Final Executive Committee Meeting of the Year in Two Weeks - Monday Memo 11/27/23

November 27, 2023

ABI Executive Committee to Hold Final 2023 Meeting December 13; First 2024 Board Meeting, Legislative Reception in January

The ABI Executive Committee, led by Chad Reece (Winnebago Industries, Forest City), will hold its final meeting of the calendar year two weeks from Wednesday.  After that, the next ABI leadership meeting will be held in January.  The first ABI Board of Directors meeting of 2024 will be held on Wednesday, January 10.  

Your attendance at this meeting and at the ABI Legislative Briefing and Reception that follows is essential.  Please finalize your plans to attend these events.  Please go to Summary - Legislative Briefing and Reception (cvent.com) for registration and event information related to the legislative briefing and reception.   Thank you in advance for making the ABI events of January 10 a priority. 

Tomorrow: #Giving Tuesday

As you read about in this memo previously (and likely have seen mentioned in other sources), tomorrow is #GivingTuesday.  The hashtag signifies a global day of giving fueled by social media and collaboration.  The event is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely-represented shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  Should you participate in #GivingTuesday, please consider the ABI Foundation.  Click here to donate: Pay Online | Iowa Association of Business and Industry (iowaabi.org).  

ABI to Host Connecting Leaders Event December 7 in Fairfield

ABI will host the next in a series of Connecting Statewide Leaders events in Fairfield next week, on December 7.  Following that event, which features a terrific panel of great manufacturing leaders, attendees will join the Leadership Iowa class for lunch.  Former ABI Chair Lori Schaefer-Weaton (Agri-Industrial Plastics Company, Fairfield), ABI Board Member Rich Dwyer (KENT Corporation, Muscatine), and ABI member company executive Kevin Gaul (Pella Corporation, Pella) are on tap for the panel.  You can register for the Connecting Statewide Leaders event now at Summary - Connecting Statewide Leaders - Fairfield (cvent.com).      

Next ABI Automation Summit in Carroll December 12th

ABI’s automation summits have proven quite popular.  They are a great forum for learning more about how automation can help your company, how to get into it easily and efficiently, and how to do so cost-effectively.  The next summit will be held on the Carroll campus of DMACC (Des Moines Area Community College) on December 12thABI, DMACC, CIRAS, and ABI member company Kinetic Technologies are partnering to produce this event.  To register and/or find more information, go here: Summary - Automation Summit (cvent.com)

Leadership Iowa Class Headed to Fairfield

The third session of the 2023-2024 Leadership Iowa Class will be held next week.  Class members will meet Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for a session in Fairfield.  The session will focus on manufacturing and a terrific slate of speakers is on tap. Watch for a full report at the January ABI Board Meeting. 

Annual Shine Bros. Holiday Event is December 15

Each year, the good folks at longtime ABI member company Shine Bros. Corp. host a terrific holiday gathering.  You, ABI board members and former board chairs, are invited. 

The 2023 event will be held December 15 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the company’s Spencer headquarters.  Many of you have attended this event in past years and know that it is a great time for fellowship and good cheer.  If you have questions or need information, please contact/RSVP to Vicki at Shine Bros. at (712) 262-5579, extension 113, or vicki@shinebros.com.  In the meantime, thank you to former ABI Chair Toby Shine (Shine Bros. Corp., Spencer) and former ABI Board Member Eva Shine (Shine Bros. Corp., Spencer) for the invitation!