fall issue 2017 letter from les - midwestmfg.org€¦ · letter from les featured member volunteer...
TRANSCRIPT
In This IssueLetter from Les
Featured Member
Volunteer Bio
Central MN Tour of Mfg
Welcome New Members
New CMMA Member Benefit
Did you know...
Fall Issue 2017
Manufacturing Matters 800-654-5773 [email protected] www.CMMAworks.org
Upcoming EventsNovember 16CMMA General Meeting - St. CloudTour: Helicopter Maintenance FaciilityTopic: Understanding Cyber LiabilitySpeaker:Ashley SchmidtClick here for more information
December 12Holiday Social - St. JosephBad Habit BrewingClick here for flyer
January 25, 2018CMMA General Meeting - St. CloudTour: Woodcraft IndustriesMark your calendar
Hello CMMA members
Show me the numbers! CMMA has been a busy and productive group with some great outcomes to report at this writing. Our 2017 Tour of Manufacturing was a success with over 1,400 visits recorded! Information and inspiration were in abundance at each site. We thank the talented group that organized the tours, as well as our sponsors. Together, we helped to brighten manufacturing in central Minnesota.
We’re growing! CMMA’s YTD membership includes 23 new members and 172 total members. We welcome new members and appreciate sustaining members. Growth and innovation can rarely be maximized by one company, one service organization or even one industry going it alone.
CMMA continues the important work of preparing our future workforce. We’ve partnered with several area high schools to develop state certified youth apprenticeship programs. We’re creating an online Youth Apprenticeship Resource Center to include best practices, forms and processes. We’re also forming a Youth Apprenticeship Advisory Committee to assist state leaders with further development of youth learning opportunities.
Our elected officials are interested in connecting with you to better serve your manufacturing interests, let CMMA help you schedule a visit!
Please complete our monthly online meeting evaluation - we value your input as speakers, activities, and tours are planned.
The annual CMMA Holiday Social is scheduled on December 12 at Bad Habit Brewing in St. Joseph. It’s a great time to meet and enjoy the company of CMMA friends. I hope to see you there!
Thank you, manufacturers, for making our communities strong.
Les Engel, CMMA PresidentOwner, Engel Metallurgical
Letter From Les
Lance Louis, Louis Industries, represented CMMA’s work with Youth Apprenticeship as a panelist at the 2017 Minnesota Manufacturing Summit in October.
Fall 2017 NewsletterPage 2
Featured Member: NETTwork Manufacturing, Inc.“Central Minnesota’s best kept secret” – a phrase often heard during a tour of the NETTwork Manufacturing facility, located just outside of Rice, MN. With open fields and residential neighborhoods surrounding, you’d never suspect the vast capabilities just behind those bright blue walls.
Aaron Netter, President and CEO of NETTwork Manufacturing Inc, was born and raised in St. Cloud, MN but has left footprints across the world, both literal and symbolic. As a young man, Aaron served in the US Air Force and completed three tours in Vietnam before his honorable discharge in 1974. Like so many self-made business owners, Aaron came from humble beginnings and worked for every dollar made. He started NETTwork in the basement of a duplex in 1989, before upgrading to a home with an attached garage where NETTwork thrived for a short period of time. Aaron married his wife Leslie in 1992 and on the night of their wedding, he had a deadline for his only customer. So he did what no man would dare—he loaded up the weldments in his tux, bride in tow (wedding gown and all), and off they went to make the delivery! Leslie must not have minded all that much, as the two recently celebrated their 25th anniversary.
Today, NETTwork Manufacturing maintains a customer roster full of industry leaders, ranging from Mass Transit to Aerospace to Medical Devices. Customers choose NETTwork Manufacturing for their quality and delivery performance record, customer service, competitive pricing, and dedication to every project acquired.
SpecialtiesThe facility is equipped with numerous large capacity machining centers, but the custom- built 36’ machine comes second to none. With dual load capacity and an 180◦ 4th axis paired with engineering experts, NETTwork Manufacturing cuts production time and consistently meets delivery requirements of all their customers.
Other services• Aluminum extrusion fabrication• Precision sheet metal fabrication (punching, bending,
sheering)• CNC turning• CNC milling (4th and full 5th axis)• Vacuum table fixturing• CMM inspection• MIG/TIG welding• Rapid prototyping• Laser scanning• ISO 9001-2008 certified• IS9100-c compliant
Article submitted by NETTwork Manufacturing
Left to right: Paul McDonnell (NETTwork programmer), Aaron Netter, Congressman Tom Emmer, Carl Caspers (CPO of EMS), Leslie Bernick Netter. This photo was taken during a recent meeting with the congressman to discuss the importance of providing Veteran amputees with our EMS prosthetic socket that greatly improves quality of life and health benefits.
