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IMTS 2008 — September 8-13, McCormick Place, Chicago
The 2008 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS 2008) is the 27th edition of the premier manufacturing technology show in North America. More than 1,500 exhibiting companies will occupy 1.2 million net square feet of exhibit space and attract more than 91,000 buyers and sellers from 119 countries. Visit
http://www.IMTS.com for more information.
Profile America: Memorial Day
Monday, May 26th, is Memorial Day. For some people, it's the start of the summer season and a time for family gatherings and sporting events. But the true meaning of the day is underlined by the continuing sacrifices made by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The first official observance of Memorial Day was on May 30, 1868, ordered by General John Logan, when flowers were placed on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. From the Civil War through Vietnam, some 566,000 U.S. service personnel died in combat, more than half of them in World War II.
Currently, there are nearly 1.4 million men and women on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces. Keep them in mind during Memorial Day celebrations.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau online at http://www.census.gov
You deserve a break . . . network with your peers, exercise, relax and enjoy the fresh air
MPAC Golf Outing
Friday, June 27, 2008
Willow Crest Golf Course at Oak Brook Hills Marriott * 3500 Midwest Road, Oak Brook
For details, visit https://www.ima-net.org/mpacgolf08.cfm
or contact
Kimberly McNamara at 630-368-5300, ext. 2109, email kmcnamara@ima-net.org
Sponsorship opportunities available.
Deadline extended to participate in IMA's annual 2008 Compensation Survey . . .
The deadline to participate in the IMA annual 2008 Compensation Survey has been extended to Friday, June 6. Illinois Manufacturers' Association and RSM McGladrey urge you to participate. All participants will receive a FREE electronic copy of the survey report. In addition, IMA members will receive significant discounts on custom reports available only to those who participate.
This survey covers 186 positions across 13 job families including jobs at the plant, supervisory, management, and executive levels. Data will be collected on base pay, pay grades, annual bonuses, and target incentive levels. For executive level positions, additional data on long-term incentives and perquisites will be surveyed. New this year is the availability of custom reports providing data on select peer groups, and index reports which allow a comparison of your organization's pay to the market median rate.
The questionnaire is available at http://www.ima-net.org/compsurvey08.cfm
as an MS Excel document. A participation guide is also available. The MS Excel questionnaire contains several tabs — be sure to click on each tab and complete the relevant information.
The deadline for completing this survey is Friday, JUNE 6, 2008. All compensation data should be reported based on a May 1, 2008 effective date. Results are scheduled for release in September 2008. Completed questionnaires can be returned via email to
IMASurveys@rsmi.com.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the survey, please feel free to contact Janie Stanley of the IMA at 800-875-4462, ext. 3020 or
jstanley@ima-net.org.
Scaffolding Act remains in limbo
Proponents' efforts to pass legislation imposing a Structural Work Act in Illinois remain stymied as the Illinois General Assembly nears its scheduled May 29 adjournment date. The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association has found tough slogging in their efforts to pass HB 2094 although the bill remains on the House calendar.
Member companies of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association have been instrumental in erecting a road block to the bill, according to Mark Denzler, IMA Vice President for Government Affairs and Membership. Hundreds of phone calls to individual legislators and personal visits during the recent Business Day 2008 activities demonstrated the broad opposition a united employer community has brought to bear on the bill.
However, Denzler warns that the lure of legal fees and huge lawsuit settlements means the plaintiff bar will not end their efforts to pass this legislation. The bill could be called for passage at any time between now and January 2009. The IMA will remain watchful and continue communicating with our elected officials to make sure HB 2094 is defeated.
Smart energy purchasing practices for Illinois manufacturers
Competitive energy markets in Illinois have enabled suppliers to offer a range of electricity purchasing options that can be tailored to help manufacturers stabilize budgets and limit exposure to volatile markets.
