The Cutting Edge™ January 2005
2004 — A Year in Review
A Message from the President - The Year in Review 2004 and Focusing
on the Future
By Peter Perez, WMMA President and President of Carter Products, perez@carterproducts.com
Happy New Year to you and your families! I hope you enjoyed a great holiday
season.
As we begin 2005, I want to give you this report on your Association. First,
I want you to know how proud I am to be President of WMMA, an Association with
a rich history of over 104 years representing and supporting U.S. manufacturers
of wood machinery, cutting tools, and accessories. The progress made in 2004
was the result of the hard work of many people; all busy executives who volunteer
their time to serve on the Executive Committee or Board of Directors, or to
chair or co-chair Committees, or to serve as Committee Members. Assisted by
our capable staff and consultants, these dedicated individuals created even
more value for our 230 member companies. I thank them all for their many contributions
which made 2004 such a successful year for WMMA.
In terms of the economy, 2004 certainly was a better business year. The U.S.
economy began to turn around as we began the year. The positive momentum continued
through the winter and spring, leading up to the important IWF2004 Show in
Atlanta in August, reportedly one of the best ever. This industry economic
recovery was most welcome after several very tough business years. I hope that
WMMA's new programs and new initiatives contributed to your companies' improved
business last year. That certainly is our goal.
In 2002 and 2003, WMMA took time to reassess everything we were doing as a
result of information provided in an all-member survey and a subsequent strategic
visioning process. This reassessment included an in depth review of programs,
membership eligibility requirements, committee structure - in short, all aspects
of WMMA. Late in 2003 and throughout 2004 we set a new course for the Association.
Our overall goal now is to be an association of information and education.
The objective is to assist our members in understanding the global marketplace
in which they operate and then to help them better manufacture and market their
products.
As we began 2004, it was decided that all seven committees would meet together
in the same city in the winter and fall of each year. In February, we kicked
off this new approach when all committees met together in Washington, DC during
the annual Public Policy Fly-In. The opportunity to network with over 50 industry
leaders was such a success that we scheduled the fall meeting in Austin, Texas
where again over 50 participated in three days of meetings, workshops, and
other networking opportunities. In between, some committees met at the annual
WIC in Tucson and at IWF2004 in Atlanta. The important work of the seven committees
is reviewed further on in this report.
This fall, WMMA and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) reached
agreement on enrolling all our members in their organization. I view this decision
as another very important member benefit. NAM now is headed by former three-term
Michigan Governor Engler. He brings a lifelong commitment to manufacturing
and a belief in its importance to the future of our country. WMMA, working
with NAM, is committed to communicating the importance of manufacturing to
our elected officials at the local, state, and national level. Together we
must continue to describe the unprecedented challenges we face and the actions
required to remain competitive. Given a reasonably level playing field, I am
confident that American manufacturing talent and skill will continue to invent
and produce world class products.
Another great achievement for WMMA in 2004 was the hosting of two manufacturing
workshops, put on by the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership. Identifying
the professionals who could facilitate a workshop specifically geared toward
our members' needs was a daunting task. The Manufacturing Strategies Committee
took on that challenge, and arranged two successful, well-attended workshops
on Continuous Improvement - one in October and one in January 2005. For our
association of manufacturers to focus an entire day on manufacturing issues
is an important step. WMMA will sponsor additional manufacturing workshops
on various other strategies in 2005, including Value Stream Mapping and 5S.
Please stay posted!
I am pleased to report that your Association's financial position is strong,
benefiting from our one-third ownership of the IWF Show. Record distributions
helped fund new initiatives and new committee programs in 2004, while also
increasing our reserves. In the fall, after interviewing a number of investment
management companies, a new firm was selected to manage these growing reserves.
The Woodworking Industry Conference, known as WIC, is a collaborative event
sponsored by three fellow associations: WMMA, AWFS(R) and WMIA. In 2004, the
13th WIC meeting took place in Tucson. Two other associations, the Architectural
Woodworking Institute (AWI) and the Wood Components Manufacturing Association
(WCMA) attended this meeting to evaluate whether their members should participate
in the future. Both associations decided to join us at the 14th WIC to be held
in Destin, Florida in April, 2005. I have attended every WIC meeting since
the first one in 1991. I believe it is one of the most important industry events
each year. If you are not sending one or more representatives from your company,
you are missing out on an invaluable industry networking and educational opportunity
- - - another WMMA member benefit! My wife Carroll and I look forward to welcoming
more of you at the 2005 WIC. We have a great conference planned oriented to
your business needs.
