Page 42 - MetalForming Magazine June/July 2022 80th Anniversary Issue

in the early 2000s.
“The 201 steel tariffs were a game
changer for our members,” recalls Bill Gaskin, PMA president from 2000 to 2017. “Steel prices rose overnight and metal formers couldn’t even get mate- rials. PMA was instrumental in forming a coalition that ultimately lowered a 36-month tariff period to 20 months.”
In 2004, recognizing the need to place an even greater emphasis on lob- bying, PMA hired full-time lobbyists, and in 2008 joined forces with NTMA to lobby as One Voice for the metal- working industry. As detailed above, PMA lobbying efforts would continue to expand. Along with Government Rela- tions, Safety and other committees, PMA also operates industry-specific divisions, including the Metal Spinning division.
Training Expands
Education, always a major focus of PMA, shifted to overdrive during the 1980s, as the association developed training aids using the prevailing media
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of the day. In 1988, PMA released its first video-based training system to train industry employees setting up and operating manually fed presses, and in 1989 released a program for training on coil-fed presses. These have been followed over the years by training systems for setting and operating press brakes and metal-spinning machines, as well as a Spanish version of the coil- fed training system, and an updated version (in 1999) of the coil- and man- ually fed systems. Training systems also have been developed for safety, dimen- sional variation, lockout-tagout and economic literacy. The association has followed these efforts with CD-based safety-training aids, and METALFORM EDU,developedthroughPMAEF,con- tinues to expand training programs.
The association also has pursued other training initiatives over the years. For example, in 1993, PMA began work on creating a skill-standard credential- ing system for all of the metalworking industry, which transformed itself into
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the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) in 1995. In 1996, PMA established PMAEF to support and develop training and education for metal forming skills, and to improve the public image and awareness of careers in metal forming. It raised more than $2 million in an endowment cam- paign, the majority of which was pledged between 1997 and 2000. It was during this period—1998 to be exact— that PMA moved into its newly built headquarters in Independence, OH.
Promoting Diversity
Recognizing the growing number of females employed in our industry, from entry-level to management, PMA has sought to provide forums and opportunities for women to network. In 2009, PMA attracted 14 women to its inaugural Women in Metalforming gathering at FABTECH Chicago, IL. In 2011 the group supported the first annual Women in Manufacturing (WiM) event, held in October in Cleve-
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