2024 Annual Meeting
148 AWPA members, spouses and guests met in Los Cabos, Mexico to enjoy the sun, heat and the ocean breezes, not to mention the latest on the steel wire industry.
- View from Washington – Dana Wood
- Trade Law 101 – Kim Young
- Trade Law 101 – Milton Magnus
2023 Government Affairs Conference
94 people attended the 2023 Government Affairs Conference to get updates on the current economy, trade, politics, and workforce challenges. A large group also returned to Capitol Hill to advocate for the wire industry.
- Economic Outlook – Connor Lokar, ITR Economics (This presentation is only available to attendees of the conference.)
- Solutions for the Manufacturing Workforce Challenges of Today and Tomorrow –Keith Smith and Anjana Radhakrishnan, Manufacturing Institute
2023 Annual Meeting
175 AWPA members, spouses and guests met in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the Vinoy Resort and Golf Club. Members heard from representatives from Congress and the Department of Commerce, got the latest on the rod market and the economy, and heard from equipment suppliers as well.
Please note: Some presentations are not available online. Dawn Shackleford’s presentation was off the record, and John Manzella’s presentation was only available to attendees. If you have questions, please contact the AWPA Office.
2022 Operations Managers Meeting
Wire Plant Managers met in Tulsa Oklahoma in October for the first time in 3 years. They toured the Leggett & Platt wire facility in Carthage, MO. Presentation on workforce development, safety technology and the latest from OSHA gave everyone a lot to think about.
- Workforce Solutions: Scott Fry and Dr. Marcie Mack, Mid America Industrial Park
- Safety Technology – Using Existing Software to Implement a Safety Program: Nick Kruse and Joe Metcalf, Leggett & Platt
- The latest from Aztech Lubricants – Michael Colvin, Aztech Lubricants
- OSHA Update: Reginald Whitaker, CSP, Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company
2022 Government Affairs Conference
96 people attended the 2022 Government Affairs Conference to get updates on trade, politics, and supply chain challenges. After 3 years off, a large group also met again with representatives on Capitol Hill.
- Economic Outlook, Connor Lokar, ITR Economics (This presentation is only available to attendees of the conference.)
- Supply Chain Update, Jeffrey Weiss, Steptoe
- Political Update, Jim Ellis, BIPAC
2022 Annual Meeting
More than 130 AWPA members, prospective members and guests met at the Wyndham Grand in Clearwater Beach, Florida and got back to business!
- 2022 Policy and Political Outlook, Dana Wood, Director of Government Relations, Kelley, Drye & Warren LLP
- Navigating the New Normal: Tackling Key Employment Issues during a Pandemic, Caren Skversky Marlowe, Esq., Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, PC
- Rod Mill Upgrade Panel
Reed Hoagland, Leggett & Platt
Luis Barrenechea, Optimus Steel
Tom Batterbee, Nucor
2020 Annual Meeting
The steel wire industry was in Scottsdale, AZ in February, to hear the latest on the economy, the effects of tariffs, and the upcoming election.
- The Economic Impact of Tariffs
Johannes Moenius, Professor, William R. and S. Sue Johnson Endowed Chair of Spatial Economic Analysis and Regional Planning, University of Redlands School of Business - Workforce Development:
Brian Burr, President/CEO Sumiden Wire Products CorporationJohn Martin, CEO MAR-Mac Industries, Inc.
Mary Ann Christensen, President/Co-owner, Big Ideas, USA
Kimberly Korbel, AWPA Executive Director, for NAM Creators Wanted Tour - Global Economic and Geopolitical Outlook
Bernard Baumohl, Chief Global Economist, Economic Outlook Group
2019 Operations Managers Meeting
2019 Government Affairs Conference
90 Attendees met in Washington, DC to hear the latest on Tariffs, Trade, and the current state of the 2020 Election. AWPA members then headed to Capitol Hill to advocate for the steel wire industry, and the passage of the USMCA.
2019 Annual Meeting
180 AWPA Members, prospective members, guests and their spouses attended the 2019 Annual Meeting in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The weather was fantastic, and the program was great, too!
- Thursday
Robert Fry – Economic Update
Andrew Pappas – Financing Trends in Wire & Rod World
Vincent Pappalardo – M&A Environment for Wire & Rod - Friday
Robert McKinzie – Workforce Development Overview
Kimberly Korbel – Heroes Make America
Jim Kerkvliet – Optimus Steel Market Perspective
Michael Setterdahl – Liberty Steel Market Perspective
2018 Operations Managers Meeting
62 Operations Personnel from across the country met in Indianapolis for this year’s Operations Managers meeting.
- Lisa Ryan – Manufacturing Workforce Engagement
- Elena Valentine – Job Description Videos
- Safety Panel:
Stephanie Ellis, Insteel Industries
Reginald Whitaker, Oklahoma Steel & Wire
Janet Kopenhaver – Post Accident Drug Testing
2018 Government Affairs Conference
100 attendees met in Washington, DC to hear the latest on international trade, tariffs, and the mid-term elections.