Our seven committees worked hard and accomplished much in 2004 as summarized
below:
Business Development: Members benefited from the
information provided through the WMMA Quarterly Trend Reports, produced by
the professional economists at the Institute for Trend Research (ITR). In
addition, an increasing number of members took advantage of the company-specific
trend report option, which will continue to be heavily subsidized by WMMA
through 2005. Leading economist Alan Beaulieu from ITR delivered a dynamic
presentation during the WMMA Business Session held at the 2004 WIC. It was
so well received that attendees insisted that he return in 2005 with his
forecasts for this year and beyond. He will again host a Contact Table at
this year's WIC, an added benefit for members.
Education & Scholarship: For the first time,
three scholarship students participated in the WMMA Business Session at the
WIC. They were well received by the membership, and similar opportunities
to show the "face" of the Scholarship Program will be explored
in the future. Accu-Router collaborated with the senior M.E. design class
at Tennessee Tech in the spring on three distinct proprietary design projects,
which benefited the students and our member company. And scholarship student
Matt Dickerson was highlighted as "Student of the Month" in the
September issue of Wood Digest - bonus exposure for Matt and for our program!
International Business Development: An online forum
was developed for the Committee to discuss articles for the new Export Manual
and other topics of interest. The Committee gave their time, talent, and
experience to writing and collaborating an extensive new Export Manual, and
its rollout to members is imminent. Eighteen company executives representing
five continents participated in the IWF Foreign Buyer Program. WMMA subscribed
to the GTIS service, providing official import and export statistics of 46
countries plus the U.S. on woodworking machinery, wood furniture and wood
products. The subscription provides us with quarterly data and is shared
with all members. It was an active year for the Committee.
Manufacturing Strategies: The Committee worked to
successfully identify the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership as the
professionals to facilitate the first ever WMMA-sponsored manufacturing workshops,
and a series of subsequent workshops. The first took place in Austin in October,
and covered Continuous Improvement (CI). With a sell-out attendance and excellent
feedback, a second workshop on CI was held in January in Atlanta. The Committee
plans on putting on additional workshops throughout 2005 on other strategies,
and is fulfilling its mission of educating our manufacturing members on methods
of staying competitive in our industry.
Membership Services: WMMA members and their products
were strongly promoted in the pre-IWF issues of the major trade publications,
through the efforts of this Committee. All members also received a special
document which they could customize with their company information, and send
to their customers, encouraging them to purchase machinery before the "bonus" depreciation
expired at the end of 2004. This was a well-received message, and sales at
the end of the year certainly reflect the urgency which this "bonus" created.
The Committee also began to focus on increasing the involvement of current
members in Association programs. They plan to reach out to members to gain
more response to special programs and to increase attendance at the WIC.
Public Policy: The 2004 Public Policy Fly-In was
a huge success for this Committee and the Association, as noted earlier.
They recognized the importance of a strong representation on The Hill, and
used their Committee budget to reimburse the travel expenses of all who attended
the Fly-In. Another success in this arena in 2004 was the passage of HR.
3598, the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2004. Per John
Satagaj, WMMA's Legislative Counsel, "This bill will help manufacturers
across America remain competitive by ensuring that they have easy access
to information about the latest technologies and organizational ideas that
can help them stay ahead of their foreign competitors."
Research & Engineering: The Committee contributed
articles and insight for content to the new Export Manual, rolled out by
the International Business Development Committee. They are also exploring
the possibility of forming an "OSHA Alliance," a program which
OSHA created to help organizations prevent workplace injuries, illnesses
and fatalities. The Alliance is a two year program where information is shared
and educational materials are developed. All members will benefit if this
Alliance is forged. Members of the Committee also continued to work on ANSI
ASC O1 sub-committees in the development of several machine specific standards,
including Gang Rip Saws, CNC Machining Centers, Jump Saws, Shapers, and Chop
Saws.
More information on the each of the Committee's programs can be found on the
WMMA website in the Members Only section and in each issue of The Cutting Edge.
Please visit their pages to learn more and participate throughout the year.
In closing, I send my appreciation to all who continue to make WMMA a leading
wood processing industry association. WMMA stands ready to help each of our
member companies address the challenges of 2005 ahead. If you are not involved,
I encourage you to join your industry colleagues on one or more of the seven
committees and to attend WIC 2005. I invite you to join me and many others
as together we set the course into the future!
