Hello, Cleveland!

Cleveland’s had some tough times over the years, but things are looking up.  There hasn’t been a river fire on the Cuyahoga since 1969, Lebron was replaced by a slightly lesser known Tristan Thompson, the Brown’s are still mathematical contenders for the Playoff’s, and the 2013 ARM Annual Meeting is returning to the Rock and Roll Capital of the World.

Here are the top 3 reasons why I am excited for the Annual Meeting (I’m no Letterman):

1.      More breakout and networking time.  Member feedback consistently cites “networking opportunities” as one of the biggest advantages of ARM.  We wanted to give more time for members to interact and talk about their businesses, rather than sit quietly listening to someone else talk.  This year, we are allowing for more breakout sessions to give people a chance to talk about new technology, problems they are encountering, and creative ways to drive change.  These are meant to be interactive sessions, so be prepared to engage with your counterparts.

2.      We are getting outside of the hotel to tour of Hedstrom, Ferry, and Vitamix.  Last year during the Minneapolis meeting, I had about 25 molders through our Delano, MN plant.  As Glenn Beall noted, it quickly digressed from a tour into a “what’s your problem” session.  It was a great time for all of those involved.  Hedstrom and Ferry agreed to open their doors and host us. Rich Maguire at Remcon helped add Vitamix, the popular blender company, that plans to get in depth with our members about their lean journey of excellence.  Rather than sitting in the ballroom for a few hours Tuesday morning, you will have the option of joining us on a massive field trip (permission slips not required).

3.      This Cleveland Board of Tourism Video here. (I’m 99% sure this is legitimate.)

All kidding aside, I am looking forward to seeing you at the Fall Meeting.  We are really excited about the revised format and the programs we have set up. You can learn more and register here.

Finally, the over-under for the number of awards that Formed Plastics will win at the Gala Dinner is 27.

Rick Carlsen is an owner and the VP of Sales and Marketing at Solar Plastics, Inc.

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