Austin Regional Manufacturers Association (ARMA)

Today marks the Martin Luther King Jr holiday’s 30th anniversary as a National Day of Service. This day was established to honor Dr. King's life and legacy and encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. Americans first celebrated MLK Jr. Day as a federal holiday on January 20, 1986. In 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a National Day of Service, marking the third Monday of January every year as the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service—a “Day on, Not a Day Off.” On this day of service, ARMA honors the memory of Dr. King and is grateful for the many volunteers, partners, and sponsors who do so much for the manufacturing community. Dr. King's words are timeless and remain deeply relevant today. May we continue to be inspired by his example and legacy today and throughout the coming year. #MLKDay2025, #NationalDayofService #CivilRights, #Equality, #IHaveADream, #MLKDayOn.

Exciting news!! The MFG Austin Podcast relaunch is coming in February. Don't miss an episode —Subscribe today! https://lnkd.in/gvMcyvts Thanks to Texas Mutual Insurance Company for sponsoring and MFG Tribe - (INDUSTRIAL Sales & Marketing Agency) for producing. Tony Gunn Jeremiah Bentley Lara Dietrich

ARMA is working with the National Association of Manufacturers - NAM to advocate for tax policies that support manufacturers. Manufacturers and families need pro-growth tax measures. #advocacy #manufacturing #workforcedevelopment #networking #advancedmanufacturing #MadeInTexas

ARMA welcomes new board officers for 2025! As ARMA continues to grow and expand to fulfill its mission of strengthening the Central Texas manufacturing community through advocacy, workforce development, and networking, it welcomes an impressive slate of new officers to its board of directors. The incoming chair is John Newman of Athena Manufacturing, L.P., Andy Salo of East/West Manufacturing Enterprises will be the incoming chair-elect, and Scott Haigler of RSM will be the incoming treasurer. We would also like to recognize and extend our sincerest gratitude to outgoing chair Tom Hibbs of TECO-Westinghouse for serving a 15-month term during a pivot time of transition in ARMA's history. His guidance, support, and leadership were integral to the search for and hiring of a new CEO. Thanks in no small part to Tom's efforts, ARMA is positioned for continued growth in its work promoting manufacturing in schools and the community, and ensuring the Central Texas labor pool has the skills necessary to support growth in the industry. Thank you to the current board of directors members for their time and commitment to the Central Texas manufacturing community! Bill Rafferty, Southwest Research Institute (Secretary) D J Lewis, First Citizens Bank Carl Rounds, Applied Materials  David Stewart, HID Mark Hunter, Harmonic Bionics, Inc. Robb J. Misso, Texas Alliance of Manufacturers Associations (TAMA) Michele Glaze, Samsung Electronics Austin Semiconductor Cory Engen, Flex Garrett C. Groves, Ph.D., Austin Community College Mike Tipps, Cushman & Wakefield Kendra Keller, Dover Fueling Solutions Shelby Childers, Acutronic Group Nathan Byman, Wolfram Manufacturing Technologies Keri Westland, Carr Lane Manufacturing Co. Brendan Greenwood, NXP Semiconductors

🚀 CALLING ALL TEXAS MANUFACTURERS & TECH INNOVATORS 🌟 In conjunction with the Texas State University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) we present: PRISM: Preparing Business To Scale 🔬 Exclusive 5-Part Virtual Workshop Series 📅 Spring 2025: Feb 6, 13, 20, 27 & Mar 6 ⏰ 10 am-12 pm Central 🎯 Are You Ready to SCALE, Not Just Grow? This is YOUR opportunity to: - Transform your business strategy - Maximize revenues and profits - Develop high-performance leadership - Master innovation and risk management 🏭 DESIGNED FOR: Manufacturing Companies (NAICS 33XXXX) Serving Dallas/Ft. Worth, Austin/San Antonio Regions 🤝 POWERED BY LEADING INNOVATION PARTNERS: - The University of Texas at Austin | Austin Technology Incubator - Army Futures Command - NextFlex - Texas Association of Business - National Security Innovation Council ✨ SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS: - Virtual Workshop via Zoom - Led by Ron Collier, PhD, Collier Consulting Group, Inc. - Zero Cost to Qualifying Businesses - Limited Seats Available! Must fill out the application to be considered! 🌐 Your Path to Scaling Starts Here https://lnkd.in/gtp8nysJ Sign up TODAY! Joe Harper, Francisca A. Texas Alliance of Manufacturers Associations, Robb J. Misso San Antonio Manufacturers Association (SAMA), Dan Yoxall, Michelle Moriarty, Drew Scheberle, Glenn Hamer, Kimberly Newton

What's on ARMA CEO Kevin Fincher's favorite books list? "All About Smart Manufacturing" by ▪️ Mike Nager ▪️, "Supply Jane Clears the Way," and"Supply Jane and FIFO Fix the Flow" by Megan Preston Meyer. Let's get these books in the hands of parents, teachers, and schools so kids can get excited about a future in manufacturing! #advancedmanufacturing #manufacturing #futuremanufacturers #education #readingiscool

