Hardt Elected PMA 2008 Chairman of the Board
Term will focus on helping metalforming companies prosper in a global market
CLEVELAND, OH-October 29, 2007-Ralph Hardt, president of North American operations for Feintool, Inc., Cincinnati, OH, has been named the Precision Metalforming Association's (PMA) 2008 chairman of the board of directors. At the association's annual meeting earlier this month in Tucson, AZ, Hardt began his one-year term by stressing the importance of metalforming companies' participation in the global market.
"As 2008 PMA Chairman, I will promote the importance of improving global competitiveness for U.S. metalforming companies, and the mission starts with promoting the 16th ICOSPA (International Council of Sheetmetal Presswork Associations) Congress, which occurs next September in Grand Rapids, MI."
The ICOSPA Congress, hosted by PMA, is held every three years and rotates among the participating countries-the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Japan. Hardt encourages members to attend the Congress and form relationships with overseas companies.
Hardt also urges U.S. manufacturers to look for opportunities to export their products. "Due to currency valuations, we are a low-cost producer globally, and metalforming companies need to take advantage of the opportunities that are out there. We can build tools here, stamp parts and assemble here, and supply customers in Europe or Asia.
"However, there remain a few challenges to successful exporting," Hardt warns, "namely the lack of a level playing field when it comes to free and fair trade. For this reason, advocacy remains a critical function for PMA, a highlight of our strategic plan for my term as chairman, and beyond."
Joining Hardt with leadership roles in the association are Wayne Boeckman of Texas Metal Spinning, A Division of Metal Spinners, Inc. in Fort Worth, TX; and Gretchen Zierick of Zierick Manufacturing Corporation in Mount Kisco, NY. Boeckman will serve as first vice chair and Zierick as second vice chair and treasurer.
PMA is the full-service trade association representing the $91-billion metalforming industry of North America-the industry that creates precision metal products using stamping, fabricating and other value-added processes. Its nearly 1,200 member companies include metal stampers, fabricators, spinners, slide formers and roll formers as well as suppliers of equipment, materials and services to the industry. Members are located in 30 countries, with the majority found in North America-in 41 states of the United States as well as Canada and Mexico.
Contact:
Christie Carmigiano
Government, Safety & Public Affairs Manager
Precision Metalforming Association
Phone: 216/901-8800
Fax: 216/901-9190
E-mail: ccarmigiano@pma.org
Web site: www.pma.org
