Curtiss-Wright and partners Arrowhead, Zebra, and Xemelgo earned 2025 Manufacturing Leadership Awards recognition for cutting WIP 90% and streamlining production with RFID.
On June 18, 2025, leaders from across the manufacturing industry gathered in Marco Island, Florida, for the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s annual Awards Gala, hosted by the National Association of Manufacturers. The event honored the people, companies, and partnerships that are moving manufacturing forward through innovation, teamwork, and digital transformation.
Curtiss-Wright was recognized as a finalist in the Operational Excellence category for its RFID-driven digital transformation. Facing challenges such as limited real-time visibility into WIP, a complex product mix, and reliance on manual processes, Curtiss-Wright sought to enhance their operational efficiency.
By combining Zebra’s RFID hardware, Xemelgo’s cloud-based software, and Arrowhead Corp’ integration expertise, Curtiss-Wright reduced order processing times from seven days to just 24 hours and cut WIP inventory by 90%. The result: faster production, fewer errors, significant inventory savings, and empowered employees with real-time insights.
This recognition highlights Curtiss-Wright’s commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
Learn more about Curtiss-Wright's success with RFID.
Xemelgo was proud to receive the Partners in Collaborative Innovation award alongside Zebra Technologies and Arrowhead Corp for their work supporting the team at Curtiss-Wright to improve their manufacturing operations through connected technology.
Together, the teams deployed an end-to-end RFID solution that gives Curtiss-Wright real-time production visibility and traceability. The solution combined Zebra’s RFID hardware with Xemelgo’s cloud-based software, brought to life by Arrowhead Corp, whose team led the design, deployment, and support from start to finish. Their team’s practical experience and deep understanding of the space ensured a seamless transformation.
A special shoutout to Brent Grandil, President of Arrowhead Corp, whose leadership helped make this project a success. This collaboration is a clear example of what can happen when the right people and tools come together to solve real problems in manufacturing.
Xemelgo’s Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Akhila Tadinada, was named a finalist in the Women in Digital Transformation category. With over ten years of experience working in IoT and cloud technologies, Akhila has built tools that connect the physical and digital sides of manufacturing. Prior to starting Xemelgo, she held senior roles at Hitachi.
Akhila’s vision has been key to creating user-friendly, scalable solutions that help manufacturers work smarter. This recognition honors her dedication to helping teams adopt smart factory technologies that boost productivity and focus on the people behind the operations.
These awards are more than recognition, they’re a celebration of what manufacturers and their partners can accomplish together. From Zebra Technologies' reliable hardware to Arrowhead Systems' deployment expertise and Curtiss-Wright's vision for operational excellence, it’s clear that success happens when the right people and tools come together.
Congratulations to all the winners, finalists, and the entire manufacturing community pushing the industry forward.
See the full list of winners and finalists from the 2025 Manufacturing Leadership Awards.
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