Cordially yours,
Peter M. Perez
President, WMMA
President, Carter Products Co.
Public Policy
2005 WMMA Public Policy Fly-In Update; NAM Events Celebrate Manufacturing
So far, over 40 WMMA members and 25 sister-association members have signed
up to participate in the 2005 WMMA Public Policy Fly-In, in Washington, DC.
Are you among them? If not, there is still time to express your interest
in participating. Simply email jconey@fernley.com to
confirm your attendance, and then make your travel arrangements! This is a
fully-reimbursable event for WMMA members. If you serve on a WMMA committee,
your presence is especially requested, as your committees will meet during
the day on Tuesday, February 15th.
The next important step is for Fly-In participants to make appointments
to meet with your legislators on February 16th! The sooner you can
secure an appointment, the better. Please share your confirmed appointment
time with headquarters, so that we can coordinate your appointment with other
constituents in your area, if need be.
Two major lawmakers are confirmed to address our group in DC! Senator
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) will present the keynote address at the February 15th
Legislative Briefing & Dinner. And Albert A. Frink, Jr., Assistant Secretary
for Manufacturing and Services in the Department of Commerce will address
the breakfast meeting of the Woodworking Industry Leadership Forum on Wednesday,
February 16th.
In November of 2004, Sen. Stabenow was elected the third-ranking Democrat in
the Senate by her Democratic colleagues. She has been an active proponent for
the strength of manufacturing in the U.S. and in Michigan, throughout the course
of her service as a Senator. WMMA President Peter Perez has helped the Senator's
message reach her constituents in Grand Rapids, and his cultivated relationship
with the Senator helped WMMA in securing her presence on the evening of February
15th.
NAM Hosts "72 Hours to Educate & Celebrate"
All WMMA Fly-In participants are also welcome to attend the National Association
of Manufacturers' (NAM) Fly-In event, "72 Hours to Educate & Celebrate."
Manufacturers Week in Washington:
72 Hours to Educate and Celebrate
February 15-17, 2005
Washington, D.C.
Starting on February 15th through February 17th, manufacturers - large, medium
and small - will travel to Washington, D.C. There will be several different
events during these three days. All revolve around the NAM's Congressional
Awards Reception and Welcome to the Freshman Class on February 16th and all
share one common goal: the opportunity to meet legislators and leave a durable
impression of who we are, what we stand for, why manufacturing matters and
why manufacturers believe so strongly in our pro-growth, pro-worker agenda.
To review NAM's three day agenda and register, click here http://www.nam.org/s_nam/sec.asp?CID=202008&DID=232511.
Expenses,
including hotel and travel related to NAM's event, are at your company's expense,
and are not included in the reimbursable expenses from WMMA.
Public Policy
Presidential Initiatives
By John Satagaj, WMMA Legislative Counsel, email@jsatlaw.com
Last month, I wrote about the potential for legal liability reforms. The President
has made enactment of legal system reforms a priority for his second term.
This month I would like to cover three other priorities - tax reform, social
security reform, and deficit reduction.
Our past experience has taught us that when you enter the world of tax reform
it is very difficult to turn out the incumbent tax system. For all its warts,
the current tax system does reward certain behavior. Charitable giving and
housing come to mind as two of the more prominent recipients of tax-favored
status. The list is long, and ironically, the recently enacted export tax repeal
law added new favored industries to the list and domestic manufacturing finally
gained some meaningful recognition.
Then there is the matter of deficits. Of course, all the advocates of "swapping
out" the current system will argue that the debate is "revenue neutral;" that
the new system will collect no more or no less than the current system. Experimenting
without knowing the answer is slightly more hazardous to our economic health
when federal deficits are soaring and this is likely to dampen enthusiasm.
During the campaign, the President expressed some interest in a national sales
tax but he has not endorsed any specific game plan or proposal. Advocates of
a flat tax or a more traditional Value Added Consumption Tax will be promoting
their ideas as well. There are some key players in the Administration that
favor tax system simplification. If there is a window of opportunity, this
is it. So expect to hear a lot about the virtues of the various alternatives.
Another issue the President will take on is restructuring of the Social Security
system. On that topic during the campaign, the President said, "Social
Security represents a solemn commitment to the American people. To keep that
commitment, we must fix Social Security permanently for our children and grandchildren.