- John Foster – American Institute for American Steel
- Laura Baughman – The Trade Partnership
- John Guzik – The Franklin Partnership and Jennifer Baker Reid – The Laurin Baker Group
- George Felcyn – Bracewell, LLP
- 232 by the Numbers: Bar, Rod and Wire
2018 Annual Meeting
More than 150 attendees met in Palm Springs to discuss the latest economic and trade issues.
- Clare Zempel – Economic and Market Outlook
- Kimberly Korbel – Membership Survey and Interviews
- John O. Johnson – Economics of Mergers and Acquisitions
- Janet Kopenhaver – Election Outlook
- Johannes Moenius – Steel or Steal? What the Section 232 Tariffs Mean for American Wire
- Gardner Carrick – Manufacturing Workforce Solutions and Manufacturing Day
2017 Government Affairs Conference
More than 100 attendees met in Alexandria, VA at this year’s Government Affairs Conference. 34 Member Company Representatives went on 73 visits to Congressional Offices, and a Wire & Wire Products Caucus Briefing was held on Capitol Hill.
2017 Breakfast at Interwire
Ken Simonson of the Associated General Contractors of America spoke at this year’s Breakfast. Thank you to Nucor for sponsoring this event.
2017 Annual Meeting
Over 200 members and guests met in Napa, CA for the 2017 Annual Meeting. Attendees heard presentations on the economy and the steel market, imports and trade, the political outlook, and how the Industrial Internet of Things is improving manufacturing. Materials from the meeting are below.
- 2017 Annual Meeting Attendees
- Janet Kopenhaver – 2016 Election Update
- Becky Hites – Steel Industry and Trade Update
- Nat Rudarakanchana – Wire Rod, AMM and 2017
- Elizabeth Parkinson – Industrial Internet of Things
Stan Fossick received this year’s Max Moore Entrepreneurial Spirit Award from Pat Moore.
2016 Operations Managers Meeting
Blending a Multigenerational Workforce
The 2016 Operations Managers Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina provided a workshop for Operations Managers and Personnel Managers to develop new plans for recruiting and retaining new employees, and integrating them into the existing workforce. The group toured HSM Solutions’ Hickory Springs facility.
- Presentation: Shira Harrington, Purposeful Hire, Inc.
- Workbook: Workbook, Multigenerational Workforce
- Attendee List: 2016 Operations Meeting Participants
2016 Government Affairs Conference
The 2016 Government Affairs Conference was held in Washington, DC June 6-8. More than 80 AWPA attendees joined over 500 participants in NAM’s Manufacturing Summit in promoting the manufacturing industry on Capitol Hill. Advocacy focused on Global Steel Overcapacity and China’s Non-market Economy Status, Regulatory Reform, and promoting the Wire & Wire Products Caucus. Below are materials from the meeting.
- 2016 Government Affairs Conference Attendee Packet
- Global Overcapacity and China’s Impact on the Steel Industry – Kevin Dempsey
AWPA Members present an award to Senator Roy Blunt for his efforts in passing the ENFORCE Act. R to L: Janet Kopenhaver, Kimberly Korbel, John T. Johnson, Amy DeArmond, Senator Roy Blunt, Robert McKinzie, Milton Magnus, III, and Stan Fossick.
2016 Annual Meeting
The 2016 Annual Meeting was held February 22-24 in St. Petersburg, Florida. There were 182 attendees. Participants heard presentations on the economy, the scrap market, multi-generational workforce challenges, the wire rod market, and an update on the political outlook for the 2016 election. Below are materials from the meeting.
- 2016 Annual Meeting Attendee Packet
- A National Overview and Look Ahead to November – Glen Bolger
- Making It Stick: Managing Your Multi-Generational Workforce – Shira Harrington
- Rod Supply Panel – Tom Keller, Macsteel International USA
- Rod Supply Panel – Bob Moffitt, Heico Wire Group
Presentations from Steve Murphy (Steel Market Update) and Joe Ward (Scrap Market Outlook) will not be available.
2015 Government Affairs Conference
The 2015 Government Affairs Conference was held September 16-18 in Washington, DC. There were 114 attendees, the largest group at this meeting since 2000. 43 AWPA members made 87 visits to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, to discuss ENFORCE, the US House Wire & Wire Products Caucus, and the latest developments at the National Labor Relations Board. Below are materials from the meeting.
- 2015 Gov’t Affairs Conference Attendee Packet
- Congressional Visits Information Packet
- Political Engagement Panel Presentation
- Presidential Campaign Update and Taking The Next Step in Engagement – Leann Paradise
- NAM Regulatory Update and Policy Agenda – Joe Trauger
2015 Operations Managers Meeting
The 2015 Operations Managers Meeting was held in Nashville, Tennessee. Plant managers, safety and environmental personnel, human resource managers, and industry suppliers met to discuss employment issues, upcoming regulations, and hazard identification challenges. The AWPA would like to thank Sumiden Wire Products Corporation and Mid-South Wire Company for opening their facilities to our group for tours. Below are materials from the meeting.