Big Day of ABI Events Next Week - Monday Memo 11/26/18
November 26, 2018
Series of ABI Events Next Week in Oskaloosa
ABI will host a series of events in Oskaloosa next week on December 6. The Leadership Iowa class will be in the middle of its next session (read more below) and will participate in some of the events. Two additional events will highlight the day.
The morning of December 6 will see ABI host the next in a series of Connecting Statewide Leaders events. Following that event and lunch with the Leadership Iowa class, ABI will then hold a value-building seminar. You can register for the Connecting Statewide Leaders event now at http://www.cvent.com/events/connecting-statewide-leaders/event-summary-ade4be0c812843678cf3d9ae5bf74939.aspx. The seminar about building business value will immediately follow lunch. You can register and find more information here: http://www.cvent.com/events/building-business-value/event-summary-5de45122d61642808d353da33881fffa.aspx.
A panel featuring Emily Schmitt (Sukup Manufacturing Co., Sheffield) and Bill Menner (Iowa Rural Development Council, Grinnell) will highlight the Connecting Statewide Leaders event. See you in Oskaloosa next week.
State Leaders Will Attend 2019 ABI Legislative Reception; Register Now
Key state leaders such as Governor Kim Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, and all 150 members of the Iowa General Assembly have been invited to the 2019 ABI Legislative Reception. As you know, this event is one of the most popular events ABI hosts all year long. It is likely that over 500 people will attend the event, including more legislators of both parties than at any other similar event.
The attendance of these state officials is one more confirmation of your importance to Iowa policy makers. They attend because YOU attend.
You can register (over 200 of you already have) by clicking on the following link: http://www.cvent.com/events/2019-abi-legislative-briefing-reception/event-summary-b4df5045c6f5442eb13203762724b123.aspx. The 2019 ABI Briefing and Reception will be held Wednesday, January 16 at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Des Moines. Plenty of convenient parking is available nearby, in a situation that is much improved from last year.
I hope you will attend the reception, which is a very important event. Of course it is a lot of fun and you’ll see great ABI colleagues from all over Iowa. Even more vital, however, is your discussion with your local legislators. Building relationships between legislators and ABI members is what the event is all about. Your perspective (and that of your employees) is a crucial component in helping Iowa policymakers understand the needs and concerns of business people in our state. On behalf of our ABI officers, I look forward to seeing you in Des Moines on January 16.
December Executive Committee Teleconference in Two Weeks; January 16 is the Date for Next ABI Board Meeting
The final meeting of the ABI Executive Committee for 2018 is scheduled to be held two weeks from Wednesday, on December 12. Later next week, committee members will receive the usual packet to help in preparing for the meeting, which will be called to order by ABI Chair David Bywater (Bankers Advertising/Tru Art, Iowa City) at 9:30 a.m.
The board will meet next month. The ABI Board of Directors will hold its regularly scheduled January meeting on Wednesday, January 16, 2019.
Because it falls on the same day as the annual ABI Legislative Reception, the January meeting is typically one of the best-attended of the year. Please mark your calendars now for January 16.
Leadership Iowa Class to Converge on Oskaloosa
Oskaloosa is the site for the third session of the 2018-2019 Leadership Iowa Class. Class members will meet next week on Thursday and Friday. In fact, most members of the class will arrive for a special event Wednesday evening.The session will focus on business, industry, and workforce in Iowa and a terrific slate of speakers is on tap.
As always, special thanks go to the Leadership Iowa Board of Governors and to the ABI Foundation Board of Directors for maintaining a terrific LI program.
NAM Report: Manufacturing Production Rises to Highest Level in 10 Years
Last week's Monday Economic Report from the National Association of Manufacturers carried a dramatic headline. It indicated that manufacturing production had risen to its highest level in 10 years.
On the less positive side, the report also documented rising materials costs now being experienced by Midwest manufacturers (which of course is not news at all to ABI members). If you would like to see the report for yourself, please reply to this memo and I will get it to you at once.
Annual Shine Bros. Holiday Event is December 14
Each year, the good folks at longtime ABI member company Shine Bros. Corp. host a terrific holiday gathering. And you, ABI board members and former board chairs, are invited.
The 2018 event will be held December 14 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the company’s Spencer headquarters. Many of you have attended this event in past years and know that it is a great time for fellowship and good cheer. If you have questions or need information, please contact/RSVP to Vicki at Shine Bros. at (712) 262-5579, extension 113, or vicki@shinebros.com. In the meantime, thank you to former ABI Chair Toby Shine (Shine Bros. Corp., Spencer) and former ABI Board Member Eva Shine (Shine Bros. Corp., Spencer) for the invitation!