Fifty years ago there were sixteen workers paying into Social Security for
every person receiving benefits. Today, there are just 3.3 workers for each
person on Social Security. Without principled leadership, sound policies, and
courageous action, Social Security will be unable to pay the benefits promised
to our children and grandchildren without enormous payroll tax increases."
The day after his acceptance speech, the President said in a press conference, "You
might remember in every speech I talked about the duty of an American President
to lead. And we must lead on Social Security because the system is not going
to be whole for our children and our grandchildren. We'll start on Social Security
now. We'll start bringing together those in Congress who agree with my assessment
that we need to work together. We've got a good blueprint, a good go-by. You
mentioned Senator Moynihan. I had asked him prior to his -- to his passing,
to chair a committee of notable Americans to come up with some ideas on Social
Security. And they did so. And it's a good place for members of Congress to
start. The President must have the will to take on the issue -- not only in
the campaign, but now that I'm elected.
" Reforming Social Security will be a priority of my administration. Obviously,
if it were easy it would have already been done. And this is going to be hard
work to bring people together and to convince the Congress to move forward. And
there are going to be costs. But the cost of doing nothing is much greater than
the cost of reforming the system today. That was the case I made on the campaign
trail, and I was earnest about getting something done. And as a matter of fact,
I talked to members of my staff today, as we're beginning to plan the strategy
to move agendas forward about how to do this and do it effectively."
The President has put forth these principles to strengthen Social Security
permanently:
During the campaign, the President promised to put us on a path toward cutting the budget deficit in half over the next five years. The President has indicated he will build on this budget discipline by supporting budget rules that make federal spending conform to the kind of constraints and common sense known to every family. As part of a plan to achieve this vision, the President will support:
All three priorities are "big picture" issues and enacting reforms to address any one of the three would be quite an accomplishment. Looks like we will have a busy year here in Washington.
Public Policy
Small Business Legislative Council Announces 2005 Priorities (SBLC News
Release)
By John Satagaj, WMMA Legislative Counsel and President and General Counsel,
Small Business Legislative Council, email@jsatlaw.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. - "Health care costs, estate
tax, transportation infrastructure, product liability litigation,
and manufacturing in America," said Ralph J. Nappi, the incoming
Chairman of the Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC), "are
the top five priorities for our organization in 2005."
Continued Nappi, "There are no surprises on our list. The
only surprise is that we have not resolved the problems facing
small business in these areas
by now. We believe we have the best opportunity in 2005 to secure a fix for
at least some of them."
" The estate tax problem is a clear example of an unfinished project. Almost
everybody knows that there is a one-year repeal of the estate tax in 2010 and
it returns in 2011. What everybody might not know, is that small business owners
continue to spend time and energy on estate tax planning. There is no peace of
mind for them. The only way we can really put this matter behind us is to enact
a permanent solution and do it now. Until we do so, we are wasting the productive
energy of the small business community," said Nappi.
" There is a long laundry list of things we can do to restore common sense
to our legal system. We believe a good place to start is to reduce the potential
for unnecessary product liability litigation. We need to give product sellers
some peace of mind that they won't be sued just because they have a deep pocket.
We need to give product manufacturers some peace of mind that if they produce
high quality products they won't be liable forever for their products, no matter
what."
" Over the last year, we have made some strides in addressing the needs
of those companies that engage in manufacturing in the United States. The recent
passage of a new deduction for domestic production will help. But we need to
do more to make sure manufacturers not only survive but also grow. The report
issued by the Department of Commerce last year has a lot of good ideas in it.
We hope to turn some of those ideas into real progress."
" Health care costs continue to put a strain on the cost of doing business
for small business. In the short term, the President's campaign platform offers
good suggestions for addressing parts of the problem, such a medical malpractice
liability reform and the expansion of Health Savings Accounts. In the long
term, we need to 'go bold,' and find a solution that works for everybody. We
know it
will not be easy, but the alternative is a rapid growth in the number of the
uninsured followed by a cost meltdown that crushes the current system."
" Finally, we need to pay more attention to our transportation infrastructure,
our highways, our ports, our airports, and our rail systems. Small businesses,
from the retailer who could not get her seasonal products off the ship and
across the country in time to the service provider who cannot get his service
trucks
around town to help his customers, rely on our transportation infrastructure
to be successful. The internet is not the solution to everything. The reality
is that the small business economy depends on moving products and people around
the town, around the state, around the region and around the country."
" We look forward to working with the President and the 109th Congress to
get the job done," concluded Nappi.
The Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC) is a permanent, independent coalition
of over 60 trade and professional associations that share a common commitment
to the future of small business. Our members represent the interests of small
businesses in such diverse economic sectors as manufacturing, retailing, distribution,
professional and technical services, construction, transportation, and agriculture.
Our policies are developed through a consensus among our membership. Individual
associations may express their own views.
Building a Culture of Improvement: Employees of a Somerset, MA
Millwork Company Create Solid Foundation for Change
By Pat Wardwell, Continuous Improvement Manager, Greater Boston Manufacturing
Partnership
(The WMMA is sponsoring two back-to-back in-plant workshops to be presented
by Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership experts. The topics to be covered
are Value Stream Mapping and 5S. Tentative dates for the workshops are March
17 and 18. The workshops will be conducted in member plants. If you are interested
in participating, please contact Harold Zassenhaus, Manufacturing Strategies
Committee Coordinator, 301 652 0693; zemg@erols.com).
I recently attended a plant tour at the Somerset, MA site of North Atlantic
Corporation (NAC), a regional manufacturer of stairs, doors, windows and other
architectural products for the building trades. The tour, sponsored by the
Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (GBMP), a non-profit organization
committed to helping small to medium size organizations learn and apply continuous
improvement thinking, showcased many of the successful process changes NAC
employees have made in their work areas.
Based upon the Toyota Production System (TPS), continuous improvement philosophies
and methods help organizations become more productive by cutting costs, increasing
quality and reducing customer lead-time. People making small changes day after
day to improve their work areas and processes are a central focus of continuous
improvement. Over the past two years the employees of NAC have successfully
leveraged continuous improvement concepts to make improvements that help them,
their company and their customers.
THE PEOPLE ARE THE REAL SECRET
The best companies recognize that employees are the key to increased competitiveness
and customer satisfaction. This is true because employees are the most knowledgeable
about the many daily problems and issues that disrupt or slow down the processes
that must coalesce to insure good flow of product to customers. When employees
are trained, allowed and encouraged to find and reduce these value stream interruptions,
they are also typically "fixing" the things that frustrate, slow
down and hamper them as they go about their daily work!
At NAC, employees actively engaged in improving their workplace make all the
difference. For example, Paul, an administrative employee who reviews and quotes
customer jobs, showed the tour group some of the visual systems that he and
his improvement teammates have set up for tracking and monitoring pre-production
activities for customer jobs. After explaining the "before" and "after" conditions
of the quote tracking process, Paul was quick to point out how much better
the new system works and how simple it is to use. Like many other converts
to continuous improvement, Paul told his visitors he was very skeptical in
the beginning and was fairly certain that no real improvements would be made.
But when Paul, his supervisor and other NAC employees on a cross-functional
value stream improvement team took a hard look at the "old" process
they saw many ways to streamline. The result is today, with their new system,
quotes are done much faster (from 5 days or more, down to less than 1 day)
and with a lot less effort.
Paul, an administrative employee, talks about improvements made in a back office process and how he and others have benefited.
In the Architectural Products production area, tour visitors met Jim, an experienced NAC door-crafter, who showed changes he and others had recently made to a piece of moulding equipment in their area. Before the changes, the noise from this machine annoyed several departments and it took 20 minutes to changeover the equipment. Jim and his team added a retractable hood to cut machine noise and implemented other changes that reduced machine changeover time from 20 to 3 minutes.
Jim explains how he and others reduced the changeover on this piece of moulding equipment from 20 minutes to 3.
MANY SMALL IMPROVEMENTS TOGETHER YIELD BIG RESULTS
During the tour we passed by a large bulletin board displaying several editions
of NAC's continuous improvement newsletter. Each newsletter captures dozens
of improvements made by employees. Included are pictures of the employees,
snippets about their ideas and what the changes mean to NAC. Employee improvements
run the gamut, from simple shadow boards for tools, to new fixtures for a CNC
machine that reduce set-up and cycle time and also improve product quality.
In several cases, employees worked together to make the documented improvements.
The continuous improvement steering team at NAC, another cross functional group
of employees, created a newsletter to recognize and share the many small improvements
being made. The steering team's intent is to send the message that "your
ideas are important and make a difference". The number of different employee
faces and the variety of ideas and improvements shown on the newsletter board
is really impressive!
The steering team has also implemented a system whereby supervisors are encouraging
and helping to bring forth ideas from all the employees in their areas. These
ideas are presented to management on a monthly basis.
