Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. today announced its 2015 Supplier of the Year awards and 14 Gold Suppliers recognized for best-in-class performance. The companies all were initially recognized at Sikorsky's annual Supplier Summit held recently in West Palm Beach, Florida. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

The 2015 Supplier of Year award winners are:

• Collaboration Award – Stevens Manufacturing, Milford, CT.

• Industrialization Award – Aurora Flight Sciences, Manassas, VA.

• Supplier Performance Award – Parker Hannifin, Irvine, CA

• Innovation Award – Merrill Technologies Group, Saginaw, MI.

• Small Diverse Business Award – Lancaster Packaging Inc., Hudson, MA.

The 14 Sikorsky Gold Suppliers are:

• A.E. Petsche, a division of Arrow Electronics, headquartered in Arlington, TX, was the first Sikorsky-sponsored Supplier Gold distributor receiving the first such award in December 2008.

• Arnold-Hanafin Corporation is an engineering services firm that supports clients in achieving short-term tactical and long-term strategic goals and objectives with breakthrough engineering and IT contract labor services. Headquartered in Boca Raton, FL, Arnold Hanafin achieved UTC Supplier Gold in June 2012; also, United Technologies Corporation and Arnold-Hanafin Corporation were selected as a successful Corporate / MBE partnership in May 2013 by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) at its Annual Business Leadership Awards in New York City. Arnold-Hanafin opened its Panama City Low Cost Engineering Design Center demonstrating innovation on Feb. 1, 2011.

• Belcan Corporation, engineering services provider headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, has been at the UTC Supplier Gold level since December 2008.

• BJG Electronics, Inc. is a Certified Women Owned Small Business specializing in the distribution and assembly of electro-mechanical products, and the manufacture of subminiature RF Connectors. Located in Ronkonkoma, NY, BJG has been at the UTC Supplier Gold level since September 2010.

• Ducommun LaBarge Technologies (DLT), a cable and harness manufacturer in Joplin, MO, achieved Gold status in May 2010. DLT's Berryville, AR, facility, which also manufactures cable and harnesses, achieved Gold status in December 2013, while DLT's Huntsville, AR, facility, an overhead electrical cockpit panel manufacturer, also achieved Gold status in December 2013.

• Exotic Metals from Kent, Wash., is a top sheet metal supplier that received the UTC Supplier Gold award in September 2007.

• Faison Office Products, Inc., a full service minority-owned office products supplier, providing a full range of business products to corporations all over North America, is headquartered in Aurora, CO, and has been a UTC Supplier Gold award winner since November 2008.

• HW Farren, a leader in industrial transportation, rigging, plant relocations and logistics consulting, located in Randolph, NJ, was awarded Supplier Gold in May 2011.

• Cyient Inc. (formerly Infotech Enterprises America), an engineering, data analytics and networks solutions provider with U.S. headquarters in East Hartford, CT, was awarded Supplier Gold in December 2008.

• Labinal Power Systems, of Denton, TX, a designer, manufacturer and installer of wire harnesses for the aerospace and defense industries, achieved UTC Supplier Gold in October 2010 and is continuing to achieve such standards in 2015.

• TEK Precision based in Deer Park, NY, was the first Sikorsky-sponsored UTC Supplier Gold manufacturer, having earned that status in 2008.

• Titanium Metals Corporation (TIMET), a producing mill located in Toronto, OH, was awarded Gold in November 2012.

Gold is the highest level of quality service under UTC's Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) operating system, ranking above Silver, Bronze and Qualifying.

John Henry Palumbo, Senior Vice President, Operations; Janet Duffey, Vice President, Supply Management; and Mark Miller, Vice President, Research and Engineering for Sikorsky, presented the awards and reiterated throughout the event that suppliers are a critical component to Sikorsky's product life cycle. Duffey highlighted several suppliers that distinguished themselves in meeting the high standards for delivery and quality and went above and beyond to fulfill the needs of Sikorsky customers over the past year.

Sikorsky acknowledges the efforts these suppliers provide to deliver high quality products in the required timeframe. These partnerships underscore that through successful collaboration, new standards can be achieved in meeting customers' needs.