Rich Sarver, President of Paramount Die, was the 2016 recipient of the Max Moore Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. He accepted the award from Kathleen Moore, Vice President of Oklahoma Steel & Wire, representing the Moore family.
Like many AWPA members, Richard Sarver leads a family business. Founded in 1968, Paramount Die, long known as an industry innovator, supplies the global wire market and is a leading company in their product sector. Over 70% of ferrous wire companies use this their products, which are widely regarded as industry standards. The company continues to reinvent its manufacturing processes and has introduced automation and ‘lights out’ capability to nearly every production process. If you have the opportunity to visit the production facility, you will be quickly impressed by the ingenuity and level of automation at work.
Under his leadership, his company has constantly reinvested in equipment, facilities and people. The company is known in the industry for innovation. The company culture always finds a new way to improve products and operations. Rich exudes a can-do attitude about the challenges of today and the possibilities for greater success. When faced with a challenge, the solution begins with a team. He knows he operates in a global marketplace and has invited customers from all over the world to be guests in his city. He continues to grow the company one-step at a time, with a passion for improvement and boundless energy.
He has an amazing enthusiasm for growing the AWPA membership. His leadership role in this area led the nominating committee to propose an unprecedented third term on the AWPA Board of Directors. In addition, he served for many years, on the Operations Steering Committee, and opened his facility to be toured by plant managers of AWPA companies.
Rich Sarver is also active in his community. His company invites the young people of the Boys and Girls Club of Hartford County to tour their facility and meet with key leaders within the organization. In addition, he is a contributor to the Kennedy Kreiger Institute and the Baltimore School for the Arts. Kennedy Kreiger is an internationally recognized institution, dedicated to improving the lives of children and young adults with pediatric developmental disabilities and disorders of the brain, spinal cord and musculoskeletal system, through patient care, special education, research, and professional training. Founded in 1980, the Baltimore School for the Arts is a four-year high school with a unique mission: to provide young people who aspire to a career in the arts with intensive, pre-professional training in the arts combined with a rigorous, college preparatory curriculum.