Page 26 - MetalForming April 2014

Investing in Technology and the Workforce
PMA Chairman for 2014 Jody Fledderman, president and CEO of Batesville Tool & Die, puts his money on servo-press technology, 3D printing and other leading-edge technology to stay ahead of demand for automotive stampings. And, he’s investing in resources to attract the next-generation workforce to his company, and to the industry.
unique opportunity to apply the prin- ciples with which he leads BTD to help guide the broader metalforming indus- try to a bright future.
“We’re buying new presses to replace older equipment that we don’t necessarily need for added capacity” he says. “It’s an investment in our future. And we’re reaching out to the future workforce—our local high-school kids— to show them the career opportunities manufacturing offers. Maybe every company doesn’t need new technology or a fresh pool of labor today, but they will most likely need both soon, to fortify their companies. You have to look ahead.”
Servo Presses,
3D Printing and More
A tour of the sprawling BTD plant in Batesville, IN, expanded 19 times since Jody’s parents Ron and Jackie launched the company in 1978, reveals plenty
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITOR
Leading-edge technology, and motivated, well-trained and tal- ented people—we all know that these key ingredients contribute might- ily to the continued success of any manufacturing company. And it is pre- cisely these two ingredients that have the attention of Batesville Tool & Die (BTD) president and CEO Jody Fled- derman, as he looks ahead to the next
phase of his company’s lifecycle. “Preparing for the third generation of our workforce at BTD, we want to have the best people ready to step in,” says Fled- derman, “people with the skills to take on the most challenging work. And, we need to step up on the technology side.” As Fledderman takes the reigns as 2014 Chairman of the Precision Metal- forming Association (PMA), he sees a
24 MetalForming/April 2014
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