Our industry recovered from the 2008 recession quickly, and it appears that our growth will continue into 2012. Even so, much of the non-manufacturing economy is growing slowly at best. One look at the nightly news will confirm that we are not out of the woods, not by a long shot. The international financial situation, our challenging political situation in the United States, and the technical changes within the industry all affect how you conduct your business in 2012 and impact how and when you make critical decisions.
In March more than 250 of the current and future industry leaders from the American Gear Manufacturers Association and American Bearing Manufacturers Association will meet to discuss the issues affecting manufacturing at the 2012 Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held March 15-17 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa in Bonita Springs, Florida. The planning committee has created a meeting experience that is sure to prepare you and your businesses for the coming year. In addition to the educational sessions, it will be a great time to engage in dialogue with your peers and keep the industry progressing on the post-recession road. The speaker lineup for the meeting is top notch. They represent topics you need to know about and don’t want to miss. You’ll find details on the following pages, but the speakers include:
• Charlie Cook, the popular political analyst
• Jim Meil, vice president and chief economist at Eaton Corporation
• Demographer and futurist Ken Gronbach
• Manufacturing specialist Steve Barnhart
• Comedian and author Connie Podesta
The AGMA/ABMA Annual Meeting is a significant networking event, filled with opportunities that allow you, the decision maker, to connect with peers and discuss current issues that affect your companies, your customers, and your supply chain. The networking is all about business, but it is also about sharing the company of your colleagues in the classroom, during the golf tournament, and the evening’s special events.
The special events for 2012 include the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day on March 16. We will present an “Irish Eyes are Smiling Evening” highlighting traditional pub food, singing, and music straight from Ireland. On Saturday night the closing dinner will be followed with entertainment by the Capitol Steps, a comedic troupe direct from the power seat of Washington, DC. They will perform “R” rated satire and poke fun at politicians, this political system, international relations, and everyday life. They perform quips and parodies that never go out of fashion. It seems there is no end to the faux pax or scandals that keep this material funny and fresh. This group will have you rolling in the aisles and provide a truly unforgettable experience.
The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa promises to be a comfortable and convenient setting for peer-to-peer interaction. This four star resort was recently named as one of Travel + Leisure magazine’s 500 best hotels. It is located on 26 acres on Estero Bay on the Gulf Coast of Florida, only 30 minutes from the Ft. Myers Airport. The resort has copious activities for you and your families, including a water taxi to their private beach where you can search for sharks’ teeth, collect shells, or view the pristine aquatic preserves and watch the animals in their native habitat.
Further information about the joint meeting—including registration, hotel reservations, agenda, and program updates—is located on the subsequent pages or online at www.agma.org. I look forward to seeing you in Florida and showing you how this experience can impact you personally as an industry leader and your company as you plan for the future. This is a can’t miss event in a perfect setting, accompanied with interesting colleagues, great food, and golf, all wrapped up into a memorable three-day opportunity.
Regards:
Madelaine Morgan, CMP
Director of Meetings
American Gear Manufacturing Association
(703) 684-0211
morgan@agma.org
www.agma.org
Facing Our Futures
Join AGMA and ABMA for a packed agenda and a little bit of fun in one of America’s top resort destinations at this year’s Annual Meeting. This event brings together CEOs and leaders from the gearing and bearing industry. Over the course of two and a half days, attendees have many opportunities to network with colleagues both at educational presentations and during social activities. The presentations are timely and highlight the current business environment. Plus, Friday night will bring out the Irish in all of us for St. Patrick’s Day, and on Saturday night the always funny Capitol Steps will put the “mock” back in democracy. Featured presentations include:
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Stand Out from the Crowd: How to Out-Think and Out-Perform the Competition
Connie Podesta, Motivational Speaker, Author, Executive Coach and Industry Expert
In today’s world, there is no such thing as “business as usual.” The game has changed, and the competition is closing in with new strategies. If you want to stand out and succeed in an environment where dramatic change happens at the click of a mouse, then you will have to out-shine past performance, out-think old ideas, and outmaneuver anyone who says it “can’t be done.” You will need to close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. Join Podesta, whose message of humor and motivation will inspire you to make those personal changes that will put you on the road to success, health, and happiness.
