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Chief Operating Officer, National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA)
Rob came to NTMA with more than ten years' experience in the manufacturing industry. As a Process Engineer with Howmet Corporation, he developed super-alloy investment casting processes for the industrial gas turbine market. Rob has also worked in the aerospace market serving both domestic and international customers. He is Six Sigma certified and has worked with numerous manufacturing quality systems such as Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing, ISO, 5S, and TQM.
President Emeritus, Bemidji State University
Dr. Jim Bensen is president emeritus of Bemidji State University, retiring in 2001. He currently serves as a volunteer with the university, promoting research, innovation, economic development, international relations and advancement.
Bensen formerly served as president of Dunwoody College of Technology and as dean of the College of Technology Engineering and Management at University of Wisconsin-Stout. All three institutions with which he has been involved have been internationally acclaimed for excellence in higher education.
Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Business Development , Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Blazar is responsible for the Chamber’s public affairs program, including policy development, lobbying and elections. He also manages Grow Minnesota!, the Chamber’s business retention and expansion program. He is a past member and chair of the board of the Minnesota Government Relations Council. Prior to joining the Chamber, he was Manager of Government Affairs for Target Corporation from 1987-1992. Before working for Target, Blazar was a freelance public policy analyst, specializing in state and local fiscal policy, economic development and telecommunications.
Regional Sales Manager, Durr Ecoclean
Tom Blissick is the Regional Sales Manager for Durr Ecoclean CLI, Plymouth, MI. Durr Ecoclean CLI division manufactures aqueous and environmentally friendly hydrocarbon cleaning systems. He has over 25 years experience working in the parts cleaning and finishing industry. His educational background is business administration from Spring Arbor University. Tom is also an Advanced Toastmaster, Bronze level.
Director of Manufacturing, Fastenal
Tim is responsible for the Operations of Fastenal’s Manufacturing facilities that are located in Winona, MN; Modesto, Ca; Indianapolis, Indiana; Johor, Malaysia and a recent acquisition in Hartford, CT.
These Facilities produce engineered fasteners and machined parts that are used in safety critical applications in the Oil and Gas, Power Generation, and Aerospace markets. Tim has been with Fastenal since 1995 and brings 28 years of experience to the manufacturing industry. Prior to Fastenal, Tim taught Manufacturing Technology for 7 years at Northeast Metro Technical College (Century College).
President, Ellison Technologies Automation
John grew up in a manufacturing environment; his background includes extensive experience in heavy metal manufacturing. In the early 1980s, John had his initial experience with flexible automation. By 1983, John had co-founded Automated Concepts, Inc. A 2004 merger with Sierra Concepts operated under Automated Concepts, Inc, until 2008, when the company became Ellison Technologies Automation (ETA.) ETA has a plant in Council Bluffs, Iowa and works closely with the Ellison Technologies Distributors, located through out the nation. John is currently on the Board of Directors of the Robotics Industries Association. John has spent some time in the last few years lecturing about ways to keep American manufacturing from moving overseas; the “Save Your Factory” concept fits well into the philosophy of manufacturing that has sustained Automated Concepts-Ellison Technologies Automation organization for more than 25 years.
Partner, B2B CFO
Kevin has over 30 years of business experience. He started his career with Arthur Andersen & Co., establishing a strong accounting and business skill set, and quickly transitioned into the private sector serving in leadership roles for small and medium sized companies in the media, internet, professional sports, software and RFID hardware industries. For the last 20 years, he has served as senior vice president and general manager, Executive vice-president, COO, president, CEO and CFO of a number of startups and medium sized companies in the upper Midwest. Kevin has significant experience with startups and turnarounds. He was responsible for starting the two regional sports networks situated in Minnesota and Wisconsin, now operating as Fox Sports Nets. He doubled the revenues of the Minnesota Twins during his four year tenure as EVP and COO. The organization also received the "Organization of the Year" award from Baseball America and SportsTicker.
Vice President,, 3M Community Affairs & 3M Foundation
Dr. Alex Cirillo was born and raised in Utica, New York. He received an A.B. in Chemistry from the Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. In addition, he was a post-doctoral student at the Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique Laboratory in Orleans, France.
