Page 7 - MetalForming March 2023 - PMA Chairman Jeff Aznavorian

Editorial Brad F. Kuvin
Celebrating a Columnist’s Milestone With a Novel Take on Apprenticeships
Pete Ulintz took over our monthly Tooling by Design column in July 2006, and in 2015 became technical director of the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA). Time has flashed by, and with this issue we proudly present Pete’s 200th column, quite an amazing accomplishment.
Prior to joining PMA, Pete worked 26+ yr. as advanced product-development manager at Anchor Manufacturing Corp., and has served for dozens of years (and continues to do so for PMA) acting as an educator and speaker. And, he is past-president and member of the North American Deep Drawing Research Group (NADDRG).
During his tenure with MetalForming, Pete’s devoted several columns to workforce- development themes, which he does in this issue (beginning on page 14). He writes:
“Metal forming companies struggle to find qualified candidates for their apprenticeship programs because students are not interested in—or are unaware of—manufacturing oppor- tunities. Here’s a novel approach: Recruit more apprentices from inside of the organization, concentrating intensely on production-equipment operators. Structured training programs that develop stamping-press technicians, for example, with upward mobility into more skilled trades would be a novel approach to apprenticeships.”
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“Structured training programs that develop stamping-press technicians, for example, with upward mobility into more skilled trades would be a novel approach to apprenticeships.”
Pete hits the proverbial nail on the head, and his timing is perfect, as I just had that same conversation with Jeff Aznavorian, president of metal former Clips & Clamps Industries and who is highlighted in this issue (beginning on page 32) as he prepares to serve as PMA’s 2023 board chair. Aznavorian keeps a keen eye on work- force development, where his philosophy echoes Pete’s:
“This approach (that Pete Ulintz professes) has played out several times at Clips & Clamps Industries,” Aznavorian says. “One recent example is Mike Snow, who started for us working in fabrication and assembly and then moved into shipping and receiving. When we met with Mike and discussed his goals, he said he really wanted to work with computers and technology, and lo and behold we already had a perfect apprenticeship program in place for him, in our CNC wire forming department. Mike is more than half-way through his apprenticeship and already is programming and setting up his own parts. He has a chance to one day run
that department and become an integral part of the company.”
To further recognize Pete’s impact on our industry, PMA President David Klotz adds: “PMA is pleased to recognize Pete Ulintz for his milestone 200th Tooling by Design
column! Pete’s knowledge of, and passion for, the industry is second to none and we truly appreciate having him part of the PMA team. He has been invaluable, helping to support metal forming companies through instruction at technical seminars and in-plant training, the development of PMA’s METALFORM EDU online training platform, and more, educating the metal forming workforce to help our industry thrive.”
And this from fellow educator and MetalForming magazine columnist Danny Schaeffler:
“Words to describe Pete that come to mind include passionate, practical and professional. I first met Pete in the 1990s when he joined and became an active participant in NADDRG, where his shop-floor perspective helped blend theory and the realities of the production floor. Pete's dedication to our industry inspired him to
take leadership positions within NADDRG. Pete is one
of the best technical content presenters I've ever seen.”
Congratulations, Pete, on this significant milestone. But don’t rest on your laurels—your next column is due any day now!
Editorial Director bkuvin@pma.org
4 MetalForming/March 2023
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