Big ABI Events Ahead - Monday Memo 9/23/19
September 23, 2019
Manufacturing Legends Dinner; Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Conference Next Week
Two of ABI’s most popular annual events will be held next week, starting a week from tomorrow evening. The annual Legends in Manufacturing Awards Dinner and the 2019 Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Conference will be held at the Prairie Meadows Events Center in Altoona on October 1st and 2nd respectively.
Register now for these important events at conference at http://www.cvent.com/events/legends-in-manufacturing-awards-dinner-and-or-advanced-manufacturing-conference/event-summary-a71b0b32353f4c90b7f43f517d599eb4.aspx. If you wish to make a hotel reservation, go to: http://www.prairiemeadows.com/. These events have become a must-attend for ABI members in recent years and the awards dinner is always a fun celebration of Iowa manufacturing. See you at Prairie Meadows!
Biennial ABI DC Fly-In Three Weeks Away
Every two years, the ABI Public Policy staff, led by Senior Vice President Nicole Crain and Director Brad Hartkopf, puts together a fabulous slate of meetings in Washington DC. This year is no different.
There will be meetings with the members of the Iowa Congressional delegation (one member is left to confirm) in their offices. Not with staff, with the senators and congressional representatives themselves. There will be briefings at the National Association of Manufacturers and we expect to make several other important stops as well.
The 2019 Fly-In will take place October 16-18 and based on early feedback, the schedule looks to be the best ever. Please contact Brad or me with questions.
November Board Meeting to be Held at ABI
The ABI Board of Directors will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, November 6. The board will meet at ABI Headquarters at 400 East Court Avenue in Des Moines' East Village. Watch for more information soon.
The board will also meet at ABI on January 15 and March 11 of next year. It is expected the board will meet in Des Moines in May. Finally, ABI Chair Cindy Dietz (Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids) will host a fabulous annual conference in Cedar Rapids next June.
CIRAS Advisory Council to Meet
The Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State University is a key ABI partner and the CIRAS Industry Advisory Council will meet Thursday at ISU. Several ABI member companies are represented on the council and over the years, many members of the ABI Board of Directors have also played leadership roles on the CIRAS Council.
Thursday’s meeting will focus on a data review and advanced manufacturing assistance programs. Watch for news of CIRAS events and services to come your way in the near future.
Manufacturing Best Practices Tour Hits the Road in November
Last year at about this time, a couple of dozen ABI leaders and members hit the road. They were taken by private coach to manufacturing facilities in the Quad Cities and suburban Chicago, Illinois to tour and see the latest in digital/automated manufacturing.
That trip was such a success, ABI is making another journey this year. On November 12 and 13, ABI will take a manufacturing technology trip to north Iowa and to Minneapolis, Minnesota. You, your operations team, and senior engineering staff will find value in this trip. Go here for more information: http://www.cvent.com/events/manufacturing-technology-road-show-minneapolis/event-summary-8dd1b76b9fb94c7c949f7b4b7664fa5f.aspx.
Leadership Iowa Class to Convene at Hotel Patee in Perry for First Session
You should have already received information about the members of the 2019-2020 Leadership Iowa class. The class will soon convene at the Hotel Patee in Perry for its first session. As are all LI classes, this class is comprised of terrific young leaders from all around Iowa and they will meet for the first time October 2-4.
Class members will hold the first session, become acquainted with each other and the program, and focus on learning about issues facing Iowa. Go to http://www.leadershipiowa.com/ for more information.
ABI Directory Updates Due by Friday, October 11
This is the time of year that ABI's member database is being updated. Information from the database will be checked, formatted, and put in to hard copy form for inclusion in the 2020 ABI Resource Guide. The guide, in addition to including member data, includes information on the association's people, programs, and events.
If there are no changes in your personnel or company information, you need do nothing. If you have updates, simply send an email to Dorothy Knowles at dknowles@iowaabi.org. The deadline to receive updates is Friday, October 11. Thank you in advance for helping us make sure your information is accurate.
Joan Zrostlik Recovering
Most of you know Joan Zrostlik, wife of former ABI Chair David Zrostlik (Stellar Industries, Garner). Joan often attends ABI events and is a regular at the annual conference. Her personable style and fun and welcoming approach are appreciated by all.
Dave reports that Joan suffered an injury to her neck, but in typical Joan style, tried to tough it out. After a couple of weeks and after having an MRI, Joan learned she had broken her neck and she had surgery to repair the damage. During the surgery, a metal plate was inserted and several vertebrae were fused in an effort to stabilize things.
The good news is that Joan is now on the mend and she had surgical staples removed last Wednesday. Her recovery is going well and she is expected to recover completely. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joan and Dave and we wish Joan a continued swift and full recovery!
This is a difficult time at Stellar for another reason. Many of you also knew the company’s HR Director, Leanne Van Oort. Tragically, Leanne passed away very suddenly earlier this month. Leanne was a terrific person and always a joy to be around. She will be greatly missed. Click here for more information about Leanne: https://www.cataldofuneralhome.com/obituaries/Leanne-M-Van-Oort?obId=7098368. Our thoughts are with her family and with the whole Stellar Family.
ISU Alumni Magazine Features Twisted Vine
The latest edition of Visions, the magazine of the Iowa State University Alumni Association, has an ABI connection. Many of you know that ABI Foundation Administrative Assistant Jane Galloway and her husband, Paul Galloway, are part of the ownership of Twisted Vine Brewery in West Des Moines.
A feature in the current edition of Visions highlights a brewing of Van Allen Belt IPA. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, Twisted Vine brewed the special beer using hops that had actually been to space. It’s quite a story and if you would like to read it for yourself, please reply to this memo and I’ll send you the article at once. In the meantime, thanks for sharing the story and congratulations to Jane and Paul and everyone at Twisted Vine!