Charles S. “Sid” Ellis is the recipient of the 2012 Robert B. Hurley Distinguished Service Award from ISEA.

Ellis was honored at the ISEA Fall Meeting for a career-long focus on taking care of people.  In the words of the award citation, “he was the manager and executive who made sure that the people employed in manufacturing plants around the world were able to work in safe environments and use safe practices.  He made sure that the people who carried and wore the protective equipment that was designed, built and sold under his leadership were getting products made to the highest standards of quality.  He guided this association to growth in a slowing economy.” 

Sid Ellis was president of North Safety Products from 2001 until his retirement in 2010.  He served as a member of the Board, vice chairman and chairman of ISEA, and was also elected to the Board of the National Safety Council.

ISEA noted that Ellis, as an executive at Westinghouse Electric, Elastimold and Thomas and Betts Corporation as well as North Safety, was the “safety leader in the corner office,” recognizing the connection between the success of a business and its commitment to protecting its workers. 

At ISEA, he directed the strategic planning process to ensure the association was looking to the future and growing during a time of economic uncertainty and industry consolidation.  He helped guide ISEA’s first steps into China, making sure his company’s managers in that country were accessible to association staff to help them understand emerging product standards and regulations in a unique market.

In recognition of his contributions to safety and health beyond the manufacture of equipment, he was named to the Board of Directors of the National Safety Council.

When North Safety Products became Honeywell’s entry point to the PPE business, Sid Ellis was retained as the company’s contact point with the association and the industry, serving two terms as ISEA chairman. While Sid retired from the Board in 2010, he was unanimously approved as an honorary lifetime member of ISEA.

ISEA’s Distinguished Service Award is presented each year in memory of Robert B. Hurley, president of Fendall, Inc., who died in 2002.  It honors an individual who, by a single action or the work of a lifetime, has made a significant and lasting contribution to the health and safety of workers.

About ISEA

Arlington, Va.-based International Safety Equipment Association is the leading trade association for manufacturers of safety and personal protective equipment.  Established in 1933, ISEA supports its nearly 80 member companies in manufacturing and marketing the highest-quality products to protect the safety and health of people who may be exposed to hazardous and potentially harmful environments while working on the job or at home.