By Dianna Brodine, managing editor
The American Mold Builder
For the second year in a row, the Chicago Chapter was honored as AMBA Chapter of the Year at the annual conference in Dearborn, Michigan, May 11-13. “We are ecstatic, said Francine Petrucci, president of the Chicago Chapter and B.A. Die Mold, Inc. “There is competition out there, and I wasn’t convinced we could win two years in a row, but we had worked so hard in 2015. I had my fingers crossed!”
Established to recognize a chapter that has made outstanding advancements throughout the year, the AMBA Chapter of the Year award recipient receives a $5,000 Progressive Components scholarship grant for an industry-related educational program. With industry leadership in advancing mold building as a career choice for high school seniors, the Chicago Chapter likely has a variety of potential uses for the scholarship award.
The year 2015 was a turning point for the Chicago Chapter as its Education Committee’s efforts in promoting education and apprenticeships over the previous three years culminated with its first annual Careers in Advanced Manufacturing Educators’ Symposium on Oct. 8, 2015. At this event, superintendents, educators and school counselors were invited to learn about careers in moldmaking through roundtable discussions led by AMBA members, apprentices, instructors from manufacturing programs and others. Topics included career paths in mold manufacturing, the demand for highly skilled workers, the earning potential in the mold manufacturing arena and more. The superintendent from Leyden High School District 212 (which has an extremely successful manufacturing program) spoke about the importance of high school curricula offering manufacturing programs and Leyden’s success in building relationships with area businesses, such as A-1 and Graphic Tool. More than 40 educators from throughout the Chicago area attended the event.
The Chicago Chapter also continued to participate in area job and career fairs at local schools, including Vernon Hills High School, Triton Community College, Leydon High School District 212, Waubonsie Valley High School and Oak Lawn High School District 229. The chapter and its member companies also have participated in Manufacturing Days at Toshiba and GF Charmilles. At each of these events Chicago Chapter’s “Earn While You Learn” booth is staffed by member company owners, apprentices and others in the mold manufacturing industry. Additionally, several of the chapter’s members serve on the advisory councils of various high schools, including Palatine High School District, Northridge High School and Leydon High School District.
In 2015, the Chicago Chapter celebrated the fifth year of its Mold Your Career Award for employees of chapter companies who have been with their employers for more than one year and show promise as future mold builders, designers, CNC machinists or die makers. The nominees were recognized at the Feb. 2, 2016, chapter meeting, with a $1,000 gift card being awarded to Bryan Hale of Pelco Tool & Mold, Inc., and the other six nominees each receiving $200 gift cards in recognition of their excellence in the field. “As shop owners, we’re all running businesses and busy doing what we do every day,” said Petrucci. “The Mold Your Career Award gives those of us without HR departments or staff dedicated to employee morale an easy way to recognize those apprentices who are lighting the world on fire.”
The Education Committee continues to work steadily in planning education and networking opportunities so that its members, schools, educators and others unite their efforts to promote careers in mold manufacturing and provide quality programs to achieve it. The Chicago Chapter continues to educate its members with the latest information in areas from working with millennials to partnering with schools to increase awareness of mold manufacturing careers.
Outreach to future mold builders wasn’t the chapter’s only achievement in 2015. For the first time, the Chicago Chapter hosted a Suppliers Night event in April of 2015. Though the goal of the event was to raise funds to support the Education Committee’s efforts (which it did quite successfully), the Suppliers Night provided a perfect venue for suppliers and mold manufacturers from across the region to network and learn about the latest products and services. It also was a perfect event to expose young employees to the large network of mold making industry vendors and suppliers and have an opportunity to display to them what the AMBA is about. “We set a date and had six weeks to make it happen, because spring is a busy time in our industry with other conferences,” explained Petrucci. “The buzz in the room that first year – it was like the microphone wasn’t loud enough to get people to sit down for dinner. Everyone was communicating and networking – it was so exciting!”
The keynote speaker for the event was Jim Nelson, vice president of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA), who addressed the members on the state of manufacturing in Illinois and closing the skills gap. The Chicago Chapter also has partnered with the IMA in presenting a series of workshops on working with millennials. This collaboration with other organizations in the state is critical in promoting mold manufacturing in Illinois.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of the Chicago Chapter is its eagerness to share its successes with other AMBA chapters who want to duplicate its programs. The board and its members feel that, in order to grow the industry and create stronger chapters throughout the AMBA, cooperation through the organization is a must. “That’s one thing I’ve always been adamant about,” Petrucci said. “The Chicago Chapter is an open book. Any chapter that wants to mimic what we’re doing or take a portion of what we’ve set up and adapt it for their own membership – we’re happy to share because it makes the industry stronger. That is the spirit of what we’re trying to accomplish with our organization as a whole.”