In Illinois and states across the country that have embraced competitive electricity markets, manufactures have an alternative when it comes to trying to balance budgets in the face of today's volatile energy costs. With competitive energy suppliers continuing to develop new products and programs, businesses and customers alike have access to solutions that meet a wide variety of needs, most notably solutions that help to stabilize energy costs and establish budget certainty.
Suppliers such as Constellation NewEnergy are working with manufacturers in Illinois and businesses throughout North America to help reduce exposure to volatile markets by offering a range of energy solutions to meet varying degrees of risk tolerance.
Below we'll take a look at three of the energy purchasing strategies available today. In order to better understand the available options, one can generally distinguish two components that make up a customers' electricity bill 1) the energy charges (i.e. electricity) and 2) all other related charges such as fees for delivering the energy to the customer, the cost for making energy available, and taxes. This discussion will focus on better managing the first component – energy charges, which constitute the largest piece of a customer's invoice and are subject to much greater volatility.
1) Fixed price agreements
We'll begin with an energy solution designed particularly for the customer that requires the security of predictable monthly electricity expenses. A fixed price energy agreement can guarantee 100 percent stability in energy costs, which in turn alleviates any concerns of variable energy charges, fluctuating utility rates, or market price spikes for the length of the contract. Fixed pricing agreements can be customized to meet both short and long-term requirements, most importantly allowing customers to more accurately budget and forecast future electricity spending.
2) Flexible index solutions
One step down from the total cost stability delivered by a fixed pricing agreement is a flexible index solution. A customer can purchase a percentage of their daily energy consumption (or for example their on-peak hourly usage) at a fixed price, and float the remaining usage on the daily index market. Businesses that choose this approach maintain a hedge against volatile price swings and also open the door to potential savings. By accepting some risk to purchase on the spot market for a short period during the day, businesses gain the advantage of potentially securing lower market prices during such hours. If the daily market price is below the contracted fixed price, customers can spend less than they would have with a 100 percent fixed price agreement.
Manufacturers with greater control over their energy consumption needs are well positioned to benefit from a flexible index pricing option. For businesses that closely watch energy consumption, shifting load to more favorable hours under this model can significantly lower energy spending.
3) Block Plus Index Solutions
For manufactures willing to take even slightly more risk, a block plus index solution is available, which enables consumers to lock in a more specific portion of their electricity demands or tailor their supply to meet a particular need. Businesses that actively monitor and manage electricity consumption patterns are well suited to explore this option. Similar to flexible index solutions, block plus index pricing goes beyond distinguishing solely between on and off peak demand.
Block plus index solutions allow a customer to further narrow down their primary consumption parameters and select a block of time for which they choose to lock in a fixed energy price. Blocks can be purchased at any time for standard market periods or for a period of months. The duration of time and amount of electricity within a block is determined by the customers' individual needs. Any electricity consumption that falls outside the block index pricing is billed at the variable index price. If the customer uses less than the block purchase, the excess energy will be sold back into the spot market and the customer will be credited with such amount.
Keep in mind that each electricity pricing option gives customers the ability to further specify components of their agreement, including the choice to bundle all non-energy charges such as ancillaries, line losses, distribution, and transmission into a fixed price charge. This action can further reduce exposure to risk and help avoid unexpected charges on the monthly bills. Regardless of the size, scope, or energy needs of a manufacturer, taking advantage of the range of energy purchasing and risk management options will undoubtedly make a positive impact on the bottom line.
Author, Scott Lewis is Sales Director for Constellation NewEnergy, a leading competitive supplier for commercial and industrial customers that serves the Illinois manufacturing industry. For more details on Constellation NewEnergy and its electricity purchasing programs, please visit our website at
http://www.newenergy.com or call 312-704-9200.
Higher Education Summit to be held June 24
Leaders from government, business and civic organizations and education will convene in Chicago on June 24 to discuss challenges facing the State of Illinois and the implications those challenges pose for higher education in the state.
The Illinois Higher Education Summit will be held on Tuesday, June 24, at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 East Washington Street, Chicago, from 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. in the Garland Room.