Friday, March 16, 2012
How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Storm
Kenneth W. Gronbach, President of KGC Direct, LLC
Join author and expert demographer Gronbach on an exciting journey into the fascinating world of shifting demographics. His views are counter-intuitive, global, long term and very macro. He is able to forecast societal, political and economic changes with uncanny accuracy. Gronbach is forecasting that manufacturing will return to our continent with a vengeance. He will show why changing demography bodes well for the United States and the Americas and why the best days for the United States are ahead of us, not behind us.
Successful Business Growth; Five Guiding Principles
Steve Barnhart, Manufacturing Specialist of IMEC (Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center)
This presentation will focus on how to grow your business by entering new markets and expanding your existing markets or products. Barnhart will focus on the key operational issues to promote success including how to evaluate your company’s readiness for growth through market or product diversification. Armed with the Five Principles from this presentation, you will be able to assess your company’s opportunity for growth; where, when, and how that should occur; and what it takes to complete it. Following this presentation a panel of our industry colleagues will present first-hand accounts of their successes and challenges with new business ventures. Panelists include:
• Rock Baty, President and CEO, NN Inc., Johnson City, TN
• Eduardo Garza Junco, chief Executive Officer, Frisa Industries, Monterry, Mexico
• Dennis Racine, President and General Manager, Penn Machine Company, Johnstown, PA
Friday, March 16, 2012
Fork in the Road–Growing or Slowing?
Jim Meil, Vice President and Chief Economist, Eaton Corporation
Will the Euro currency crisis be the catalyst for catastrophe or is it a problem with a solution? Will the momentum of North American markets be maintained, or muddled up in a Washington morass? What about China’s bubble or the trouble in Brazil? Will Obama and Boehner fumble and/or Merkel and Sarkozy stumble? Most important of all, will North American and global manufacturing be headed up or down in 2012 and beyond? Meil as he addresses the global economic business concerns that keep us up at night. He has been invited back to offer his keen economic analysis, always on point and relevant. He has that unique perspective from within manufacturing and keen knowledge of what impacts our sector of the economy.
Political Outlook for November, 2012
Charlie Cook, Editor and Publisher, Cook Political Report
Cook is another returning favorite to the AGMA/ABMA meeting. He will have his pulse completely focused on the 2012 presidential election and other key races. By March, 2012 the frontrunner Republican candidates will have changed several times, the battle lines will be formed; and the race will be in full swing. No one can deny the fact that the 2012 election will be truly historic. When Cook makes a pronouncement based on his analysis of the political scene in America, people who want to be “in the know” sit up and listen. For more than two decades he has been Washington’s most trusted—and most accurate—voice on all things political, whether it’s the outcome of a Congressional, gubernatorial, or presidential election. Cook’s expertise has been featured on the ABC, CBS, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Nightline, Meet the Press, and This Week. He founded the Cook Political Report in 1984 and became a twice-weekly columnist for Roll Call, Capitol Hill’s premier newspaper, before joining the National Journal Group in 1988. He has also been an election night analyst for CNN and CBS News and for every presidential election since 1994 for NBC News.
In addition to hearing world-class speakers, Annual Meeting participants will get to take advantage of networking opportunities in an impressive setting at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa. The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa is located on 26 acres of the Estero Bay and Aquatic Preserve on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Recently the resort was named one of Travel + Leisure magazine’s 500 best hotels. The State of Florida has presented the resort with Florida Green Lodging’s Three Palm eco-friendly certification.
This pristine area offers limitless recreation options, including fishing, kayak rental and a water taxi to Big Hickory Island Beach, the resort’s private beach area, just 15 minutes from the hotel. The more adventurous types can pack a picnic, rent a kayak and cruise the Bay where you can take a chance that the dolphins and manatees will be active. You may also view osprey, eagles, and herons as well as several species of sea turtles in their natural habitat. You could collect shells at the private beach, or just soak up the sunshine and explore the white sandy beaches.
The land lovers can “veg out” at the one of the four pools at the resort, or plunge down the 140-foot water slide. Save enough time to pamper yourself with a treatment or two at the award-winning Stillwater Spa. Their tranquil environment provides the perfect backdrop for a multitude of services—everything from a full body massage to a short touch up at the salon.
There are six restaurants at Coconut Point, including Tanglewood, winner of AAA Four Diamond Award. Enjoy some of the local fare, including fabulous ceviche and local fresh fish caught just a short distance from the resort. To find out more about the Annual Meeting or to register visit www.agma.org.
