Page 29 - MetalForming Magazine June/July 2022 80th Anniversary Issue

Happy
th Anniversary,
80
PMA!
Birthed in the darkest days of World War II, the Precision Metalforming Association has grown and adapted to ably serve its members and the industry as a whole. Here’s that story.
BY LOUIS A. KREN, SENIOR EDITOR
The Precision Metalforming Asso- Advocate, Advocate, Advocate tions team. Recent results speak to the
ciation (PMA) of 2022 is a far cry
from the association at its found- ing in 1942 as the Pressed Metal Insti- tute (PMI). Back then, amidst World War II and seeking a strong central voice, PMI was formed in Cleveland, OH. It’s current incantation provides that strong central voice, and much, much more.
Today, PMA takes advantage of tech- nology and communication advances, and shifting economic and societal patterns to remain essential to the suc- cess of the metal forming industry and the professionals who inhabit it.
In 2022, “perseverance” is a word that comes to mind for David Klotz, PMA president, as he reflects on the association and its members navigating raw-material shortages, supply-chain disruptions, workforce issues and the global pandemic. The association has undertaken a number of recent initia- tives to best serve its members and the broader metal forming community in these unique times. Let’s look at these initiatives, then trace PMA’s roots.
26 MetalForming/June/July 2022
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Perhaps the most pronounced development in the recent history of PMA is a major emphasis on advocacy, stemming from the imposition of Sec- tion 201 steel tariffs in 2003. Association advocacy efforts initially occurred in the early-1970s, as detailed below. But the dramatic impact of Section 201 tar- iffs galvanized the domestic metal forming industry in an unprecedented way, and led PMA to increase visibility to our nation’s lawmakers and regula- tors. The goal: Tell the metal forming industry’s story, and advocate for adop- tion of manufacturing-friendly policies and regulations. Beginning in 2003, PMA instituted a massive fundraising effort to finance advocacy, which ulti- mately resulted in regularly scheduled Washington, D.C. fly-ins where the association and concerned members could meet face to face with lawmakers, and the hiring of PMA’s D.C.-based lob- bying and communications teams.
Today, PMA advocates on members’ and the industry’s behalf through its One Voice lobbying and communica-
effectiveness of such advocacy.
For example, in a January 2022 sur- vey, 97 percent of PMA member com- panies responded that they have job openings, compared with pre-pandem- ic levels of 86 percent. Nearly two- thirds of respondents face “severe chal- lenges” recruiting employees, the highest level ever recorded, and poli-
cymakers are taking notice.
“Last year, Congress passed into law
$185 million to expand registered apprenticeships and $45 million for training programs at community col- leges, and changed the law to make middle schools eligible for career and technical education Perkins funding,” says Omar Nashashibi, a founding part- ner at The Franklin Partnership, a key player on PMA’s One Voice advocacy team. “This last area is a real game- changer for manufacturers who for years have said that educators should introduce students to manufacturing careers at an earlier age. PMA is poised to build on those successes with major policy changes expected in 2022 on