In 1979, Dr. Cirillo joined 3M’s Central Research Laboratories as a Senior Physicist working in the area of small particle technology.
In 1983 he was chosen to lead 3M’s first laboratory in Filtration Products. In 1990, Dr. Cirillo was appointed Technical Director of the 3M Commercial Graphics Division, the business unit responsible for creating the first digital printer capable of printing large format graphics for commercial applications. Dr. Cirillo was then appointed Staff R&D Executive for the 3M Health Care Markets, where he had responsibility for several 3M Technology Centers as well as the 3M Bioanalytical Technologies Project, a business unit targeting products for genomic applications. In 2000, he was appointed President and General Manager of 3M Canada and 14 months later returned to become the Division Vice President of the Commercial Graphics Division. He currently serves as the Vice President of 3M Community Affairs and the 3M Foundation. Dr. Cirillo has had extensive mentoring experience both inside and outside 3M, including mentoring in the MENTTIUM 100 program for several years.
In addition to his 3M experience, Dr. Cirillo spent five years in religious life as a teaching Brother and six years in the U.S. Army Reserves. He has taught science and mathematics at various levels from elementary school to university. Dr. Cirillo is an avid guitar player and singer. He and his wife, Judy, have four children and eight grandchildren.
Energy Efficiency Expert
The Efficacy of Energy Auditing in Commercial Buildings and Industrial Sites
Energy use is one of the most expensive operating expenses in a commercial property or industrial site, but often goes unchecked. In these days of uncertainty, it is important to keep these expenses to a minimum. One difference between those companies that weather these difficult times and those which do not survive will be that the survivors are those who have reduced their unnecessary expenditures before it is too late. Unnecessary costs include a portion of your utility costs, which for many until now were just considered “a cost of doing business.” By running an inefficient building, you are overpaying your utility for energy. It just doesn’t make any sense. A good building energy audit will point the way to reduce your energy costs by 10% to 40%. For large organizations, this can be substantial, and could be the difference between staying afloat and going under.
Sunday C. Enubuzor has a combined 15 years consultant experience in energy and business. He specializes in the examination of energy management systems, planning energy control resources, and developing policies and procedures relating to energy conservation and technologies. He also provides advice on international marketing and management to both domestic and international entrepreneurs. Enubuzor is also developing a new Energy Efficiency Technology program for Hennepin Technical College.
Applications Engineer, Productivity Inc
Dave Jones has over 23 years of machine tool experience. Dave was a machinist for the first 10 years in the industry working on a variety of machines from vertical, horizontal machines and lathes. After completing his electronics degree, Dave began working at Productivity Inc were he serviced swiss machines for nine years, then moved over to the applications side. He has continued to assist a vast number of customers to make the most of their Citizen swiss machines.
Managing Director, Armada Corporate Intelligence
Is This the Recovery I Have Heard so Much About?
Now that we have finally left 2009 in the rear view mirror we can expect nothing but blue skies in 2010 - right? Not so much. We are now in the midst of the second transition - this time from the recession to recovery. It is certainly better than transitioning the other way but it will not be without its challenges. There will such exciting topics as whatever happened to that stimulus money, when do I officially shift from panic over the recession to panic over inflation, what did all those people do that lost their jobs and what will we have them do now. There's more but only to be revealed to those that attend the session and stay awake.
Chris Kuehl is the managing director of Armada Corporate Intelligence. As economic analyst for the FMA, he produces an economic e-newsletter specifically designed to aid the business decision-making by management and shop owners in the metal forming and fabricating industry. He also conducts workshops for FMA at major conferences and trade shows. He is editor and publisher of two daily e-publications, Business Intelligence Briefs and Strategic Global Intelligence. Chris is currently a senior faculty member for Keller Graduate School of Management, teaching international business, economics and finance. He holds a Ph.D. in political economics, a Masters in East Asian Studies and a Masters in Soviet and East European Studies.
