3 minute read
FROM THE DIRECTOR The Final Exam
Life is somewhat ironic. As we grow up, it seems through our educational experience that we are always preparing for “the final exam.” Whether it be in high school, college or a special training experience, first we are taught, then we study and then we take the exam. We then measure our results by whether we pass or fail the final exam and not by the lessons we learn along the way. But in life, and most certainly in business, it’s so often reversed! The final exam usually happens before the lesson! In fact, it was once said that “the trouble with using experience as a guide is that the final exam often comes first and then the lesson.”
I reveal this concept because of my belief; my belief that all trade associations must work on behalf of their members to provide “lessons” before the final exams take place. This may sound a little unorthodox, but if you begin to examine the activities and menu of benefits that ARPM offers to its members, one can see a hint of the strategic thinking that was used to form the foundation of the organization. It was the goal and vision of ARPM’s founding fathers to collectively unite the experiences and lessons learned of the professionals leading each member company. As exhibited on ARPM’s website, there is a special location for individuals to identify their strengths (their experiences; their accumulation of lessons learned) so that others may tap into the knowledge base before the real world throws them a real exam or final test.
ARPM is unveiling its newly created ARPM Training Academy. The foundation for the ARPM Training Academy lies within ARPM’s industry-leading best practice documents, ARPM technical guidance documents and ARPM’s The Rubber Handbook. Our instructors are veteran experts in their fields, boasting over 140 years of combined experience in the rubber manufacturing industry so that we may successfully provide our members with the “lessons” before the final exam.
The ARPM Training Academy is a dynamic technical training resource that teaches fundamentals and advanced topics for the rubber industry. The ARPM Training Academy provides training for the entire workforce, and improves the knowledge base from the entry-level machine operator to the highly-skilled engineering professional. Our newly created in-person training provides in-depth principles of design not available anywhere else in the rubber industry or academia. This in-person training is tailored to Design, Quality, Sales, Product and Process Engineers.
Seals Product Design and Manufacturing – June 5-9, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio
● One-week intensive course provides comprehensive and consistent training in rubber science, product seal design (for static and dynamic sealings) and producibility.
Belts Product Design and Manufacturing – Coming Soon
Hose Product Design and Manufacturing – Coming Soon
In essence, those professionals selecting to invest the time to attend ARPM’s Training Academy are ensuring they are prepared long before their final exams are placed in front of them!
I look forward to seeing you in Columbus, Ohio in June for the inaugural in-person class of the training academy –Seals Product Design and Manufacturing. Register today at www.arpminc.com! n
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ARPM
By Liz Stevens, writer, Insider Rubber
ARPM Team
Executive Director Troy Nix – tnix@arpminc.org
Managing Director Letha Keslar – lkeslar@arpminc.org
Marketing Director Marcella Kates – mkates@arpminc.org
Analytics Tony Robinson – trobinson@arpminc.org
Director of Publications Susan Denzio – sdenzio@arpminc.org
Membership & Events Director Kaitlyn Krol – kkrol@arpminc.org
By Susan Denzio, director
ARPM Officers and Board of Directors
President
Travis Turek, Bruckman Rubber Corporation
Vice President
James Wideman, MBL (USA) Corporation
Treasurer
By Jake Mazulewicz, Ph.D.
Marel Riley-Ryman, Southern Michigan Rubber
Secretary
Joe Keglewitsch, Ice Miller LLP
ARPM Board of Directors
Rich Balka, Home Rubber Company
Bill Bernardo, Ebco, Inc.
Kirk Bowman, The Timken Company
Russ Burgert, Maplan Rubber Machinery
Aaron Clark, Danfoss
Joe Colletti, Marsh Bellofram
Randy Dobbs, Sperry & Rice
Ryan Fleming, Freudenberg-Nok Sealing Technologies
Doug Gilg, Continental ContiTech
Diya Garware Ibanez, Fulflex, Inc.
Seth Johnson, Zochem LLC
Donovan Lonsway, BRP
Jon Meigan, Lake Erie Rubber & Manufacturing
Mike Rainey, HBD Industries Inc.
Mike Recchio, Zeon Chemicals L.P.
Brandon Robards, Ace Extrusion
Vice President, Editorial: Dianna Brodine
Editor: Lindsey Munson
Vice President, Design: Becky Arensdorf
Graphic Designer: Hailey Mann
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