Benefits of Membership

 AWPA and You
 Goals and Objectives
 Benefits and Services

 Committee Activities
 Interest Groups

As a producer of wire and wire products or as a supplier to this industry, you have an ever increasing stake in this market and its potential. Government policies in international trade, OSHA and EPA regulation affecting the manufacturing workplace, technical changes, and new product developments point the way for a future of change and potential.

The AWPA offers members an opportunity to be current on developments in these areas and to affect their impact on the wire and wire products industry. Through the AWPA, the voice of individual companies, who share common interests, unite in a collective voice to address issues of concern and importance.

If you are interested in the future of the North American wire producing industry and sharing in meeting its challenges and rewards, AWPA provides this opportunity.

COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
The policies, programs, and activities of the American Wire Producers Association originate from the efforts of the committees. The AWPA Committee structure includes these committees.

Board of Directors (BOD):  The Board of Directors consists of twenty-one members, elected in three classes of three year terms.  Each class consists of six representatives from Active member companies and one representative from a category of Associate members.  Active members may serve consecutive three-year terms; Associate members may serve only one three-year term.  The Board is elected by the Active members during the Annual Business meeting.  Only one individual from a member company may serve on the Board.

Standing Committees are committees of a limited number of people who have been asked to serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors. These include:

• Executive Committee (EC):  The Executive Committee consists of the elected officers of the association and past presidents.
• Government Relations Advisory Committee (GRAC):  The GRAC provides structure to the policy and position making process of the AWPA.  The GRAC forms a core group of the leadership and are the individuals who have assumed the responsibility to be informed on Government Relations issues.  They provide consistency of policy and assure that those issues in which AWPA becomes involved are consistent with the goals and objectives of the association.  The committee consists of the Executive Committee members and 3 to 4 additional Board members from the Active category of membership.
• Operations Steering Committee (OSC):  The Operations Steering Committee exists to promote activities to enhance and support improvement in individual company operations, to advance the competitiveness of the North American wire industry, and to assist in compliance with regulations, especially those pertaining to the environment and safety.  The Operations Steering Committee achieves this by conducting meetings of Operations Managers for the free and open exchange of ideas, information, and expertise in the area of plant operations.  The committee represents a cross section of the various products manufactured by AWPA member companies.  Members include 10-12 representatives from wire producing companies and a supplier representative.

Membership Committee: This committee develops membership goals and programs to achieve a broad base of industry representation.  Participation is open to all members and potential members of the association.  The committee meets during the Annual Meeting (February) and Fall Government Affairs Conference.

Environmental Affairs Subcommittee (EAS):  The Environmental Affairs Subcommittee works with the Operations Steering Committee to monitor agency environmental and safety regulations and legislation which affects plant operations.  Committee members are individuals who are responsible for monitoring and implementing regulations for their companies.  The EAS meets during the Annual Operations Managers meeting, held in the fall and by conference call as regulatory issues present themselves.

Product Committees: Voting membership is determined by the Charter of the committee; however, typically voting members are representatives of companies that manufacture the product that is the subject. Other members who have an interest in the market are welcome to participate, but may be asked to leave meetings for closed policy sessions. These committees meet during the Annual Meeting (February) and Fall Government Affairs Conference.  They may also meet by conference call or in special session.  These committees include:

• Nail Committee: This committee represents the special interests of nail manufacturers within the industry and to government officials. The Nail Committee also monitors imports and exports of nail products and undertakes projects of interest to its members.
• Stainless Wire Committee: This committee represents the special interests of stainless steel wire and wire product manufacturers within the industry and to government officials. The Stainless Committee also sponsors a Quarterly Report of the US Stainless Industry which tracks US shipments, imports, exports and apparent US consumption of rod and wire. The committee also monitors imports and exports of stainless wire and rod products and undertakes projects of interest to its members.
• PC Strand Committee:  The PC Strand Committee exists to address the issues of common interest that face PC Strand product manufacturers of the North American wire industry.  The committee provides a forum for PC Strand products manufacturers to meet and discuss issues of possible common interest.  Currently, the PC Strand Committee has undertaken industry testing which will lead to the development of an industry manufacturing standard.

INTEREST GROUPS
In order to better communicate with various segments of the AWPA membership, we have created several interest groups.  Participation may be limited by the category of membership of your company.

US Carbon Wire Producers:  These individuals are from Active member companies which manufacture carbon wire and wire products.  The participants are the Primary Representative of each member company and other individuals in those companies who want to receive information about legislative, policy and trade issues.  This interest group receives communications regarding any trade case activity involving carbon rod supply.

US Stainless Wire Producers:  These individuals are from Active member companies which manufacture Stainless wire and wire products.  The participants are the Primary Representative of each member company and other individuals in those companies who want to receive information about legislative, policy and trade issues.  This interest group receives communications regarding any trade case activity involving Stainless rod supply.

Carbon Rod Trading Companies:  These individuals are from Associate Rod Supplier member companies which provide carbon rod products to the US wire industry.  The participants are the Primary Representative of each member company and other individuals in those companies who want to receive information about legislative, policy and trade issues.  This interest group receives communications regarding any trade case activity involving carbon rod supply.

Stainless Rod Trading Companies:  These individuals are from Associate Rod Supplier member companies which provide Stainless rod products to the US wire industry.  The participants are the Primary Representative of each member company and other individuals in those companies who want to receive information about legislative, policy and trade issues.  This interest group receives communications regarding any trade case activity involving Stainless rod supply.

Safety Benchmarking Statistics:  The American Wire Producers Association (AWPA) has collected Safety Statistics since 1994.  AWPA aggregates the safety data from all of its member companies and provides industry averages.  This effort provides a picture of wire industry safety performance that allows individual companies a measure against which they can compare their own company safety records.  The data we use comes directly from the OSHA Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses report US manufacturing companies file on January 15, each year.  The data is collected on a Business Confidential basis; no other member, committee member or board member has access to individual company data. The results of the safety survey are available only to those companies that participate by providing their own company safety data.  Data is automatically provided to the Primary Operations Contact at those member companies which have provided data for the current reporting year.  Other individuals from participating companies may request to be added to this interest group to have access to the final reports.