The QCBJ is gearing up to host The Manufacturing Conference for the first time in the Quad Cities.
The event, presented by the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal and its sister publication, Corridor Business Journal, based in North Liberty, Iowa, will be Thursday, Sept. 5, at the Bend XPO on East Moline’s riverfront. The day-long event will run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The latest addition to the conference agenda is five breakout sessions featuring local and regional experts discussing a variety of relevant topics for the manufacturing industry.
The conference also will feature three keynote speakers, Ed Youdell, the CEO of the Fabricators & Manufacturing Association (FMA); Shawn Phillips, the Smart Connected factory manager for John Deere’s Large Tractor and Combine division, and Pat Pollock, CEO of ALM Positioners, Inc.
The schedule includes these breakout sessions:
- Lisa Wertzbaugher of Wertzbaugher Services will host a panel on “Gen Z in Manufacturing.
- Chris Moore, of LCM2M (Caddis Systems) will present “Key Factors of a Successful Machine Monitoring Integration.
- Laura Davis and Marty Davis of Midland Davis Corp. will discuss “Recycling as Part of the Supply Chain.
- Andrea Belk Olson, CEO of Pragmadik, will present “The 7 Barriers to Manufacturing Success.
- Josh Reitz of Van Meter, Inc., will discuss “Using Data to Reduce Downtime & Waste.
- U.S. Bank’s Dave Pargulski and Chad Ervin will present a Business Succession Planning Seminar.
The conference will gather area manufacturers, suppliers and other business leaders to network, learn best practices and discuss the challenges facing the manufacturing industry today.
For tickets, register by visiting the QCBJ website here. Tickets are $100 each.
Here’s a look at the keynote speakers:
- Ed Youdell, president and CEO of Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA), International. He joined FMA in 2007 as group publisher of FMA Communications, Inc. after serving more than 18 years in the publishing and trade show industries. He became president and CEO of FMA, FMA Communications and FMA’s charitable foundation – Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs – in December of 2011. He received the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Council of Manufacturing Associations’ annual Leadership Award in 2013 for his concept of a national Manufacturing Day.
- Shawn Phillips is the Smart Connected factory manager for John Deere’s Large Tractor and Combine division. He is responsible for manufacturing strategies pertaining to technology-driven process improvements, including data and analytics as well as digital and physical automation. Over his 24-year career, he has had roles in Software Engineering, Industrial Robotics, Factory Automation, Manufacturing Engineering, and Smart connected Factory.
- Pat Pollock is the CEO of ALM Positioners, Inc. in Rock Island. He has more than 40 years experience in the manufacturing industry and has been involved with various management assignments including product development, operations, and global business development. Mr. Pollock’s professional certifications have included Certified Quality Engineer, Project Management Professional and Certified Management Accountant.
The Manufacturing Conference is open to anyone interested in the future of manufacturing and attendance is encouraged from both the Quad Cities and Corridor regions.
This year’s annual event is made possible by these sponsors: Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, Platinum Sponsor; Gold Sponsors – John Deere, Iowa Association of Business and Industry; and Silver Sponsors – Baker Group, Frontier Co-op, Shive-Hattery Architecture & Engineering and ALM Positioners.
“The foundation of the Quad Cities’ economy is manufacturing and that’s why we are so excited to bring our annual Manufacturing Conference to the Quad Cities this September,” said John F. Lohman, CEO & President of the Corridor Media Group, which publishes the QCBJ and the CBJ. “The goal is to provide best practices on new trends like AI and further develop relationships within the manufacturing industry.”
Mr. Lohman said the two publications will rotate hosting the event between their respective markets.
For information on sponsoring the event or being a vendor and reserving a booth at the conference’s trade show, contact Lauren Grask at (319) 665-6397 or [email protected]. For more information on the event, contact Lucas Hayes at (319) 665-6397 or [email protected].
