Walker Manufacturing Company earns Colorado manufacturer award

In early May, Walker Manufacturing Company of Fort Collins, Colorado, was recognized as the Industrial & Equipment Manufacturer of the Year at the eighth annual Colorado Manufacturing Awards.

This ceremony celebrates outstanding companies in four broad industry categories: Industrial & Equipment, Technology, Consumer, and Craft Food & Beverage manufacturing. Finalists and winners in 2023 were selected for operational excellence including manufacturing prowess, product and market success, workforce engagement, and community support. 

Walker Manufacturing Company Chairman Bob Walker was on hand to receive the award and affirmed the company’s position of being a Colorado manufacturer.

“We have people who ask us why we don’t move to the Midwest where many of our competitors are located,” Walker says. “We don’t want to be somewhere else; we want to be here in Colorado."

At the awards, Walker also discussed the ancillary business that is brought to the state that includes trucking and other products and services used by Walker Manufacturing.

“The Industrial & Equipment Manufacturing category may have been the most competitive category in this year’s CMAs. Judges had all six finalists winning at one point or another in the deliberations. Walker Manufacturing’s sustained success and vital role in the Northern Colorado economy were key factors in helping them win Manufacturer of the Year,” says Bart Taylor, founder of CompanyWeek, the event host.

Walker Manufacturing builds the Walker Mower in a 216,000 square-foot facility on a 60-acre property east of Fort Collins. The third generation, family owned and operated company has been in business since 1957 and was founded by Max and Margaret Walker. 

“When my parents moved to Colorado in the mid-70’s, they put down roots that have helped us to come to know wonderful people; just like all of you,” Bob Walker says. “We are thankful for the place where we live and work — we love living in Colorado.”