November 2019 Volume 1

MEMBERS SPEAK

President’s Challenge Announced With the leadership of former board chairman (2017/2018) Jeff Jones of Forge Resources Group (Dekalb) providing the first gift to the President’s Challenge, we are well on our way to a new round of funding focused on students attending two-year community colleges and trade schools. I am happy to announce we’re nearly to our goal announced at the Fall Meeting – raising $20,000 at the Fall Meeting in new funds directed for scholarships for students attending two-year schools with a study of manufacturing. I am sincerely thankful for these presidents standing tall with their $1,500 pledges – including our own FIA president JimWarren’s personal gift – to get this campaign underway: • David Mesick, President, Milwaukee Forge • John Cain, President &Chairman, Scot Forge • David Moxlow, CEO, Trenton Forging Company • Jeff Jones, Vice President, Forge Resources Group • Peter Campbell, President, Campbell Press Repair • Rob Mayer, The Queen City Forging Company • Rick Recktenwald, President, Walker Forge, Inc. • Alex Jennings, President, Specialty Ring Products • JimWarren, President, FIA And we are just getting started! I am encouraging ALL presidents to meet our challenge with either a personal or corporate gift of $1,500. The Foundation staff will direct donations to community college and trade school foundations where donated dollars originate from. We will work with faculty and advisors at these schools to determine a suitable pool of candidates that our FIA and FIERF committees can select from. As part of their program of student, we will expect all students who accept scholarship dollars to tour members companies who have donated. We expect scholarships will be first awarded no sooner than Spring/ Summer 2020 and no later than the Fall 2020 semester. Donate Now! You can simply email Jim Warren to express your intent to donate and mail in a check made out to FIERF (we’ll get you a receipt for your tax deduction). Email Jim at jwarren@forging. org or call him at 216-781-6260. We can also email a donor form We are just back from a fantastic Fall Meeting in Nashville and it was so good to see so many members turnout. I’ve now hit the halfway mark of my year chairing this fine organization and feel confident that both FIA and its foundation are moving in the right direction. I’d like to wish you and your family a great holiday season as we head into Thanksgiving and Christmas. Best wishes from Specialty Ring Products. The opinions in this column are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forging Industry Association, its executives or its members. for you to complete. FinalThoughts

The Future of Workforce Development

The Forging Industry Educational and Research Foundation is your resource to: • Gain access to a local pipeline of skilled trades interns, apprentices and future employees . • Provide upskilling for current employees . • Customize training to match meet your immediate and on-going training needs by engaging with local community colleges.

The Forging Foundation is your partner to connect you to students and educators!

216-862-6967 l foundation@forging.org l FIERF.org 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 615 Cleveland, OH 44114

FIA MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2019 56