For more information, please visitwww. NETTWORKMFG.com
Fall 2017 NewsletterPage 3
Volunteer Bio
Name: Allison Waggoner
I work at DCI, Inc. as the Human Resources, Safety, and Communications Manager (15 years). I do what any normal HR Manager does: hiring, benefits, labor relations, salary administration, special events, etc. Oddest request – I found someone a Justice of the Peace so they could get married immediately. Even odder – I have done this twice. Everyone should realize that the HR Managers have the best stories in the company – some just can’t be repeated.
My first job was serving ice cream at Bud’s Dairy Dip in Owatonna, MN. After that I worked at Valleyfair through college.
Hometown: None – I’ve moved so much I really don’t have a home town.
I have been married to Mark Held for 15 years (we met on a volunteer Board of Directors). I have two grown children, Melissa – she says she is the “personal assistant to 5 girls” and Jessica – works for the Fargo Parks Department. I also have 2 stepchildren – Nichole who works at 3M and Michael who is a professional piercer about to move to California. I have 6 grandkids.
We have a dog named Ozzie, named after the Wizard of Oz (not Mr. Osbourne!) My favorite book is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett My favorite movie is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Favorite food: I LOVE to cook and have over 400 cookbooks.Click here for one of Allison’s favorite recipes, Dutch Pancakes - Pannekuchen
Do you have any hobbies, play any sports or favorite games? Cooking, gardening, photography, card games (canasta, cribbage)
Comment on your involvement in CMMA: I have been involved in the Tour of Manufacturing since its inception.
What would CMMA members be surprised to learn about you? I am passionate about the myriad of opportunities in manufacturing, the St. Cloud Technical and Community College, and the Concordia Language Villages. Also, I am a “recovering attorney.”
Welcome New Members!
American Axel & Manufacturing (AAM)
Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest
Kensington Bank (invited by Joe Mahowald)
MN State Engineering Center of Excellence
Ridgewater College
South Central College
St. Cloud Medical Group
Von Ruden Manufacturing, Inc.
With over 1,400 visits logged at open house tours hosted by eight manufacturing facilities in the region, the 2017 Central MN Tour of Manufacturing was certainly a success! New this year, VEX robotics teams were onsite to engage with youth and potential sponsors. Thank you to project chair Tonya Fuller (Park Industries) and all who were involved; you are appreciated! Give the office a call to inquire about the next Tour of Manufacturing event.
Central Minnesota Tour of Manufacturing
Thank you to those who invited them to join CMMA
Les Engel took advantage of several tours including AAM (formerly Grede).
Summer 2017 NewsletterPage 4
Manufacturing Matters is edited and published by Midwest Manufacturers’ Association, PO Box 150, Elbow Lake, MN 56531. Office hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. 800-654-5773 [email protected]
Did You Know? ...
Are you interested in serving on the CMMA Board of Directors? Nominations accepted through November 9, 2017.
CMMA Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, continues to accept donations from businesses (or individuals) interested in encouraging young people to consider careers in manufacturing. The Foundation has awarded 11 grants totalling $8,750 so far this year.
Congratulations to Granite-Tops, Pro Staff, W. Gohman Construction, and ReMax Results on their 5th Anniversary of CMMA membership!
MMA (the parent office) seeks to fill a new position: Program Coordinator. Telecommuting may be an option for this half-time position. Call the CMMA office to suggest a candidate.
CMMA is working with a student team from the SCSU Business Management class to refine the association’s social media presence, review best practices of like-minded associations, and develop strategies to engage new and prospective members. Stay tuned as their work continues.
Exciting news! The Coldspring IRock 5K, scheduled April 14, 2018, will raise funds for the CMMA Foundation! More to come.
The Trifac Workers Compensation self-insurance Fund is available exclusively to eligible members of CMMA and its two sister associations. Contact the CMMA office for details.
CMMA members are encouraged to bring a prospective member to a CMMA breakfast meeting; your guest can attend (one time) free of charge!
Educators are FREE! Invite a representative(s) from your local high school to an upcoming CMMA meeting. Teachers, administrators, and students are encouraged to attend FREE of charge (includes a free breakfast). And – membership in CMMA is FREE to area high schools!
CMMA Awards Scholarships
The CMMA Foundation awarded a total of $4,500 in 2017 to the St. Cloud Technical & Community College Foundation and the St. Cloud State University Foundation in support of manufacturing related scholarships.
Mitchell Jaeckels and Tyler Bjorstrom both received CMMA scholarships at SCTCC.
Bjorstrom had this to say along with his thanks, “My hope is to pay it forward by setting an example to others in my situation and show them it is possible to succeed despite their disabilities.”
Jaeckels said thank you and shared, “It is a special feeling when somebody has confidence in you and recognizes your hard work.”
A cost effective way to reach a broad manufacturing audience.
Promote your product or service to AMFA, CMMA, and TSMA for one annual fee.
To learn more, contactSandy Kashmark at 800-654-5773
Announcing NEW CMMA member benefit!
Health Plans! Self Funded Stop-loss Plans
The look and feel of fully insured plans with the benefits of self-funded plans
Contact the Association Office for more [email protected] • 800-654-5773