Columbus, Ohio-based MRO distributor Kimball Midwest was recognized earlier this month as a recipient of Training Magazine’s 2023 Training APEX Award. The company was among 105 recipients of the award, according to a news release.

Kimball Midwest ranked as the No. 11 Fastener Distributor, No. 17 MRO Industrial Distributor and No. 37 Industrial Distributor on MDM’s 2022 Top Distributors list.

“We consistently focus on long-term vision, not short-term thinking,” Kimball Midwest Director of Sales Development Kate Callison said in the release. “Part of that focus on the future is our dedication to training: We make sure our associates have the knowledge and skills they need to get the job done every day.”

The APEX Awards ranking is based on benchmarking statistics and a range of qualitative and quantitative factors, the release said, including total training budget; percentage of payroll; scope of training programs provided; detailed formal and informal training programs; and business outcomes resulting from training.

“The passion for learning and development burns brightly in the 2023 Training APEX Awards organizations,” Lorri Freifeld, editor and publisher of Training Magazine, said in the release. “We salute these best-in-class organizations for their ability to consistently and agilely deliver stellar training in an ever-changing world while providing a culture that allows their people to grow and thrive at work.”