November ABI Board Meeting Next Week - Monday Memo 11/1/21
November 1, 2021
Board, Executive Committee to Meet Next Week
Both the ABI Board of Directors and the ABI Executive Committee will meet a week from Thursday (November 11). ABI Chair Jack Hasken (Jackson Mfg., Maquoketa) will call to order the final board meeting of 2021 at 11:30 a.m. The board will meet at ABI and lunch will be served.
A review of the annual audit, an update regarding the conference, policy discussions,and your business reports are highlights of the agenda. In addition, the board will receive the usual operational reports.
If you haven't already done so, please register your attendance by simply replying to this message. A link to access the usual packet of reports and reference materials will come your way later this week. In the meantime and on behalf of Jack and our ABI officers, I look forward to seeing you next week.
Watch for More Soon Regarding Vaccine Mandate Bill
Last week, the association was pleased to host the biennial ABI DC Fly-In. This event takes ABI leaders to the nation’s capital for substantive meetings and events. Last week’s Fly-In was perhaps the best ever. Other news from last week was less positive, as the Iowa General Assembly met in special session to consider the latest Iowa reapportionment maps…and to pass a bill related to vaccine mandates.
Because of the bill’s impact on employers, on Iowa’s Unemployment Insurance Trust fund, and for other reasons, ABI lobbied strongly against the vaccine mandate bill. We did so alone, as no other business organization opposed the bill. That’s okay. ABI will always and forcefully stand up for our members and now we move on to what is next for your business.
Watch for more information soon about what the bill means for you, what policies you as an employer should enact, and about ways ABI hopes to better this legislation come January. We won’t stop fighting for you. Please stay tuned.
Register now for Next Week’s NAM “Creators Wanted” Event at Vermeer Corporation
As you know, one of ABI’s most valued partners is the National Association of Manufacturers. Both ABI and the NAM seek to promote and advance manufacturing and build the manufacturing workforce. In that regard, the NAM is hosting a series of events around the nation entitled “Creator’s Wanted.” This campaign is the NAM’s largest campaign to date to build the workforce of tomorrow and to show Americans what modern manufacturing is all about.
Next week, on November 9th at the Vermeer Global Pavilion in Pella (the Global Pavilion is the eastern-most building on the Vermeer Corporation Campus – popularly known as The Mile), ABI will join the NAM, Pella Corporation, Vermeer Corporation, and others in hosting an Iowa edition of Creators Wanted. The folks at Creators Wanted have specifically invited the members of the ABI Board of Directors to attend this free program from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Click here for more information and to register: Home | Creators Wanted Live in Pella Premier Event (bizzabo.com). I’ll see you there!
Next Connecting Statewide Leaders Event in Pella Next Month
The first 2021-2022 Connecting Statewide Leaders event will be held December 2 in Pella. This forum is the next opportunity to participate in the popular series of events ABI has hosted around Iowa over the course of the past few years.
A luncheon follows the meeting and you will have a great opportunity to visit with fellow ABI members, meet the new Leadership Iowa class, and develop new customers. Register now for this program, which will feature a manufacturing panel: Summary - Connecting Statewide Leaders - Pella (cvent.com). Make your plans now to join the LI class and ABI members in Pella in December.
LI CONNECT, Other LI Events Coming Your Way
The ABI Foundation’s Leadership Iowa program is a national leader. And it’s not just for the current class. Foundation staff members have developed a series of events to engage LI alumni and others interested in learned more about emerging issues.
The LI CONNECT series has several events upcoming and there are other programs schedules as well. If you wish to learn more, simply reply to this message and I’ll send you information directly from Foundation Programs Director Jessi McQuerrey.
Leadership Iowa Class in Mt. Pleasant this Week
Speaking of the ABI Foundation and LI, the Foundation's 2021-2022 Leadership Iowa class will hold its second session this week in Mt. Pleasant. The session will focus on agriculture and renewable energy. Thank you to all of you for your support for Leadership Iowa.
ABI, CIRAS to Host Food Industry Manufacturing Overview in December
As do all manufacturers, those involved in Iowa’s food industry face a variety of challenges. Workforce, logistics, supply chain, and many others are the focus for these companies. On December 7, ABI and CIRAS will host an event designed to review the status of the food industry and provide solutions to these challenges. Tours of terrific facilities will also be a part of the event.
You can find more information and register now for the event here: Summary - Iowa Food Manufacturing Industry Overview and Challenges Seminar (cvent.com). The event will be held on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames on December 7.
2022 ABI Legislative Reception on January 12
One of the association's most popular events is the annual legislative reception. ABI members are proud that the reception has traditionally drawn more Iowa legislators (of both parties) than similar events hosted by any other organization. All 150 legislators and the Governor and Lieutenant Governor will again be invited to join you at the 2022 reception, which will be held January 12 (the same day as the January ABI Board Meeting) at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Des Moines.
Mark your calendars now. You can register for the event/find more information about the event by clicking on Summary - Legislative Briefing and Reception (cvent.com). Your attendance at this important event is vital for ABI to advance its pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda.
Conference Breakout Proposals due December 1
The members of the ABI Conference Committee are putting together plans for a spectacular Taking Care of Business Conference. The 2022 conference will be held next June in Dubuque.
Speaking of the annual conference, now is the time for interested parties to submit their responses to the breakout session RFP. Conference attendees have given very high marks to the breakout sessions in recent years and much of that is due to the very competitive process related to those sessions. The deadline for proposals is December 1 and you can click here for more information: https://www.dmacc.edu/dbr/Pages/workshop.aspx. The conference will be held in June 14-16 of next year. Mark your calendars now and watch for more information soon.
NAM Weekly: Economy Still Growing, but Rate Slows
This week’s Monday Economic Report, published by the National Association of Manufacturers, shared some positive economic data. The U.S. economy, for example, is still growing following a surge in COVID over the summer and a fallback in autumn, but the rate of growth has slowed. And other data points are also up. Reply to this memo if you would like to read the report and I’ll get it to you at once.
Cindy Dietz to Celebrate
Immediate Past ABI Chair Cindy Dietz (Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids) celebrates her birthday this Saturday, November 6th. It was fun to celebrate with Cindy two years ago, as we enjoyed birthday cake at the November board meeting in her honor. ABI sends very best birthday wishes to Cindy Dietz!