"The intent of this Summit is to launch a statewide dialogue on the future of Illinois and the role of higher education going forward," said Stanley O. Ikenberry, president emeritus of the University of Illinois and currently Regent Professor in the Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA). "We will bring together business leaders, policy makers from state legislature and metro Chicago, civic leaders and representatives of all sectors of higher education to have a candid discussion about where we are and where we ought to be going.
The Summit is sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IGPA, the U of I College of Media, and the Forum on the Future of Public Education at the Urbana-Champaign campus. These organizers have commissioned a statewide survey that will provide Summit participants with a baseline of what the public sees as the major issues facing higher education.
"The survey will give us the perspectives of the general public about the issues and problems facing higher education," said Robert F. Rich, director of IGPA. "The Summit provides an opportunity to create an action agenda to address those issues."
The Summit will focus first on major issues facing the state and how they affect higher education. Then discussion will turn to the condition of higher education in Illinois. Finally, participants will explore what can and should be done to move Illinois ahead.
Invited panelists include: Arne Duncan, CEO of the Chicago Public Schools; State House Minority Leader Tom Cross, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie; Al Bowman, President of Illinois State University; Judy Erwin, Executive Director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education; Miguel del Valle, City Clerk of Chicago; Ronald Bullock, Chairman of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association; Eden S. Martin, President of the Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago; and Linda Katehi, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Sessions will be moderated by Ikenberry; former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, distinguished fellow at IGPA; and James D. Nowlan, senior fellow at IGPA. Chancellor Richard Herman and U of I President B. Joseph White are also scheduled to speak.
IMA Young Leaders Council schedules fall conference
The newly-created Young Leaders Council (YLC) has scheduled a Fall Leadership Conference for October 3-5 at the Eagle Ridge Inn and Resort in Galena, Illinois. The conference will begin informally with golf on Friday afternoon and the Chairman's Reception that evening. Saturday will present a full schedule of events for both participants and spouses. The subject matter for the conference will include the state of manufacturing in Illinois and the challenges young leaders face in managing a multi-generational workforce. Following a business brunch Sunday morning, the conference will conclude with another round of golf Sunday afternoon.
More details will be forthcoming in IMA publications. Meanwhile, save the date, October 3-5, for the IMA-YLC Fall Leadership Conference. Contact Jim Nelson at 217-522-1240, ext. 3023, email
jnelson@ima-net.org, for more information.
IMA member Smurfit-Stone to host BIPAC Midwest Region meeting June 11
Interested parties are invited to attend the BIPAC Midwest Region meeting on Wednesday, June 11 at the Smurfit-Stone Building, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, from 10:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
There will be an optional dinner at Gioco restaurant, 1312 South Wabash, on Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m.
The meeting will address current BIPAC initiatives and programs, and planning and strategy for beyond the 2008 election cycle.
Reserve your place before June 5 by contacting Jeanne Payne at 202-776-7465 or
mailto:payne@bipac.org.
Industrial Leaders Group to help American manufacturers expand overseas
The Industrial Leaders Group recently announced its plan to help promote U.S. manufacturers of industrial supplies, equipment and machinery utilizing its Industrial Classifieds site at http://www.IndustrialSAVER.com/classifieds/ as well as other industrial marketplaces, directories and forums in its network.
According to Kenny Stevens, spokesman for the company, the site includes offerings for a broad range of industrial and construction products such as abrasives, building materials, heavy equipment, machine tools, welding equipment, metals and alloys, hydraulics, material handling equipment, seals and gaskets, storage systems, power transmission, generators and other industrial and construction products at
http://www.IndustrialLeaders.com.
Stevens said the Industrial Leaders Group consists of a virtual expo called the International Industrial Trade Show (IITS 2008) which connects international industrial buyers and suppliers with emphasis on U.S. manufacturers and exporters at
http://www.ArriveNEWS.com/.The trade show recently included exhibitors specializing in custom machining, mold design, manufacturing and repair.
