70 Years of Industry Leadership

The 70th anniversary of the founding of the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) is a milestone worth celebrating. Our member companies and the entire metalforming industry should take pride in this accomplishment, and should look forward to a bright future. A hallmark for any successful trade association is member engagement, bringing together the industry’s brightest minds in order to solve common problems, whether rooted in advancements in core technology, imposed through new government regulations, in response to a national crisis, or to address an evolutionary change requiring concerted long-term action.

Associations must be driven by a diverse group of committed volunteer leaders who rely on a strong professional staff to develop and implement plans, strategies and tactics. In our 70th year, PMA continues to benefit from both groups—volunteers and staff working together to accomplish our mission:

To shape the environment of the metalforming industry, leading innovative member companies toward superior competitiveness and profitability.

This issue of MetalForming includes a special section featuring retrospectives and interviews regarding PMA’s past and the many challenges the metalforming industry has faced over the years. At its founding, PMA exclusively focused on the war effort. This was a time when the manufacturing might of the metalforming industry was essential in the global battle for the future. In the early ’70s, the establishment of OSHA presented huge industry challenges, around which PMA rallied.

From the mid-1980s through the ’90s, PMA launched several new initiatives in response to strong economic growth, expansion of the service sector and emergence of new technologies. The industry also was forced to react to globalism and new career options that helped create a shortage of skilled workers, which led PMA to create a new set of industry benchmarking and performance measures; a major annual exhibition; robust new training materials; and countless technical seminars. The PMA Educational Foundation was established to develop long-term strategies to highlight metalforming careers. And, PMA helped establish the National Institute for Metalworking Skills.

A decade ago, PMA’s focus shifted abruptly to respond to a severe disruption in the marketplace for flat-rolled steel. This disruption resulted from the economics of a changing steel industry, globalization and imposition of the 201 steel tariff.

Looking forward, PMA will continue to respond to changes in the metalforming industry, guided by its manufacturing and associate member companies through their engagement on our board of directors, in our districts and divisions and on our numerous committees. And, PMA will continue to lead the in Washington, D.C., serving as manufacturing’s voice at the table through our OneVoice partnership with the National Tooling & Machining Association.

PMA is fortunate to have smart, committed industry leaders actively engaged in helping the metalforming industry respond to the myriad challenges that face our industry. Such commitment will surely help to ensure a vital metalforming industry well into the future.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to those who have offered their support to this special 70th anniversary issue of MetalForming. Also, my deepest personal thanks go out to our volunteer leadership and to the many industry volunteers actively engaged in PMA.

Technologies: Management

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