Page 38 - MetalForming July 2012

Going on 70,
PMA Running Strong
The Precision Metalforming Association, in its 70th year, continues to provide exceptional value, according to executives from several long-time member companies. Says one: “Networking through PMA is key to our success. You don’t have to be smart, you just have to be smart enough to learn from others.”
BY LOUIS A. KREN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Through its 70 years, the Precision Metalforming Asso- ciation (PMA) and its predecessor, the American Metal Stamping Association, have enabled members to net- work with peers, witness new technologies through publi- cations and tradeshows, benchmark operations against best- in-class manufacturers, avail themselves of industry statistics, and learn new ways to efficiently produce quality parts.
Listen to these long-time PMA members talk about how the association has helped their companies over the years, and will continue to do so, through networking, advocacy and technology transfer.
Networking the Biggest Draw, for Good Reason
“We joined PMA to learn what was going on in the indus- try,” says Robert Hurst, CEO of Phoenix Specialty Manufac- turing Co., Bamberg, SC, noting that several of the company’s managers take advantage of PMA networks.
Networking is in fact the most attractive aspect of PMA membership, according to several longtime association members.
“Through networking via PMA, the industry has been able to open up and share ideas,” says Lisa Habe, president of Inter- lake Industries, Inc., Willoughby, OH. “In the past, manufac- turers tended to be more silent about their businesses.”
Besides its employees networking via various PMA com-
36 MetalForming/July 2012
www.metalformingmagazine.com