by Noelle Becker, Administrative Assistant AWPA and WAI Merge Meetings in ClevelandWielding large wire cutters, Kimberly Korbel, AWPA Executive Director, helped to kick off the AWPA Spring Operations Managers Meeting on Monday, June 14, 2004. The meeting was held in Cleveland, Ohio in conjunction with the Wire Association International (WAI) Wire Expo. The AWPA meeting attendees were up bright and early Tuesday to start off an action-packed day. The day began with a general session where four speakers gave the attendees insight into such timely topics as reducing costs in ferrous wire operations, AWPA bar code standards, and proper ways to hire and fire. Next, the attendees were off to the AWPA lunch with Chris Stauffer from Ferrostaal. Chris earned a few chuckles using analogies from hockey to describe the current conditions of the wire industry. He said those working in the wire industry were constantly having unexpected surprises thrown at them like "hockey pucks" and therefore needed "hockey sticks" to fend off all these surprises. The night was capped off with a reception at the Cleveland Convention Center where attendees munched on local favorites such as deep fried lake fish. The meeting was concluded on Wednesday morning with the roundtable discussions, always a favorite of the Operations Managers Meeting attendees. Each of the four groups was given a list of topics to discuss. Using personal stories and anecdotes, attendees shed some light on the suggested topics giving all participants some concrete ideas to take home with them. In conclusion, AWPA Operations Managers Meeting attendees benefited greatly by having the meeting co-located with the WAI Wire Expo. Not only were attendees able to gain useful knowledge from the speakers, but they were also able to meet with customers and potential customers on the Wire Expo show floor. The general concession about the Expo was that although attendance was down, the quality of the sales leads made on the show floor was excellent.
Kimberly and Dane Armendariz, chairman of the WAI’s Suppliers Management Committee, to her immediate right.
Group Wire Cutting Photo: From l-r, Kimberly Korbel, AWPA Executive Director, Robert Shemenski, chairman of the WAI's Technical Council; WAI President Giulio Properzi; Thomas Renner, chairman of the local organizing committee for Wire Expo 2004; and Dane Armendariz, chairman of the WAI's Suppliers Management Committee.
Chris Stauffer, Division Manager, Ferrostaal Incorporated from the lunch event Tuesday June 15.
 American Wire Producers Association |
