2017 AMBA Conference Dates Announced
The AMBA is excited to announce the Hilton® Downtown Cleveland, a brand new hotel with awe-inspiring views of Lake Erie, will be the site for the AMBA 2017 Annual Conference. Set to take place May 10-12, 2017, the two-day event will offer more opportunities for attendees to connect, learn and share than ever before. Located just steps away for the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame and the Warehouse district filled with innovative eateries, the hotel’s restaurants and rooftop lounge provide the perfect ambience for conference networking. Stay tuned to www.amba.org for additional information coming this fall.
Plant Tour Workshop at Freeman Company
Aug. 25
8 a.m. – 12 p.m. EST
$89 – AMBA Members, $189 – Nonmembers
Freeman Company, Fremont, OH, will host the next AMBA plant tour workshop on August 25, 2016. In business since 1892, Freeman Company is a privately held company, committed to continuous improvement through ongoing training and investment in the latest technology for precision, high-speed manufacturing. Freeman specializes in thin-film thermoform tooling for the high-volume food service and packaging industries. The company’s 100 percent climate-controlled manufacturing facility functions around the clock with a three-shift operation that incorporates an advanced scheduling system to track and maintain production requirements. This system includes bar coding of all job operations and is used for precise tracking and real-time production planning. Look for information on registration, hotel and more coming soon at www.amba.org.
AMBA Welcomes New Board Members
Jim Bott has been employed at INCOE Corporation, a world-class global supplier of hot runner systems, for the past 31 years. Currently, he is the business development manager for North America, and has held past positions as draftsman, designer, checker, applications engineer and engineering manager. Before accepting his current position, he was INCOE’s North American sales manager from 2000 to 2014. Bott is a graduate of Lawrence Technological University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering/mechanical systems design (BSME). Additionally, he is knowledgeable in quick mold change system solutions. He is a native of Michigan, where he resides with his wife, Carol, and their two daughters.
Mike Zacharias is currently president of Extreme Tool and Engineering in Wakefield, Michigan. Extreme has been in business since July of 1998, and currently employs 85 people in two facilities in Northern Michigan. Extreme is a leading supplier of turnkey plastic injection mold solutions for packaging, medical, electronics and automotive markets. Zacharias began his career as a moldmaker apprentice in the ’80s, and then progressed into mold design, project engineering, project management and plant management all across the country before starting Extreme. Zacharias also is very active within the industry, serving on several college advisory committees. He is a Moldmaking Technology magazine advisory committee member, as well as an active member of several trade organizations including AMBA, SPI and MAPP. He runs Extreme with his wife, Shari, and two college-age daughters, and owns a farm in Kimball, Wisconsin. He has a passion for bow hunting and always is happy to share hunting stories with those who enjoy the sport!
Glenn Starkey entered the industry as an AMBA apprentice moldmaker specializing as an NC and CNC operator and programmer as the technology emerged in the early ’80s. After attending mold design classes through the Tooling & Manufacturing Association, he designed both on the board and then in CAD, and started a company as a CADkey developer, writing and selling CK/Mold, a parametric design program. In 1990, Starkey partnered with his brother, Don Starkey, in what would become Progressive Components. Starkey holds patents for the first standard mold lifter, first cycle counter and mold monitoring products, as well as standard cam actions and plate sequence control mechanisms. Progressive has direct locations in the US, Asia and Europe, and distributors worldwide. Starkey has chaired the SPE Moldmaking and Mold Design Division, and the SPI Global Business Council, where he led three trade missions. He now chairs the SPE Mold Technologies Division.
NEW MEMBERS
PMI Industries, LLC
Roger Reiner, General Manager
585.464.8050 www.pmiindustries.com
PMI Industries, LLC, is a global leader in mold building, precision machining and plastic injection molding. The company specializes in high-tolerance machining (.0001″) using state-of-the-art 5-axis machine centers and EDMs, and offers design, engineering, world-class tooling and secondary operations. Its customers in the aerospace, automotive, communications, defense/military, electronics, marine and medical markets look to PMI for outstanding value and reliable project management.
NyproMold Chicago
Al Schaefer, Production Control Manager
847.855.2225 www.nypromold.com
Founded in 1987, NyproMold is a world leader in the design and manufacture of high-precision injection molds. The company is proud to serve many of the world’s largest and most influential brand owners and injection molders in the health care, packaging, consumer and electronic markets. Innovation and excellence are at the core of NyproMold’s values and guiding principles and are evident in its team, tools and technology.
Texas Hybrid Components
Andrew Rhodes, Business Manager
512.688.5135 www.texashc.biz
Texas Hybrid Components manufactures custom-designed mold tools for industry players who need mold tools for injection molding operations, which are outside the standard, run-of-the-mill requirements. The company offers an integrated solution, from software design of 3D models to sourcing of materials and, ultimately, to delivery of the completed mold tool.