DC Fly-In 2015 This Week - Monday Memo 9/14/15

Second Biennial ABI DC Fly-In Tomorrow

Mid-afternoon tomorrow, a group of ABI leaders will depart  Des Moines International Airport for Washington, DC.  With that, the second annual ABI DC Fly-In will be underway.

Throughout the rest of this week, these leaders will meet individually with all six members of the Iowa Congressional Delegation.  They will attend briefings by the National Association of Manufacturers, BIPAC, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and end Friday with a political briefing before heading back to Iowa. 

As was the case with the first Fly-In two years ago, this is a jam-packed, substantive trip and by the time the group arrives back in Des Moines late Friday afternoon, members will be ready for the weekend.  Look for a full report at next week's board meeting.

Fiscal Year's First Board Meeting a Week From Wednesday in Des Moines

ABI Chair Paul Gregoire (Emerson/Fisher, Marshalltown) will convene the first board meeting of the 2016 fiscal year a week from Wednesday in Des Moines.  The meeting will begin with at 11:00 and lunch will be served.  Due to very strong participation numbers,  a full room is expected.

Sometime late today or early tomorrow, please check your email in-box for the usual meeting packet.  In it will be a map, an agenda, and supporting documents to help you prepare for the meeting.  

Ladies and gentleman, this will be a busy and important meeting.  Action on public policy recommendations, ABI Foundation matters, and other items are all on the agenda.  On behalf of Paul and our other officers, thank you in advance for making plans to participate in the board meeting and I'll see you in Des Moines.

Latest Edition of ABI's Business Record Iowa Now Out; Mary Landhuis on the Cover

The most recent edition of ABI's monthly newsprint magazine, Business Record Iowa, has been published and should have been received by you late last week.  We are proud to partner with member company Business Publications Corp. on the magazine. 

Look for ABI Board Member Mary Landhuis (EZ Way Inc, Clarinda) on the cover of this month's edition.  Let us know what you would like to see in future editions.  If you have not received the magazine, please reply to this memo and I'll make sure one is sent to you right away.

Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Conference 2+ Weeks Away

Last week, I mentioned that ABI, the Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State, and Des Moines Area Community College are the lead sponsors for the Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Conference 2015.  The conference will be held in Altoona on September 30.  Register now for this important conference athttp://www.cvent.com/events/iowa-s-advanced-manufacturing-conference-2015/event-summary-6b0a2a2b098a4c248967d681a3d989d7.aspx.

Great speakers are on tap.  Use the link above to see the entire program for yourself.  You don't want to miss this program and the terrific value provided for conference attendees.

Community Colleges Unanimously Re-Commit to ABI's Elevate Program; Legends Dinner in Two Weeks

At a meeting in Des Moines last week, Iowa's community college presidents received a report from Michele Farrell (Measured Intentions, Urbandale) and me about the progress of ABI's Elevate program.  The presidents also acted on a request for continued support.

It is a pleasure to report that all 15 Iowa community colleges have again signed-on to provide financial support for Elevate.  That key support will continue to be an important part of the program's success and you will learn more at this month's board meeting.  Perhaps most importantly, of course, the community colleges provide critical training for Iowa’s workforce.

Talking about Elevate, the program is hosting the new Legends in Manufacturing Awards Dinner on the evening preceding the manufacturing conference.  Don't miss this first-ever event.  To register or to find more information about this event, please click on the following link: /index.cfm/11274/68333/legends_in_manufacturing_awards_dinner).  Many participants will attend both the dinner and the conference the next day.  If you wish to make a hotel reservation, so that you can attend both events conveniently, go to: http://www.prairiemeadows.com/. 

ABI Advisory Council Meets Thursday

Members of the ABI Advisory Council will convene Thursday afternoon for their regular monthly meeting.  the group will meet at the offices of CliftonLarsonAllen in West des Moines.

The council members provide ongoing leadership assistance to ABI in several ways and can be great resources for your business.  Thank you to ABI Advisory Council members ATW Training and Consulting, BCC Advisers,Bergan Paulsen, Brick Gentry, BrownWinick, CIRAS. CliftonLarsonAllen, EMC, Focus OneSource, Global Reach, Manpower, Measured Intentions, LMC, Principal Financial Group, QPS Employment Group, Spindustry,Transition Point Business Advisors, and Wellmark.

ABI Foundation Announces 2015-2016 Leadership Iowa Class

On Friday, the ABI Foundation released the names of those selected for inclusion in the Leadership Iowa Class of 2015-2016.  As always, participants come from all corners of our state and together, they comprise a great group of Iowans.

You can view the list of class members by clicking on this link:http://www.leadershipiowa.com/documents/filelibrary/2015_16/Class_List_as_of_9_46245359A3E47.pdf.  Congratulations to all selected and best wishes for a great experience in LI.

Sioux City Pulling Out All the Stops for Fantastic 2016 ABI Conference

In what has to be a record, the local media in Sioux City have already begun to cover ABI's 2016 Taking care of Business Conference.  If you read your weekly ABI newsletter last Thursday, you saw the coverage already being given to this conference (if you didn't see it, let me know and I'll send you a link to the article).

The association's 113th annual convention will be held June 14-16 of next year.  For the first time in a decade, the event will be held in Sioux City.  The 2016 Conference Committee, chaired by Kim Didier (DMACC, Ankeny), is putting together a fantastic program.

Ladies and gentlemen, you will be truly enjoy astounded by the hospitality and terrific venues to be found in Greater Siouxland.  Procuring the ABI conference was important to local officials and they are going the extra mile to help develop a conference experience unlike any other.  The beautiful new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, the great Sioux City Convention Center, the challenging Dakota Dunes Golf Club, and other fantastic new facilities are just some of the things that will make next year's conference a great event. 

As always, registration will open sometime after the first of the year.  In the meantime, mark your calendars now and reserve the dates; you do not want to miss this conference! 

YPIowa Conference Next Week in Carroll

Young Professionals of Iowa (our state's leading organization for young professionals) will hold its annual conference next week.  The 2015 YPIowa conference will be held on September 24 and 25 in Carroll.  Find more information athttp://ypiowa.com/events/yp-iowa-conference/. 

NAM Global Manufacturing Economic Update Sobering, Hopeful

The latest edition of the Global Manufacturing Economic Update, published by the National Association of Manufacturers, has some sobering information in it.  The Update reviews pressures on manufacturing coming from problems with the Chinese economy, decreasing exports, and slow progress on action by Congress.

Still, positive news is also a part of the mix.  The narrowing U.S. trade deficit and improving European economy just two examples.  As always, if you wish to read the Update for yourself, simply reply to this message and I will get it to you at once.