WHAT are THE SPARK AWARDS?

​In 1902, Aurora-based manufacturers sparked a conversation with other industrialists looking to address issues important to business owners and operators.  That SPARK ignited the creation of what we now know as Valley Industrial Association.

Spark Awards celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of member companies in six areas: Culture, Innovation, Operational Excellence, Safety, Social Responsibility and Workforce Development.  These achievements are measured by our Benchmarking for Excellence Survey tool available at viaspark.org.    

There is an Annual Charge for Member Companies to access the survey tool of $150 per company,  members receive a Special Early Bird rate of $100, until 12/31/2024.

New Members and first time member benchmarkers will be able to access the survey at  no charge.              

Login to Benchmarking Survey Tool

Benchmarking for Excellence Survey serves two purposes ​

1. ​Each set of criteria shows Best Practices*. Companies can evaluate where improvement could be initiated.  It is both a benchmarking tool and a road map. Benchmark your company throughout the year utilizing this tool.  Share your path to excellence with your team and revisit your survey as often as necessary. 
2. ​The Benchmarking Survey becomes the Application for our annual Spark Awards once the application period is open and you have completed the Self-Assessment.  Applying for Spark Award recognition is optional.  Your company's results will remain private unless you are a finalist and have applied for the Spark Award.  The results of the surveys are compiled and we utilize the data to focus on the critical areas for our Excellence Forums throughout the next year.

*Best Practices are determined by our Benchmarking for Excellence Committee of peers and subject-matter-experts within our VIA community. 

OVERALL Results Report 
​Any VIA member company, who completes the survey for ​all six categories will receive a comparative report of their results similar to what is shown below. ​