The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) has selected Greg Morris, CTO of Zeda to receive the AMUG 2024 Innovators Award.
The award recognizes individuals who have made novel contributions to the additive manufacturing sector, driving advancements in the industry. Morris will receive this accolade during the AMUG 2024 Conference, shortly after his participation in the Innovators Showcase.
Previous recipients include Chuck Hull, Scott Crump, Carl Deckard, Fried Vancraen, Gideon Levy, Hans Langer, Andy Christensen, and Diana Kalisz.
Shannon VanDeren, AMUG’s President, said, “Greg is continually in a mode of coaching. He genuinely wants to see not only the industry grow but also the individuals working within it. He is willing to share within our industry to create more thought-provoking processes and successful results.”
Why Greg Morris?
Morris has been actively involved in additive manufacturing for three decades, particularly in the field of additive metals, which contributed to his award recognition. He played a significant role in advancing this technology and sharing his knowledge within the additive manufacturing community.
Before his venture into additive manufacturing, Morris worked in his family’s steel distribution business. In 1994, he co-founded (MTI) with his brother Wendell and mutual friend Bill Noack. Initially, MTI specialized in polymer additive manufacturing for prototypes and low-volume use. However, by 2003, they expanded into additive metals, debuting North America’s first metal machine. MTI became known for metal work and development, establishing Rapid Quality Manufacturing (RQM) for metal production, and investing in MicroTek Finishing for post-processing.
In 2012, GE acquired MTI and RQM, appointing Morris as the leader of additive technologies at GE Aviation. By 2016, GE formed GE Additive, where Morris advised on additive strategies. In 2018, Morris retired but remained active. During retirement, he co-founded Vertex Manufacturing, focusing on advanced manufacturing. Morris served as CEO and investor. Vertex Manufacturing was later acquired by PrinterPrezz, a medical device startup, now operating as Zeda, Inc.
Morris said, “I am honored and humbled to accept the AMUG Innovators Award. As most everyone would agree, there are usually many people that team together in any endeavor to create success. I am certainly in that category and gratefully accept this award on behalf of all the talented and creative colleagues I have had the fortune to work with who have been equal contributors in advancing these technologies.”
The AMUG 2024 Conference
The next AMUG Conference will be held between March 10-14, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. The 2024 AMUG Conference will focus on networking and collaboration, incorporating feedback-driven improvements. Changes involve improving the AMUGexpo, infusing more technical content into sessions, and refining sponsor and exhibitor programs. From March 10 to March 12, the AMUGexpo will host over 140 companies. The conference offers keynotes, panels, educational sessions, and hands-on workshops to advance additive manufacturing solutions, with a particular emphasis on hands-on workshops during the final day.
On March 13, Morris will take to the stage for his Innovators Showcase, a casual and conversational interview where he’ll answer questions from conference attendees. Hosted in a unique format, it encourages an intimate conversation between Morris and the host, providing attendees with insights from Morris’s experiences.
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Featured image shows Greg Morris, CTO of Zeda Inc., selected for AMUG 2024 Innovators Award. Photo via AMUG.
