April 2, 2009                             If you are not a current subscriber, subscribe here.
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THE PROMOTER

MachineTools.com offers an online platform to locate and advertise new and used metalworking equipment and related products and services. With over 40,000 machines, users can search the site using a variety of search methods and make direct contact with the sellers. Available in multiple languages, the site also has tooling, machine requests, auction events, and a company directorymore info
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WEIGH-IN
Where readers and advertisers jaw about the value of MetalForming
“I review MetalForming for new processes and products and discuss various ads with other people in management. It’s very useful.”

IN THE RING
Upcoming issues of MetalForming
June
  • Mechanical Presses—MetalForming explores how metalformers optimize press setup and operation to improve part quality and die life.
  • Packaging of Stamped Parts, Part 1: The Technology—Part protection and storage for shipping to the customer is the focus of this special section. Part 2, in October, offers real-life packaging solutions used by metalformers.
  • Robotics for the Pressroom—Find out how an automotive stamper employs robots to transfer parts from press to press in tandem lines.
  • Tool Steels—Die longevity and performance begins with the base material. Using the correct tool material for your application can head off potential problems from the start.
    Special Online-Only Issue
    (Live July 1)
  • Assembly Technology Expo—Show Preview (Sept. 2009, Rosemont, IL)
  • Metalforming for Expanding Markets—Medical, Aerospace, Renewable Energy
  • In-Die Feed and Assembly
  • Fastening/Assembly Technology
    July/August Double Issue
    (Mails July 24)
  • Parts and Scrap Handling
  • Lubricants
  • Transfer Systems
  • In-Die Electronics/Sensors

    IN YOUR CORNER
    MetalForming advertising reps
    'Sugar' Sherry Theien
    North Central, International
    815/282-6000
    Fax: 815/282-8002
    stheien@earthlink.net
    John 'The Hit Man' Moore
    New England, Mid-Atlantic,
    Pacific, Canada

    216/531-4044
    Fax: 216/721-2525
    jmoore@lpcpub.com
    'Vicious' Viv Tomsik
    South Atlantic, South Central, Mountain
    216/901-8800 x119
    Fax: 216/901-9190
    vtomsik@pma.org
    Pete 'The Heat' Fuduric
    Classifieds, Reprints, The Punch
    216/901-8800 x171
    Fax: 216/901-9669
    pfuduric@pma.org

    Media Kit


    PMA Business Conditions Report:
    Metalformers Expect Little Change Through Spring

    Metalformers anticipate that the soft business conditions in the metalforming market will continue over the next three months compared to the last three, according to the March PMA Business Conditions Report. The March survey includes respondents from 160 metalforming companies in the United States and Canada.

    When asked what the trend in general economic activity will be during the next three months, 13 percent of participants expect an improvement (up from nine percent in February), 39 percent predict it will remain the same (compared to 48 percent last month) and 48 percent anticipate a decline (43 percent in the last report).

    Expectations for incoming orders improved slightly from February to March. Twenty-four percent anticipate an increase (up from 16 percent in February), 35 percent expect no change (34 percent in February) and 41 percent expect a decline (down from 50 percent in February).

    Says PMA president William Gaskin, “A large segment of the metalforming industry is on pins and needles waiting to learn whether the Automotive Task Force, which is advising the U.S. Treasury Department, will support additional financial help for General Motors and/or Chrysler and whether the liquidity needs of automotive suppliers, especially Tier Two and Tier Three middle-market companies, will be addressed by any additional forthcoming assistance.”

    See the full report here.


    PMA Sales and Marketing Report Reveals
    Trends and Opportunities for Metalformers

    The new 2009 PMA Sales and Marketing Report reveals that middle-market metalforming companies are successfully shifting their sales and marketing to become much more diversified, with the best opportunities coming from defense/ordinance, aerospace, and health and medical markets, as they are expected to be the strongest markets through the next 12 months. The report profiles the marketing campaigns and sales plans for 106 manufacturing companies. Read PMA’s press release or learn more about PMA business report subscriptions.

    JABS
    A forum for marketing strategies

    Are You Atwitter?
    All hype aside, Twitter is for real and probably here to stay. As a tool for instant mass communication, the microblogging site has opened up expansive possibilities for b2b marketers to engage the marketplace. Take Trumpf, Inc. for instance. The provider of metal fabricating machinery recently announced in a press release its foray into Twitter starting with tweets from the 2009 TECMA machine-tools tradeshow in Mexico that took place this past March.

    “We are always searching for ways to help us better connect with each other and our customers,” says Trumpf executive vice president Burke Doar. “Innovation is a guiding principle at Trumpf, and we are approaching our involvement in social media with a spirit of adventure.”

    Here are a few basic tips to get started on Twitter:

    1.Go to Twitter.com and create a profile for yourself or your company/brand.

    2. Search for any key customers, colleagues and industry thought leaders already active on Twitter and follow them.

    3. Search your company, brand and/or product names, and any relevant industry keywords at search.twitter.com and set up an RSS feed on those search terms. This will give you a convenient real-time feed of the chatter in the tweetosphere that contains those terms, giving you the opportunity to instantly engage your customers and industry peers. (New to RSS? This RSS in plain English video provides a great crash course on getting started.)

    4. Make a point to post at least one industry-relevant tweet per day. Since a tweet can only be 140 characters long this should be easy.

    5. As with other social media, authenticity and content are key. As a b2b marketer, represent your product without hocking your wares. Be an honest commentator on industry trends and news.

    For additional tips on using Twitter for b2b communication, view this video on the A B2B Marketing How-To blog.





    ON THE CARD
    Upcoming events for sales and marketing professionals

    Get Involved with PMA’s Sales and Marketing Committee
    The committee meets four times per year at various locations

    Direct Marketing Association’s 2009 B-to-B Lead Generation Conference
    April 6-8, 2009 – New Orleans, LA

    PMA 11th Annual Marketing and Sales Roundtable
    May 20-21, Cleveland, OH – PMA Headquarters

    Business Marketing Association 2009 Annual Conference
    June 10-11, 2009 – Chicago, IL


    KNOCKOUT!
    MetalForming delivers

    New Product Showcase Added
    to Metalforming Search

    The Precision Metalforming Association’s Metalforming Search Supplier Directory has just launched a new feature that allows you to highlight specific new equipment and products to the online audience of Metalformingsearch.com. The New Product Showcase highlights an unlimited number of products, including pictures and a description of each item in a rotation on the front page of the guide and on its own feature page. All showcased products are searchable from anywhere in the guide and accessible directly from the completed listing.

    To learn more about the New Product Showcase, call Matt Kreuter at 972/402-7744.

    For more information on other advertising options, click here to view the Metalforming Search media kit.

    If you are not a current subscriber, subscribe here.

    Send your feedback to thepunch@pma.org


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