Congratulations to these 2024 ARMIE Award Finalists for Executive of the Year! This award recognizes an executive who demonstrates extraordinary leadership. This year's nominees lead some of Central Texas' most innovative and thriving manufacturing companies. The nominees are Brad Locke of Wondercide; Andy Salo of East/West Manufacturing Enterprises; and Beth San Segundo of OriGen Biomedical. Kudos to all three for contributing to their companies and the Central Texas manufacturing community. Please join us as we honor the nominees and announce the winners at the ARMIE luncheon on February 25 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. The luncheon, sponsored by Regions Bank, is now open for registration. Reserve serve your seat here: https://lnkd.in/gvtbxHAh SPONSORSHIPS FOR THE LUNCHEON ARE STILL AVAILABLE! Please contact Liz Gori at liz@arma-tx.org to learn more about becoming a sponsor. #ARMIES2025 #manufacturing #ExecutiveoftheYear #workforcedevlopement #networking #advocacy

Want to know what it feels like to go 200mph? Here’s your chance to experience Japanese engineering and ride a bullet train on our kaizen lean study tour in May. Please join us for a happy hour where we will provide information on a special opportunity for 2025: The Japan Kaizen Lean Accelerator Tour on May 10 – 17. Food and drinks will be provided, as well as a Q&A which includes a special session with the tour organizer, David Fitzpatrick from Zenkai Improvement Partners. HAPPY HOUR DETAILS: DATE: January 16 TIME: 4-5 PM LOCATION: Better Business Bureau, 1805 Rutherford Lane, Austin, 78754 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE HAPPY HOUR AND DETAILS ABOUT THE TOUR: https://lnkd.in/gWpjap9h Summary of the Austin Regional Manufacturing Association (ARMA) /San Antonio Manufacturers Association (SAMA) Zenkai Improvement Partners Study Tour Intent and Overview * A specialized study tour to Japan in May 2025 for ARMA and SAMA members, tailored to member’s specific needs. * Focus areas: Toyota Production System (TPS), people-centric leadership, culture building, employee retention, and Kaizen/Lean methodologies. Project Objectives 1. Expose participants to leading Japanese manufacturers excelling in TPS and Lean principles. 2. Facilitate discussions and strategy sessions for participants to create actionable improvement roadmaps. 3. Encourage networking among ARMA/SAMA members to foster collaboration and mentorship. Training Content Highlights * Core topics include the basics of the Toyota Production System, Kaizen practices, culture building, agile and Lean overlaps, and industry-specific applications. * Certification courses in Toyota management principles and practical Kaizen training. Sample Site Visits * Tokyo Electron – VIP tour coordinated through ARMA member Tokyo Electron US. * Lexus – Curated VIP tour of Lexus production facility. * Additional visits to renowned organizations (e.g. Suzaki Industries, Subaru, Omron, Toto) offering insights into TPS practices, Kaizen-driven operations, and innovative workplace strategies. * Visits to certification and training centers for hands-on experience. Tour Leaders * David Fitzpatrick: Expert in TPS, cross-cultural communication, and operational optimization. * Reiko Kano: Veteran Kaizen consultant with decades of experience, mentored by TPS founders. Tour Pricing and Policies * Cost: Early bird discounted pricing through January 31; $7,500 Includes hotel accommodations, ground transportation in the country to tour sites, meals, and program content. * Excluded: Airfare, incidentals, add-ons Organizers’ Commitment * Assurance of unique, impactful content focusing on participant engagement and operational excellence. Dan Yoxall Michelle Moriarty

Congratulations to ARMA member Carr Lane Manufacturing Co. on this excellent feature by Tony Gunn! What a great story of a company that went from a small garage operation to becoming a global leader in tooling components today. ARMA is proud to count Carr Lane and CEO Colin Frost among its members!

Join us for ARMA’s first luncheon of the year on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at a NEW location: The Better Business Bureau at 1805 Rutherford Lane in Austin. We will hear from Pia Orrenius, a Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas labor economist working on regional economic growth and demographic change. She manages the regional and microeconomics group in the Dallas Fed Research Department. She is the executive editor of Southwest Economy and co-edited Ten Gallon Economy: Sizing up Economic Growth in Texas (2015, Palgrave MacMillan).  This session will specifically address the Texas manufacturing sector, with a discussion focused on the most recent data from the Texas Manufacturing Survey and what it means. There will also be a discussion on how to participate as a survey member. Register for the luncheon here: https://lnkd.in/gATsABfx LUNCHEON DETAILS: DATE: Tuesday, Feb. 11 TIME: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. LOCATION: Better Business Bureau, 1805 Rutherford Lane, Suite 100 #Networking #Manufacturing #MadeInTexas ##TexasManufacturingSurvey #WorkforceDevelopment #Advocacy