President, Minnesota Council for Quality
Brian Lassiter was elected president of the Minnesota Council for Quality in the summer of 2001. Before his election, Brian held positions with the following organizations: Ian Alliott Consulting (Managing Director),
Norstan Consulting (Principal Consultant), The St. Paul Companies (Corporate Quality Consultant), Price Waterhouse (Consultant), and Boatmen's National Bank (Quality Manager). In these roles, Brian has worked with dozens of organizations in a variety of industries to help them improve their performance and competitiveness. Brian has served 11 years on the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (1998-2008), three as a Senior Examiner and the last five as an Alumni Examiner. He also served in the mid-90s as a Senior Evaluator for the Minnesota Quality Award (1996-97), served as a Judge for the Veteran's Administration Baldrige-based Carey Award (2004-06),
and has served from 1995-2003 and 2004- on the Board of Directors for
Goodwill/Easter Seals of Minnesota, currently serving as Vice Chair. He is
Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Performance Excellence, the national consortium of all state/local quality awards.
Senior Product Expert, Exact JobBoss
Growing Your Business Utilizing Automation Trends
An organization can retain its best customers and build customer intimacy through specific, concentrated business activities. For example, maximizing your ordering and scheduling system will not only help your bottom line, but will also build loyal customers who will keep coming back for future orders. Creating this sort of culture of quality as a differentiator must be instilled in the entire organization and not just top management. Drilling deeper into specific business initiatives, Dave will discuss the latest in automation trends that are affecting even the smallest manufacturing companies, discuss how to embrace the opportunities that automation brings to an organization and identify the potential ROI for a company that implements this leading edge technology.
Public Relations Director, Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl
Patricia Lee is the Public Relations Director for the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl. based in Rockford, Ill. Prior to joining FMA in 2000, Lee held marketing management positions with Newell Co. and WilsonMiller, as well as serving as a member of the management team of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of the Freeport, Ill. Chamber of Commerce. She has also taught business plan development for Rock Valley College in Rockford. Lee holds an M.A. degree from Northern Illinois University.
Executive Director, National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS)
With a stakeholder base of over 6,000 companies, NIMS establishes skill standards for the nation’s precision manufacturing industry, certifies individual skills and accredits training programs that meet NIMS quality requirements. NIMS has issued over 22,000 individual credentials and has accredited 149 training programs. The NIMS skill standards are the only skill standards adopted by the American National Standards Institute for American manufacturing.
Mr. Mandes is the employer chair of the federal Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship and assisted in the development of the new regulations governing apprenticeship for the U. S. Department of Labor.
Senior Vice President – Minneapolis/St. Paul Operations, Duke Realty Corporation
As Senior Vice President of Minneapolis/St. Paul Operations, Pat is the business unit head responsible for the profitability and operation of Duke’s Twin Cities’ office. Pat joined Duke in 2004. He began his real estate career practicing real estate, real estate finance, and municipal law with Briggs and Morgan, P.A. in Saint Paul for six years. He then joined Opus Corporation as Associate General Counsel, a position he held for approximately two years. Pat was later named Vice President of Dispositions, Finance, and Investments at Opus Properties, L.L.C. and held this position for approximately five years before joining Duke.
Board Member, American Mold Builders Association
Upon graduating from North Dakota State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1999, Justin McPhee was hired at Mold Craft, in Willernie, MN, to fill the entry level design position. Mold Craft designs and builds precision, plastic and silicone injection molds for the medical, electronic, telecommunication, and consumer goods industries. The skills and values he learned early in his career earned him the position of VP of Engineering. Justin’s most successful achievement was to become one of the owners of Mold Craft in September 2007; he has continued to grow and innovate both personally and professionally over the past two years. Justin is actively involved with the National American Mold Builders Association (AMBA) and the Minnesota Chapter of the AMBA. Justin sits on the National Board of Directors and is Secretary of the MN Chapter.