So what's do you get when you combine all these small, people-based improvements?
NAC shared the following metrics from their CI efforts with tour guests:
Rough Mill and lumber control
Custom Window and Door value stream:
Straight Stair Value Stream:
Residential Steel Door Value stream:
IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT
Like most things in life, continuous improvement takes long-term commitment
and a measure of resolve and patience. Developing a culture where people feel "safe" in
exposing problems and are comfortable working together to solve them takes
time. Often many old stereotypes about traditional business processes/operations
as well as who can and should put forth ideas and implement change have to
be "unlearned". Departmental and functional boundaries are no longer
sacred and all activities must be questioned for "value". Companies
that reap the most benefits from the philosophies and tools of TPS realize
they are adopting a new business strategy, one that touches all areas and all
people in the business; they are buying into ongoing change. And they understand
that a sustainable culture of improvement is not accomplishable in a month,
a quarter or a year!
NAC, at the process for just over two years now, readily admits their "house
of improvement" is just beyond its foundation. They note the blueprint
is not always clear and is often revised as new learning occurs and opportunities
are exposed. Even though all employees have been trained in the basics of continuous
improvement and many have undergone additional training and practice in specific
topics such as value stream mapping, 5S (workplace organization), set-up reduction,
pull systems and flow production, there are still many employees and areas
that aren't "practicing" on a regular basis. However, Pete Humphrey,
President; Dave Cooper, Director of Research and Development and the earliest
champion of CI at NAC; and the entire CI steering team are committed to keeping
the CI process moving forward. There is common agreement that NAC must continue
on this important journey to insure future growth and competitiveness.
A simple flag, raised to let the material mover know when more material is needed, is an example of one of the many small ideas NAC employees have implemented to improve their daily work
During the tour, more than a dozen employees proudly and eloquently outlined
improvements they have made and what it has meant to them, teammates and the
company. Tour visitors heard about the changes exclusively from the "people
that do the work". Often these same employees forthrightly told visitors
about their early skepticism, convinced that management would not allow them
to "do anything different". Yet tour-stop after tour-stop, their
enthusiasm came through loud and clear. Many discussed how work has become
easier, faster, and less stressful. Several talked about additional improvements
that are in the works. Some acknowledged a teammate, supervisor or manager
who helped with an idea. Overall there was a sense of excitement as the speakers "showed
their stuff". Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see what the talented
NAC employees can create from their strong improvement foundation!
Dave Cooper (Dcooper@northatlanticcorp.com),
Director of Research and Development and CI Steering Team Member at NAC, can
be contacted for more information on continuous improvement activities at the
Somerset site.
Contact Information:
Steve Dodman, Program Manager
Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership, Inc.
Phone: 617-287-7737
Fax: 617-287-7699
www.gbmp.org
sdodman@gbmp.org
Woodworking Industry Conference 2005
WIC 2005 Registration Has Begun!
Check your mail for registration information for the Annual Conference. This year's theme is: "The Changing Tides of Running Your Business." If you have been experiencing these "changing tides," then this industry event is for you. From April 20-23, at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida, you can network and learn from your industry colleagues, suppliers, distributors and fellow manufacturers. Start making your Contact Table appointments now. And register today!
Association News
2005 Baldwin Award Nominations are Open!
February 25th is the deadline to nominate your industry mentor for the 2005 Ralph B. Baldwin Award of Excellence. Check your mail for nomination forms or access the forms online at http://www.wmma.org/about/baldwin.cfm. This prestigious Award will be presented at the 2005 WMMA Business Session at the Woodworking Industry Conference in Destin, FL. This is your opportunity to honor the person who has set a positive example for woodworking industry leaders.
Association News
What Is On the Minds of WMMA Members - Results of a Quick Survey
What Is On the Minds of WMMA Members - Results of a Quick Survey In a Quick Survey this summer, WMMA asked members two questions about their business needs and perspectives, in order to help Association Leadership keep up with the changing cycles of the membership. This survey will be conducted again in advance of Board meetings. The responses allow the Leadership to target products and services that meet the collective needs of the membership. Below is a summary of the responses. If you can identify with any of these issues, and/or wish to expand on any of them, please contact WMMA headquarters at info@wmma.org.
Questions:
1. In your business, what is it that "keeps you up at night"?
2. What product or service that is currently not available elsewhere would make a measurable difference in your business?