This meeting has been cancelled. Information about the 2018 Operations Managers Meeting will be out early next year. If you have questions, please contact Heather at houthuse@awpa.org.
Each year at the Operations Managers Meeting, Operations personnel from around the country get together to find solutions to the challenges presented by today’s manufacturing environment – whether it’s difficulty with safety regulations and environmental management or process improvements – discussing the problem with others in similar positions provides insight and new perspectives. Combined with Roundtable discussions with other plant managers, and a plant tour of the Fort Wayne Metals campus, this year’s program has real information that Operations Managers can use in their own facilities.
The Operations Managers Meeting will begin on Tuesday morning with registration and committee meetings. Tuesday afternoon is the General Session and Roundtable Discussion Groups followed by a reception and dinner at the hotel. Wednesday’s schedule includes breakfast and a Plant Tour of the Fort Wayne Metals facilities. We will have you back to the hotel by 4 pm, with a stop at South Bend Airport by 3:30 pm to drop off those with evening flights.
PLANT TOURS
This year, for the first time, we will be touring Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corporation. Fort Wayne Metals produces highly specialized wire and wire products for medical devices. The company was formed in 1971. With a strong focus on innovation and research, Fort Wayne Metals has developed new alloys, processes and products to spark medical innovation and save lives. The opportunity to tour the campus should not be missed!
All attendees are required to take the bus if they would like to participate in the tours. Private cars are not allowed – no exceptions please.
GENERAL SESSION PROGRAM
This two-day conference has been designed specifically for Wire and Wire Products Industry Operations Professionals, to provide education specific to their needs, and to provide networking opportunities. A steering committee of experienced operations managers sort through the issues of the day, to choose presentations to provide information that will be an immediate take-away to improve your operations.
Here’s the program for Tuesday afternoon:
Building a Safety-First Culture
Safety is a uniting element of the manufacturing industry. Everyone knows it’s important and essential to operations, and everyone is trying to improve their record. This year’s meeting will address safety in two ways. First, we’ll hear from safety personnel at several different facilities ranging in size from small to large, with an overview of the safety program at their company. It’s a great chance to see what others are doing, and get some fresh ideas. Then we’ll hear a panel discussion covering current issues, like how companies are encouraging improvement without awards programs, per OSHA’s new guidelines.
Developing Management Talent
How is your company building the next generation of management in your facilities? Are you looking for tools to help train and educate new leaders at your facility? Manufacturing employees may not have well-developed soft skills needed for a move to management. We’ll hear from a representative of the online training system Lynda.com to discuss how to use online courses to help build your management team.
Revoked and Revised Regulations: What They Mean for the Industry, and How Will They Affect Your Company and Employees?
There has been serious regulatory upheaval in the first year of the Trump Administration. It’s hard to know which regulations have been implemented, which have been revoked, which are tied up in court, and which are merely on pause while they are being re-evaluated by the agency responsible. From the new overtime rules, to new National Labor Relations Board decisions, to EPA and OSHA regulations – how can you determine what regulations are actually in force? Will the new regulatory climate hold? Janet Kopenhaver will give us the scoop on all the regulatory issues AWPA has been tracking in the new Administration – and there are plenty!
Supplier Presentation: Paramount Die
In today’s world, wire producers are being challenged to increase productivity with dwindling human capital and increasing workloads. Join us to learn how wire drawers are embracing new wire die technologies and using analytics to strategically deploy resources on targeted initiatives that yield the highest return on investment. Joao Norona, Director of Product Development at Paramount Die, will discuss the latest technology.
Roundtable Discussion Groups: Fresh Ideas from New Faces
Do you have a situation at your plant for which you could use some friendly advice? Have you solved a nagging problem and would like to share your success? Then our popular Roundtable Discussion Groups are exactly what you need. Sometimes an outside perspective can generate solutions. These groups are the perfect opportunity for you to share your knowledge and seek information and feedback from other plant managers in the wire industry.