August 2025 Volume 7

INDUSTRY NEWS

Werner is advising the Michigan Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation, which was established last year by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to re-energize manufacturing in support of national security. Also in attendance was Jeannine Kunz, executive director and CEO of SME (formerly the Society of Manufacturing Engineers), the nonprofit dedicated to fostering manufacturing and engineering technology and talent in North America. Kunz, who was previously SME’s chief workforce development officer, sits on a series of national committees seeking to alleviate the nation’s historic workforce shortages, including her work with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the National Defense Industrial Association. She recently moderated a discussion on “Michigan’s Role in America’s Defense” at the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference, which featured U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a member of the Armed Services Committee; former Marine Col. John Gutierrez, who heads the Michigan Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation; and Erik Smith, head of Saab North America, which is making significant new manufacturing investments in Michigan. “The opportunity to engage with FIA, including some SME members, was extremely worthwhile,” she said. “Forging is a crucial manufacturing sector, and I have new appreciation for the work FIA is doing. I look forward to exploring ways we can further our relationship and align our collective efforts for even greater impact.”

The Michigan events were the second FIA-organized lobby days in Michigan. The effort will soon be coming to other states where there are heavy concentrations of forging companies and suppliers. “We intend to expand state lobby days,” said FIA’s Johnson. “Without our personal connection to legislatures,” said Ellen Campbell, “the forging industry is at risk of being overlooked by when voting on legislation. Because forging is a critical, yet often hidden industry to many consumers, we need to educate our government representatives.” “We hope that every state that has FIA members will enact a lobby day to help galvanize our message across the country,” she added. The next state push is being planned for this Fall in Columbus, Ohio. To learn more contact Laura at Laura@forging.org. Bryan Bender SMI Vice President of Communications Strategy Email: bender@strategicmi.com

Phone: 202-369-6856 www.strategicmi.com

FIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2025 49