CW Top Shops
► Take the 2026 CW Top Shops survey now through March 31.◄ CW Top Shops is a survey-based benchmarking program conducted by CompositesWorld and GROW Industrial Intelligence. It is designed to help composites fabricators identify optimal practices — and improve business operations and procedures. Respondents receive a personalized report indicating how they compare to other responding companies. Facilities that perform the highest across the survey metrics earn the prestigious distinction as a CW Top Shop.
Latest CW Top Shops Articles
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2026 Top Shops Deadline Extended Until April 10
“How does my business compare to other, similar businesses?” Find out by completing this year’s CW Top Shops survey before April 10th.
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Submit to CW Top Shops 2026 before March 31
Don’t miss the window of opportunity to gain insights into how your finishing operations stack up against the competition.
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From industrial filament winding to OOA defense and aerospace composites
Evolving from its origins in filament-wound oil and gas parts manufacturing, Nammo Composite Solutions’ operations today focus on process optimization, training to meet defense and aerospace ramp-ups.
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CW Top Shops 2026 is live — take the survey!
Gain a better understanding of your company’s key performance metrics and how you measure against others in the composites industry. The survey will remain open through March 31, 2026.
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CompositesWorld’s 2026 Top Shops Benchmarking Survey Closes April 10
Join hundreds of participating composites fabricators for actionable industry insights that will improve your business.
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Top Shops Benchmarking Survey FAQs
CompositeWorld’s Top Shops Benchmarking Survey is gearing up for 2026. GROW Industrial Intelligence, the research arm of Gardner Business Media, offers some insights for taking the survey and interpreting the results.
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Latest CW Top Shops News And Updates
Introducing GROW Industrial: A full-funnel marketing solutions provider
GROW Industrial is the newly formed marketing services arm of Gardner Business Media. Offering custom content, marketing, creative, research and data services, GROW Industrial expands and builds on the company’s deep first-party reach into the discrete parts manufacturing sector.
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CompositesWorld announces 2025 CW Top Shops honorees
CW recognizes high-performing fabricators who participated in the 2025 benchmarking survey program, and highlights findings in this year’s data.
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CompositesWorld reveals 2024 Top Shops benchmarking survey results
CW recognizes the qualifying composites fabricators in its 2024 Top Shops program and highlights some of the survey's general findings.
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Drive your manufacturing operations forward with CW Top Shops
Rarely do we imagine our survey participation makes any long-term impact. I’m here to tell you that is does.
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Featured Posts
Fall events chart the course for composites
A busy fall brings industry-leading events and recognition for operations setting new benchmarks for excellence.
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Bucci Composites expands automotive production capabilities with facility addition, new high-ton presses
CW Top Shops recipient Bucci Composites shares an update on its facility expansion, automotive composites applications, sustainability, education initiatives and more.
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From prototypes to performance: Composites company makes inroads into new markets
Top Shops 2024 honoree Calian’s composites division blends R&D, rapid prototyping and scalable production with deep engineering integration and corporate synergy.
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Beyond filament winding: Fabricator expands into sensor technology, hydrogen tanks and more
CW Top Shops 2024 honoree B&T Composites’ story includes diversification into new markets and technologies like photonics-based structural health monitoring, aerospace and hydrogen tanks.
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Watersports manufacturer diversifies into new markets, processes
CW Top Shops honoree Cobra International reflects on its growth over 45+ years, as well as current work expanding its automotive and UAV capabilities, increasing energy efficiency and new SMC production lines.
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Defense manufacturer reflects on growth, opportunity in complex composite structures
Long Island-based, four-time CW Top Shops honoree GSE Dynamics cites diversification in processes, digitalization, workforce training and more on its successes over 50+ years, and looks ahead to future growth.
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FAQ: CW Top Shops
What is CW Top Shops?
CW Top Shops is a survey-based benchmarking program conducted by CompositesWorld and GROW Industrial Intelligence.
It's an annual program launched in 2015 that allows composites fabricators to benchmark their performance against peers, gaining insights into operations, technology, and more.
What is GROW Industrial Intelligence?
GROW Industrial Intelligence is the research arm of Gardner Business Media, the premier publisher for the heart of manufacturing in North America since 1928.
My business has several locations. Do I answer one Top Shops survey for all of them combined, or complete separate surveys for each location?
Answer according to how you keep your books. If metrics like profit margin and sales revenue are combined across locations for managing the business, that is how you’ll want to submit your answers. If, on the other hand, the books are kept, and only kept, by location, you should complete separate surveys for each.
When does the Top Shops 2026 survey open and close?
The survey opens on February 1, 2026, and closes on March 31, 2026. Early participation is recommended to ensure timely data processing.
How do I participate?
Visit the official survey page starting February 1. It's free and takes about 30-60 minutes to complete, depending on your operation's size.
What kind of report will I receive?
New for 2026: An interactive online dashboard with tailored insights on your strengths, opportunities, and comparisons to industry benchmarks. No more static PDFs!
How are Top Shops selected?
Shops are scored based on key metrics across categories like operations and technology. Those meeting or exceeding benchmarks earn the designation and are featured in CW magazine.
What if my company is new to composites? Can we still participate?
Absolutely! The survey is open to all composites businesses, from startups to established players. It's a great way to baseline your performance and identify growth areas.
How does Top Shops differ from other industry surveys?
Unlike generic reports, Top Shops provides actionable, personalized data and public recognition.
Is my data confidential?
Yes, all responses are anonymized and aggregated. Individual data is never shared without permission.
