About the District
The Twin Cities District is a local chapter of the Precision Metalforming Association. We meet several times a year and our board is comprised of members from various sectors of the metalforming industry. We strive to provide our members with a forum for networking and new business opportunities.
Membership and activity in our district will allow your company to expand into new markets and enhance your employees' expertise and development.
If you have questions or comments about the Twin Cities District, or would like to register for a monthly program, contact anyone on the list of District Officers.
Unveiled: The Minnesota Manufacturing Coalition
Believing there is strength in numbers, 23 associations serving manufacturers in Minnesota have joined forces as the Minnesota Manufacturing Coalition. The charter members were announced on April 5 at the Manufacturing Tomorrow summit at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.
"For too long, manufacturers have focused primarily on improving the productivity and competitiveness of their own companies," said Erick Ajax, past district director of the PMA Twin Cities District and a founding member of the coalition. "We failed to realize that American society, which was so enamored with the idea of the so-called knowledge economy, had an outdated image of manufacturing. People saw it as part of our past, as opposed to a key contributor to our economy and quality of life, a source of excellent jobs and benefits, and a core element in our future economy."
The coalition will enable associations serving manufacturers to "speak with one voice" on issues that are common to companies regardless of size or sector. Members will meet regularly to identify the highest priority subjects that deserve attention from both state and federal policymakers.
"The average manufacturing employee’s weekly wage is more than 19 percent higher than the statewide average," said Charles Arnold, executive director of the Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association (MPMA). "Minnesota communities will be stronger if we grow manufacturing jobs–and that needs to be our priority."
Led by Ajax and Arnold, small and medium-sized manufacturers gathered to form the coalition after attending last October’s Roundtables on Manufacturing, sponsored by Governor Tim Pawlenty’s office. In developing the coalition, they have worked closely with Diane Knutson, Minnesota Manufacturing Advocate, whose position with the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) was created after the roundtables in response to manufacturers’ concerns. As the state Manufacturing Advocate, Knutson will attend the bi-monthly coalition meetings to report on state actions, communicate with other state agencies, and help identify and aggregate ongoing issues and concerns.
"This coalition represents an ideal vehicle for listening and responding to the needs of Minnesota’s nearly 340,000 manufacturing employees," said Knutson. "Working together, we can strengthen the health of Minnesota manufacturing companies, increase the number of good jobs for our citizens, and grow our tax base for the benefit of our schools and our communities."
The Twin Cities District had extraordinary financial support from many PMA members in the area including BTD Mfg., E. J. Ajax and Sons, Dayton Rogers, Meier Tool & Engineering, Morrissey, Inc., Nobel Die Components, Olympic Steel, Superior Plating, Thomas Engineering Co., The Toro Co. and UniPunch Products. In particular, PMA and the Twin Cities District would like to thank Mark Erickson, Thomas Engineering Co. and Ron Lowry, Dayton Rogers, who invested hundreds of hours of their time in the past year planning this event.
About PMA
PMA is the full-service trade association representing the $91-billion metalforming industry of North America—the industry that creates precision metal products using stamping, fabricating and other value-adding processes. Its nearly 1,200 member companies include metal stampers, fabricators, spinners, slide formers and roll formers as well as suppliers of equipment, materials and services to the industry. Members are located in 30 countries. The majority are found in North America―including 41 states of the United States as well as Canada and Mexico.
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