Regional Spring Association Report

NESMA News

By Jim Mintun, Gibbs

Scholarships Awarded

The New England Spring and Metalstamping Association (NESMA) is pleased to announce our 2020 $1,000 scholarships were awarded to two fine candidates from the 2020 graduating class at Bristol Eastern High School in Bristol, Connecticut.

Our first award is designated for a graduating senior attending high school in a New England state (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) and pursuing a degree in engineering. The award was presented to Osama Ahmed, who will attend the University of Connecticut in the fall to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

Our second award is granted to a graduating senior, currently enrolled student or student returning to school who is a child or grandchild of an employee or owner of a NESMA member company in good standing. The recipient of this award was Alyssa Lavoie, who plans to attend Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut in the fall to pursue a degree as a physician assistant, specializing in cardiovascular surgery or neurosurgery, and possibly a doctorate in medical science.

Alyssa is the daughter of Dennis Lavoie, an employee at Southington Tool and Manufacturing Company in Southington, Connecticut.

NESMA would like to thank our partners at Main Street Community Foundation for their assistance in fielding all applications and managing the 2020 scholarship program. We would also like to congratulate the two awardees and wish them many years of success as they pursue higher education.

New Manufacturing Czar

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has appointed Colin Cooper as the state’s first chief manufacturing officer. The former CEO of the Whitcraft Group, a contract manufacturer of precision parts to the aerospace market, Cooper has been tasked to coordinate state and private-sector efforts to promote growth in the state’s manufacturing sector. Several NESMA member companies planned to attend an informative Oct. 6 breakfast, where Cooper was scheduled to present the State of Connecticut Manufacturing Outlook at The Farmington Club in Farmington, Connecticut.

Pandemic Forces Changes to Planned Events

Due to the ongoing uncertainty created with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, NESMA’s board of directors has made the difficult decision to cancel or postpone several activities scheduled for the balance of 2020.

Our Spring Winding and Fourslide Machine Technologies classes at Bristol Tech that were scheduled to begin in October may be canceled (no firm decision had made as of press time), due to social distancing guidelines and requirements for remote learning that would jeopardize the hands-on requirements of the curriculum.

Our popular Casino Night, originally planned for March 26, 2020, was postponed to Oct. 28, 2020, and with the current restrictions imposed by the Governor for large groups, has forced us to postpone the event until 2021. Sponsors who have paid for the event will be given the choice to be reimbursed in full or to carryover the funds they paid toward the 2021 event. We regret having to postpone the event yet again, as it has been great fun and has helped attendees to network with many member companies.

We were informed by the staff at Nuchie’s Restaurant, our host for the 2020 NESMA Holiday Party, of their decision to close the restaurant for the balance of 2020 in hopes that they will avoid any issues with contamination or spread of the virus. In an effort to keep our members safe and healthy, the board elected not to pursue another potential venue this year.

We hope that all our member companies stay safe and healthy during these uncertain times.

For the latest updates regarding NESMA activities and membership, please sign up to receive our newsletter or consult our expanded website: www.nesma-usa.com.

CASMI Report

By Michael Bandy, CASMI Co-Executive Director

SpringWorld 2020 Canceled; Next Event Will Take Place Oct. 5–7, 2022

The Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI) board of directors met July 16 in Oak Brook, Illinois, and made the difficult decision to cancel SpringWorld 2020, which was scheduled to take place this October at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.

“The COVID-19 situation and the current state of reopening in Illinois

made it impossible to hold SpringWorld as scheduled,” says Tony Pesaresi, CASMI president. “We discussed the possibility of postponing the event until the first quarter of 2021, but ultimately we made our decision to cancel and to proceed with SpringWorld 2022.”

According to Pesaresi, the reason for canceling came down to three reasons: 1. The Good of the Industry – This industry is muddling through tough times, and the board felt strongly that back-to-back years of SpringWorld would not be good for its members, exhibitors or the industry. People and companies have come to expect SpringWorld everyother-year, and the organization felt it was important to remain committed to this rotation. 2. Concern CASMI Would Be in the Same Boat – COVID19 continues to disrupt personal and professional lives.

Given the Governor of Illinois’ comments on Stage 5, or the full reopening of the state, the board felt the organization could end up having to cancel a rescheduled

SpringWorld. 3. Trade Show Results – The board was adamant that

CASMI needs to provide a strong buyer attendance at

SpringWorld. With business travel suffering, it could cause a significant decrease in attendance and the overall quality of SpringWorld.

“Cannabis in the Workplace” Is the Topic for CASMI’s November Meeting

Workplace.” went into effect, allowing adults over the age of 21 to processes, drug testing, disability accommodations and discipline/termination. Understanding the law itself and and productive workforce.

The next SpringWorld will take place Oct. 5–7, 2022 in Rosemont. Exhibiting companies that were scheduled to take part in the 2020 edition of SpringWorld will have the opportunity to roll their exhibit space forward into the 2022 event.

Annual Holiday Party

CASMI’s annual Holiday Party is scheduled for Dec. 3, 2020, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Arlington Heights, Illinois. Details will be available on the association’s website this fall.

CASMI Mourns the Loss of Past President

John Tisza, 60, the owner of Zaco Manufacturing and past president of CASMI (1993-1994), died June 3, 2020 at his home in Prospect Heights, Illinois. Tisza founded Zaco

Tisza is survived by his wife of 35 years, Jan (nee Semtner) Tisza; his sons John S. Tisza, Michael J. (Monica) Tisza and Daniel A. Tisza; his granddaughter Ana Tisza; and by his siblings Tom (Sue) Tisza, Mary (Mike) Biancalana, Karen Walsh and Kathy (Tom) Schmit. Tisza was the proud uncle of 12 nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gene and Joan Tisza.

For updates and registration details for all CASMI events, visit www.casmi-springworld.org. n

The November CASMI membership meeting will take place Nov. 12, 2020, at Maggiano’s in Schaumburg, Illinois. Mike Wong, partner, SmithAmundsen’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, will tackle the topic of “Cannabis in the

On Jan. 1, 2020, the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act legally purchase and use cannabis products. During this presentation, Wong, who specializes in labor and employment law, will discuss how the legalization of marijuana impacts company policies and procedures, including hiring different legal provisions which specifically address employers is important, so that you can understand and limit your exposure to legal challenges and take steps to have a healthy Manufacturing in 1989.