Another month has come and gone. Little did I ever believe it when my Dad told me that life would one day seem to fly by. Well, let me assure you it is flying by and I bet I am not alone in the feeling. That said, the question then becomes for us; “how is the flight?”
Personally and professionally, I can say my view is good, the flight is mostly smooth with a few pockets of turbulence, and I have had to re-chart the course around a few storms. How about you? Have you taken assessment of your life flying by? Each of us must check the control panels of our lives and companies to make sure we are on course or if we need to make some adjustments.
This past month I had the pleasure to attend the Kansas City/St Louis Chapter’s joint conference in Branson, MO. It was over the top. What a wonderful group, wonderful facilities, great industry partners support, NTMA’s Congressional friend Billy Long from Missouri, and of course a great keynote speaker (yours truly). They put on a great program for their members and I was just thrilled to be included in the event. It is this type networking and industry values that makes your NTMA membership worthwhile. Your participation in your own local Chapter is just the beginning of what NTMA can bring to you and your business.
The Executive Team also had the pleasure of holding our Budget and Strategic Meeting at Dave and Doris Dysinger’s Lake House in LaFollette, TN. This was one of last year’s auction items at the Fall Conference in Colorado Springs that the Executive Team pooled our monies to purchase. I would like to keep it a secret, but I cannot. Honestly you cannot bid enough for this outstanding opportunity and there are not enough words to express our appreciation to the Dysingers for such a donation.
It is an amazing home on beautiful Lake Norris and just a great place to relax with family and friends. On that note, I would like to THANK all those that donate such great items towards our conference auctions to raise monies for NTMA and our industry. We will again have an auction at our Nashville Conference in October. Let me encourage each of you to donate towards the upcoming auction and more importantly come to the conference with a generous $$$ spirit. This year’s auction proceeds will go to the NTMA Foundation which supplies grants to worthy NTMA programs supporting our industry.
My travels again took me to a major machine tool Industry Partner’s headquarters to discuss how we work together for the good of all. From the President to other top managers their commitment to our industry and especially NTMA members was and is incredible. Their desire to support our focus on “Competitiveness” is understood and they are ready for the challenge.
To each of our National Associates and Industry Partners I say THANK YOU! For our NTMA Members I say reach out to them. They are ready, willing, and able to help us and provide great service. As many of us begin to focus on the upcoming IMTS Show in Chicago, let me encourage each of you to make yourself aware of our national associates and industry partners and engage them at the IMTS Show. Introduce yourself as an NTMA member and share your needs, ideas, and concerns; they need and want your input. Their time is limited at such a show; however, I can assure you that they will follow-up with you. As Dave Tilstone so often says about our national associates; “They Get It”. They do get it and completely support this year’s NTMA theme of “Transforming for Competitiveness”.
I was again reminded this month during our NTMA Insurance Meeting held in Toronto, Canada that we/NTMA now have an insurance product that is competitive, inclusive, and worthy of one’s consideration. For those in the aerospace business, the aero writer on the insurance at no additional cost has been a major savings to many. For other members the competitiveness of the product alone has been worth the change.
As a reminder we have now gone to a Sponsored Program with AIX with no future liabilities to NTMA as an organization and yet pay NTMA royalties. Many of you have similar programs within your chapters with other carriers. It is our desire that the NTMA Sponsored Program would grow to help funding our local Chapters. All we ask is that you give them an opportunity to quote your business. The other worthy part of the program is you can keep your long trusted insurance person if so desired.
We did kick off our Fast Friday’s Webinar Series this month with Joe Knight speaking on Financial Intelligence and what the numbers really mean. Joe is one of our Fall Conference speakers and his webinar was just a precursor of what’s to come in Nashville. Our upcoming webinars will be standalone subjects/issues and not tied to a conference follow-up series.
I do encourage each of you to participate in these members only, value added, “free” webinars. This is an opportunity to get others in your organizations connected to such valuable information maximizing your NTMA membership. Our webinar focus is to target industry specific subjects on; finances, people, technology, and growth. These are all focused on helping you and those in your company to be more efficient and competitive.
I cannot be more proud of the position that NTMA is in for the future. I had the privilege to host Emily Lipovan, Executive Director of our shared services group, in our shop last week. Her vision and leadership for our organization coupled with Dave Tilstone makes for a fantastic future. Emily has assembled a tremendous staff and they are working diligently for each of us as members.
Last month’s Record listed out our staff and their respective responsibilities and I encourage you to get to know them. (See chart inside this issue of the Record) They are there, and desire to serve us, the members. They are presently moving into our new NTMA Offices in Cleveland and by the time this article is read we will be moved and operating. Top that off with a clear and single focus on NTMA, we have exciting times ahead.
Your connection to what is available to you, and your connection to what is to come to you from NTMA is via our line of communication through our website, the Record, our on-line E-Trends Newsletter, and special mailings and email notices. Let me assure you it is worth your time to keep abreast of what is there.
Great things are happening and great things are coming as we manufacturers work together for the good of all. NTMA is that rallying point and as I continue to say; it is a “New DAY at NTMA”. Join with me as we open the doors into the manufacturing world of tomorrow. My commitment to each of you remains “Transforming for Competitiveness”. Hope to see you in Nashville. Blessings to you all.
