A MESSAGE FROM THE AMBA PRESIDENT

Dear Colleagues, I hope this finds you happy, healthy and with more business than you can handle. If that’s the case, I’d like you to put your feet on your desk and try to remember where you were 50 years ago… I was 13 years old, had just met my future bride and worked summers pumping gas at the local marina. Not a bad gig for $2 an hour. Boats, water, pretty girls, I had it made. Little did I know that two things were happening that year that would change our world: Hip Hop music began in New York City and the American Mold Builders Association (AMBA) was founded.

Now my hunch is the AMBA will long outlive Hip Hop (I’m more of a Jimmy Buffett fan), but both have greatly impacted our lives. While your feet are still up, try to remember the words to “Rappers Delight” and be thankful that dozens of trailblazers had the foresight to create the AMBA. Our industry is a force, a voice in Washington D.C. and a conduit to provide best-in-class assistance to our members because a group had the conviction that our industry needed an association. I’m thankful they did.

Some say the best part of our Association is our upcoming conference. They are right! If you’ve not been in a few years, this is your year! Our team is hard at work developing programming that is relevant to industry issues at hand. At last year’s conference, I challenged all the owners to bring their young guns and show them how dynamic this industry is. Tom Barr at TK Mold did and still reaps the benefits. This year is your turn. I’m bringing my young superstars, and I hope you will too! Let’s make this a record year, with more shops attending and each bringing their best and brightest. Join us!

A strong voice and presence are needed in Washington D.C., now more than ever. We’re facing renewed pressure on keeping in place tariffs on Chinese tools and have awful tax laws and new regulations in play that will affect each of us. Omar Nashashibi and his team at The Franklin Partnership are leading discussions that are important to our industry. Thanks to the nearly 60 member shops that helped mobilize comments regarding our need for consistent tariffs on Chinese tools. Washington heard us loud and clear. We will continue to push for laws and regulations that are favorable for our industry and our members.

I think we would all agree that developing our teams is our top priority. Your AMBA is leading the way with our Emerging Leaders Network. This specialized group for our next generation of leaders is designed to help them develop the skills necessary to succeed in supervisory and/or managerial roles.

I’m thankful to be working with a smart, experienced Board, a dedicated and focused AMBA staff and you, our member companies to ensure we have the strongest industry association possible. But we always can be better. If you have ideas on things that can help you and your business be more successful, please let us know.

I hope you remember the words to “Rappers Delight,” are thankful for our association pioneers and make your reservations for Grand Rapids with your young superstars. I look forward to seeing you then. Call anytime! All the best! DDD

OFFICERS

National President

Don Dumoulin, Precise Tooling Solutions

Immediate Past-President

Jim Sperber, Master Tool & Mold

Vice President Tyler VanRee, Legacy Precision Molds

Secretary and Legal Counsel

Alan Rothenbuecher, Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP

Treasurer

Tom Barr, TK Mold & Engineering

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

David Bowers II, JMMS, Inc.

Charles Daniels, Wepco Plastics

Ed Francis, Crystallume

Dan Glass, Strohwig Industries

Eric Karaman, Michiana Global Mold

Chad LaMance, United Tool & Mold

Andy Peterson, Industrial Molds Group

John Stocker, Swiss Steel USA

Hillary Thomas, Westminster Tool