Application Engineer , Applied CIM Technologies
Brent has over 14 years experience as a CAD/CAM professional training and supporting a number of systems including the digital product development solutions from Siemens PLM Software. Brent provides valuable insight and knowledge to his customers regarding the implementation and delivery of the latest in CAD/CAM technology. He works for Applied CIM Technologies in Minneapolis and supports the six state area in including MN, WI, IA, ND, SD and NE
Certifications and Accreditations Manager, NIMS
Catherine Ross began her career as a Credentialing Specialist at the National Institute for Metalworking Skills in August 2008 and has since moved on to serve as Certifications Manager and ultimately, Accreditations Manager. Along the way she has facilitated all credentialing and accreditation activities at NIMS, including coordination of On-The-Job Trainer Workshops. Catherine participated in the planning and operations of a successful Student Summit at IMTS 2008 and at SkillsUSA 2009, and is currently heading the preparations and design for the Student Summit at IMTS 2010. Prior to NIMS, Catherine accrued several years of non-profit experience in the Washington, D.C. area during and after her time at George Mason University, where she earned a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Sociology. While at GMU, Catherine was a member of Alpha Kappa Delta (International Sociology Honor Society) and awarded Deans List status several times. Contact Catherine Ross at cross@nims-skills.org.
Technical Sales Engineer, Carl Zeiss
Measuring The Tiny & The Tightest Tolerances
Carl Zeiss is issuing in a new era with the F25 Microsystem. This Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) is a hybrid system offering both tactile and optical measurement at an uncertainty level of 250 nanometers, and it is geared towards the micro- and nano-manufacturing industries. Coupled with Zeiss's flagship Calypso software, parts with dimensions blind to the naked eye and parts with tight tolerances can be measured easily and most importantly, very accurately.
Mike Roterdam is a Technical Sales Engineer for Carl Zeiss IMT in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He holds a MS in Applied Mathematics from the University of California at Riverside. His career has spanned the Metrology industry for over 22 years. He worked as a software development engineer for other CMM manufacturers, and as a corporate measurement engineer for a local Minnesota company. He joined Carl Zeiss two years ago.
Principal, Black Line Group
In 2003, Scott Schmidt founded Black Line Group to usher companies through the process of successfully applying for the R&D Tax Credit, the firm's sole focus in a specialized area of the tax code that is very underutilized by manufacturers of all kinds. He has presented information on the R&D Tax Credit for trade associations across the country and has authored numerous articles on the topic.
Faculty Director for Manufacturing Technology, University of Minnesota
Bill has over 20 years of manufacturing and operations experience, with nearly half in leadership positions. After receiving a B.S. in engineering in 1984 from the United States Military Academy at West Point and attending the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey, he served in the U.S. Army as a liaison officer for NATO in Europe. Upon leaving the service, he began his business career in Silicon Valley with a small medical firm that was purchased by Abbott Laboratories. In 2000, he obtained his M.S. in operations and technology management from Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Since then he has worked in the Chicago and Twin Cities areas in various manufacturing leadership positions, most recently with Mate Precision Tooling in Anoka. He also currently serves as faculty director for Manufacturing Technology (MT) in the Department of Applied and Professional Studies within the College of Continuing Education at the University of Minnesota. Under Mr. King's oversight, the MT program addresses the competitive pressures manufacturing businesses are facing in the global economy. The program offers forward-looking, theoretical courses in manufacturing technology processes and systems, as well as practical instruction in organizational and project management, operations, leadership, and communication.
President, Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT)
Starting his career as an apprentice toolmaker at Alliance Tool Corporation in 1975, Doug has risen through the ranks. In 1990, he joined Liberty Precision Industries where he became President and CEO. Under his leadership Liberty grew from a $7 million tool & die company to a $40 million internationally recognized manufacturer. Most recently, Doug was president of Parlec Incorporated, where he assumed responsibility for worldwide operations including the North American manufacturing and engineering operations.
Applications Engineer, Productivity Inc
Ben has over 10 years experience working with swiss-style machines and several more in the machine tool industry. A graduate from Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin, Ben had a passion for making things from an early age and believes that in order to keep pace with the ever-changing innovations in manufacturing technology, you must think outside the box. And that is exactly what he has been doing for the last several years at Productivity as an Applications Engineer. Ben will be one of the instructors for the Swiss seminar and hopes to share the innovations that swiss-style machines have to offer.
Vice President, Business Banking, Wells Fargo
Zielsdorf 's experience includes management positions at Wells Fargo in both Retail and Business Banking. He currently manages a business banking team that serves the North Metro markets. Zielsdorf currently serves on the Boards of the Northeast Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the St Anthony Youth Basketball Association.