The Industrial Leaders Group will also utilize its Buy American Website at http://www.IndustrialLeaders.com/reviews/
to further promote U.S. manufacturers. The site is designed to support the U.S. industrial workforce by helping American manufacturers and exporters of industrial and construction products expand overseas.
IndustrialLeaders.com, the 'American Industrial Marketplace' connects buyers and suppliers of industrial supplies, equipment and machinery throughout North and South America with emphasis on Canada and the United States. The primary focus of Industrial Leaders is to promote American manufacturers overseas at
http://www.IndustrialLeaders.com.
Join the IMA Energy Program . . .
IMA members looking to compare their electric supply options can go to http://www.newenergy.com/ima and receive a free, no obligation rate quote.
OfficeMax Advantage can save you 30% or more on your office supplies . . .
IMA members and OfficeMax — a first-class partnership
Go to: http://www.ima-net.org/membership/programs.cfm
to download your OfficeMax Retail Connect Card and start saving today!̃
Annual Holiday Survey Report . . . now ONLINE!
http://www.ima-net.org/08IMAHolidayRpt.pdf
The IMA's Annual Holiday Report highlights employers' plans on select holidays throughout the year. This year's survey was conducted from August 10-31, 2007 for the 2008 calendar year. Four questions were asked ranging from total number of paid days off to a breakdown of full or half day paid holidays, and on which days the member company is actually closed throughout the year. Nearly 450 IMA members responded.
For the results, visit http://www.ima-net.org/08IMAHolidayRpt.pdf.
Order the IMA's 2007-2008 Benefits Report at
https://www.ima-net.org/ben_report_order.cfm
Order the IMA's 2006 Annual Compensation Report at
http://www.ima-net.org/reportorder/login.cfm
For more information, go to one of the links above, or contact Janie Stanley at 800-875-4462, ext. 3020, or email:
jstanley@ima-net.org
DATES OF NOTE:
More information/events may be found at http://www.ima-net.org/calendar.cfm and
http://www.ima-net.org/MIT/open.cfm
June 20, 2008
IMA-MIT Event: From Conflict to Collaboration: Improving Your Interpersonal Communication Skills, DePaul University's O'Hare Campus, 3166 River Rd., Des Plaines
Learn to turn destructive conflict into constructive collaboration while participating in the conflict situation, or as a third party mediator. Learn to be assertive but open to the opinion of others. Understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy resistance.
June 24, 2008
IMA-MIT Event: Effective Performance Management and Goal Setting, DePaul University's O'Hare Campus, 3166 River Rd., Des Plaines
Effective performance management skills are necessary for business success now more than ever. However, due to ever-increasing customer demands, performance management is becoming less of an ongoing process and more of a point-in-time event. Leaders must begin the process by creating clear targets and follow-up with effective and meaningful coaching and support. By engaging the employee in each step of the performance management cycle, employers are maximizing their investment in their talent pool and increasing the likelihood of business success.
July 14, 2008
IMA-MIT Event: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Decatur Conference
Center & Hotel, US Highway 36, Decatur
Learn to maximize the benefits of performing FMEA activities, eliminate or minimize effects of potential failures, gain ideas for other applications and learn about risk evaluation and management.
July 15, 2008
IMA-MIT Event: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), DePaul University, 150 W. Warrenville Rd., Naperville
(See description above.)
July 17, 2008
IMA-MIT Event: Behavioral Interviewing Skills, DePaul University's O'Hare Campus, 3166 River Rd., Des Plaines
NOTE: Registration is limited to 16, so register early to ensure your spot! Participants will leave with the interviewing skills to successfully select the best staff based on competencies and ensuring legal compliance.
July 29, 2008
IMA-MIT Event: NFPA 70E: Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, Decatur Conference Center & Hotel, US Hwy 36, Decatur
This class is for individuals that work on or near electrical hazards and is a must for maintenance personnel, electricians, engineers, safety professionals, supervisors, and contractors, service personnel and vendors entering NFPA 70E compliant facilities.
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