH