The national engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi, has named four recipients of its 2017 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Charles Sukup, president of Sukup Manufacturing Co., headquartered at Sheffield in northern Iowa, is one of the four winners.

“Selection of these four eminent engineers as distinguished alumni recognizes their lifetime achievements and commitment to engineering education,” says Dylan Lane, spokesman for Tau Beta Pi. “Each has played a role in developing young minds, inspiring the next generation of engineers and contributing to the advancement of the engineering profession.”

KUDOS: Charles Sukup has made substantial philanthropic contributions at local and international levels.

Sukup earned his bachelor and master degrees in ag engineering from Iowa State University. He became president of the family-owned business in 1995. Since then, Sukup Manufacturing has added portable grain dryers, grain bins for farm and commercial storage, and pre-engineered steel buildings to the product line it designs and builds. The company has grown 10 times its size in 1995.

Contributions locally, internationally
Sukup has made substantial philanthropic contributions at local and international levels. Charles is interested in the world’s food supply and has made several trips to Africa, most recently for the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) conference on global food security. His nomination states, “Sukup Safe-T-Homes in Haiti have become globally known for providing safe and secure shelter during natural disasters.”

Sukup has received numerous awards, most notably the 2016 Cyrus Hall McCormick Jerome Increase Case Gold Medal award from the ASABE and the 2013 Engineer of the Year award by the Iowa chapter of ASABE.

Sukup is a supporter of programs at Iowa State University. He contributed to the ISU Music Department for the Charles and Mary Sukup Endowed Artist in Organ position. The Sukup family also made a leadership gift toward the recent construction of Sukup Hall at ISU for the research and teaching facility in the ag and biosystems engineering department.

“A respected engineer and business leader, Charles demonstrates his commitment to creating a better world by designing and producing products that increase the global food supply,” says Lane. “He gives back by participating in a variety of civic activities.”

For information about Sukup Manufacturing and its products, visit sukup.com.

Source: Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society