The Operations Managers Meeting is back in 2022!
View the preliminary schedule here.
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. From difficulty with safety regulations and environmental management to process improvements, discussing the problem with others in similar positions provides insight and new perspectives.
The program includes roundtable discussions with other plant managers, speakers with expertise in manufacturing, presentations from suppliers on the latest developments, and a plant tour of Leggett & Platt's facility in Carthage, MO. This year’s program has real information that operations managers will bring back to improve operations in their own facilities.
Tuesday, October 18
Tuesday begins with meetings of the Operations Steering Committee and Health & Safety Committee, beginning at 10 am. If you are interested in serving on either of these committees, please contact Heather in the AWPA office.
The General Session begins at 1:30 pm.
OSHA Update
Reginald Whitaker, CSP, from Oklahoma Steel & Wire, and Chair of the AWPA Health and Safety Committee, will have the latest from OSHA regarding their recent enforcement initiatives, and a closer look at what the new proposed heat stress rule may look like.
Safety Technology
Safety issues are one of the universals of manufacturing. Joe Metcalf, director of EHS at Leggett & Platt, will have an update on using technology to improve your safety program. We will also have an update on the latest safety benchmarking report for AWPA companies.
Supplier Updates
We will hear from supplier companies, about improvements and advances in products and technology. These presentations are always one of the highlights of the meeting. Check back as more presentations are confirmed.
Aztech Lubricants will have an update for us on the latest in lubricant technology. Have questions? Bring them! Jonathan Anderson will be there with answers for you.
Is your company interested in making a presentation? Contact Heather in the AWPA Office.
Workforce Development
Oklahoma, and Tulsa specifically, have several programs supporting workforce development. We’ll hear about a variety of ways to approach solving workforce issues from 2 experts who have developed solutions in Oklahoma. Scott Fry, Director of Workforce Development at Mid- America Industrial Park (MAIP), and Dr. Marci Mack, Director of Talent Acquisition & Development at MAIP, will provide perspective on what works in the current environment.
Roundtable Discussions
We will wrap up the general session with roundtable discussions. This is where attendees can bring their current challenges for brainstorming and discussion. This year we'll be discussing presentation topics, and also the challenge presented by wire carriers. Has anyone solved this problem yet? Bring the challenges you're having at your facility, and hear what your peers are experiencing as well.
Wednesday, October 19
We’ll start with an early breakfast, then board the bus at 7 am to head to Leggett & Platt in Carthage, MO. After a tour of the Leggett facilities and lunch, we’ll head to the Tulsa airport for a drop-off by 3:30 pm. For everyone not catching flights Wednesday evening, we’ll be back at the hotel about 4:00 pm.
Wondering who's attending? Check back to see who else will be in Tulsa this October.
The following list shows all reviewed and paid attendees as of 12/27/2024.
| Attendee Name | Title | Company |
| Mr. Jonathan E. Anderson | Sales Guy | Aztech Lubricants by Kodiak |
| Mr. Brad Andrews | Senior Market Manager Wire Drawing | Condat Corporation |
| Ms. Emily Bardach | Executive Director | American Wire Producers Association |
| Mr Tim Bostic | Environmental / Safety Manager | Mid-South Wire Company |
| Mr. Guilherme Brum | General Manager | Traxit North America, LLC |
| Mr. Brian Burr | Chairman | Sumiden Wire Products Corporation |
| Nate Carey | Process Engineer | |
| Mr. Michael T. Colvin | Director of R&D/Manufacturing | Aztech Lubricants by Kodiak |
| Kim Covington | Wire-Bond | |
| Mr. Tracy Covington | Plant Manager | Wire-Bond |
| Mr. Mikel Davenport | Wire Drawing Foreman | Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company, Inc. |
| Mr. Brian Enlow | Production & Distribution Operations Manager | MAR-MAC Industries, Inc. |
| Mr. Bryan Estep | Plant Manager | Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company, Inc. |
| Mr. Steven Frazier | Purchasing Manager | Heico Wire Group |
| Jody Fulbright | Plant Manager | Granite Falls Furnace |
| Scott Funderburk | Vice President & General Manager | Heico Wire Group |
| Zach Garibay | Machine Shop Manager | Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company, Inc. |
| Mr. Randy Gibbs | Operations Manager | Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company, Inc. |
| Mr. Robert Gibbs | Foreman | Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company, Inc. |
| Mr. Sam Gibbs | Director of Wire Operations | HSM Solutions |
| Mr Jason Giebfried | Sales Engineer | Paramount Die |
| Mr. Scott Gipson | Sales Engineer | Paramount Die |
| Laura Green | EHS Manager | Heico Wire Group |
| Mr. Mark Hall | Sales Manager NA | Schlatter North America Inc. |
| Tara Hallam | HR Directo/Safety Manager | Wire-Bond |
| Mike Hegwer | Production Process Improvement Manager | Tokusen USA, Inc. |
| Soua Her | Plant Manager | Sumiden Wire Products Corporation |
| Mr. Mark Hurt | General Manager | WCJ Pilgrim Wire |
| Mr. Eric Jensen | EH&S Compliance Manager | Tree Island Steel |
| Mr. Albert Kozlowski | Vice President | Morgan-Koch Corporation |
| Mr Michael Krueger | Regional Sales Manager | Traxit North America, LLC |
| Nick Kruse | Regional EHS Manager | Leggett & Platt, Inc. |
| Ron Lorensen | Operations Manager | Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company, Inc. |
| Mr. Neil C. Lowdon | Key Industry Manager | Chemetall/BASF |
| Mr. Ryan Marion | Technical Sales | Traxit North America, LLC |
| Mr. Jarrett Martin | President | MAR-MAC Industries, Inc. |
| Mr. David Mayo | General Manager | Taubensee Steel & Wire Company |
| Zach McAfee | Engineer/ Key Account Manager Cold Forming Segment | Chemetall/BASF |
| Mr. Joe Metcalf | Corporate Loss Control Engineer | Leggett & Platt, Inc. |
| Mike Mitchell | Plant Manager | Heico Wire Group |
| Mr. Ethan Moore | Quality Assurance | Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company, Inc. |
| Mark Moorhouse | ECD Safety Supervisor | Nashville Wire Products |
| Mr. Kevin C. Natterstad | Safety Manager | Sumiden Wire Products Corporation |
| Mr. Robert Nelson | Plant Manager | Sumiden Wire Products Corporation |
| Mr. Josh Nichols | Operations Manager | Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company, Inc. |
| Ms. Heather E Outhuse | Associate Director | American Wire Producers Association |
| Dan Overstreet | Base Mill Manager | |
| Mr Ignacio Salin Sancho Pedroza | Leadman | Mid-South Wire Company |
| Chris Porada | Key Industry Manager | Chemetall/BASF |
| Cody Rambaran | Plant Manager | |
| Mr. David Roos | Operations Manager | Mid-South Wire Company |
| Mr. Stephane Ruelle | Operations Manager | Condat Corporation |
| Mr. Chad Selvy | Maintenance Foreman | Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company, Inc. |
| Mr. Steven Slagle | Employee | Mid-South Wire Company |
| Justin Teal | Production Team Leader | MAR-MAC Industries, Inc. |
| Mr. David J. Weinand | Executive Vice President | Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company, Inc. |
| Mr. Reginald Whitaker | Safety Manager | Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company, Inc. |
| Mr. David Yarberry | Environmental & Safety Engineer | Tokusen USA, Inc. |