Connections & Content, Key — Taste of Summer, Bonus

As busy as most of our members have been in the first two months of 2011, the date and deadlines for our annual Spring Management Clinic seems to have come very quickly this year. Three weeks from now we will be arriving at the beautiful Saddlebrook Resort, just north of Tampa, for three days at one of the nicest resorts Florida has to offer.

It will be a great opportunity for members to visit with others in the industry and obtain knowledge and insight from our education programs — all while building stronger business relationships with fellow members.

Special Sessions Include:

• Securing Your Company’s Data: Eliot Irons is an expert in the field of “Sensitive Data Awareness” and will be addressing the privacy and security issues dealing with data entrusted to your paper or digital files.
• Rural Economic Status & Projections: Dr. Ernie Goss, Professor of Economics at Creighton University in Omaha, NE is our Keynote Speaker. His monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of 10 Midwest states gives him a unique view of economic conditions and insights into where the economy is headed in this important region.
• Report on Status of Dealer Legislation in Six States: The Dealer Relations Committee Meeting will provide manufacturers with a status report on state and provincial legislation currently pending.
• New Format — Afternoon Supplier Showcase with Reception: Our Product Showcase is just one of the great opportunities Regular Members have to meet with over 40 Supplier Members and a chance to learn about the products or services they provide.
• NLRB & Labor’s Coming Attacks on Small Business: With “card check” legislation now blocked in Congress, organized labor has turned its attention to administrative rule making, where elected members of Congress have no vote. Nowhere is this more prevalent than the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). We will follow up with a Breakout Session on Protecting Your Workplace, where step-by-step advice will be shared regarding specific dangers facing small manufacturers today.
• China: A Marketing Opportunity: Peter Roettgen will draw on decades of real-world experience with global markets to explain the opportunities and obstacles of sourcing and selling in China.
• Minimizing Product Liability Exposure: Kenneth Ross is one of the world’s most experienced and well-known lawyers practicing in the areas of product safety, product liability prevention and regulatory compliance. Ross will discuss the best ways for farm equipment manufacturers or sellers to minimize or prevent product liability risks in the U.S. and around the world.
• Organized Labor’s Activity in the Workplace: David James will explain why even small manufacturers, in areas which have not been targeted in the past, need to be aware of specific dangers and their warning signs, facing manufacturers.
• Warning & Safety Signs for Products: Greg Pellegrom has been the coordinator and provider of Safety Consultation Services for Sentry’s Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association customers for almost 25 years. He is a consultant to our Association’s Risk Management Committee and has helped author numerous publications distributed through the committee’s efforts. 

  This session will help assure that safety messages in your Owner’s Manuals and on the product itself, make an impact to reduce the chance of user injury and loss which can cause liability to your organization.

• Pharmaworks Plant Tour: Unique chance to tour a dynamic company, focused on providing the pharmaceutical packaging industry with innovative packaging machinery solutions. Get a in-depth look at their engineering, machine shop and assembly lines. Watch as they manufacture Thermoformers, Scanware Inspection Systems and Feed Systems. Tour ends with a short Roundtable Discussion with President Peter Buczynsky, where you’ll have an opportunity to discuss common needs, issues, and perhaps some solutions found across different industries.
• Tillage Council Speaker: Ron Heck who operates a fifth generation soybean and corn family farm in central Iowa. He currently serves as a Director on the Iowa Soybean Association, the Iowa Biodiesel Board, and as a member of the 25x’25 Ag Energy Steering Committee.  

  Randy Olson is the Iowa Biodiesel Board’s Executive Director, where he has extensive experience in building a coalition from the ground up.

• International Relations Committee: Our luncheon speaker Peter Roettgen will also be available for this meeting which is open to all members.

Spring Clinic Social Activities:

• Golf Tournament: Our Supplier Associate Section has organized a great on site golfing event to get the meeting started. Expect much more than golf — it’s about getting connected. Golf, camaraderie and fun is the plan. Lunch is provided for those registered for this event.
• Trapshoot: A portion of Florida’s famous Silver Dollar Shooter’s Club located in Odessa, has been reserved for our group’s use. Transportation & lunch is provided for those registered for this event.
• Supplier Section Party: Instead of saving the best for last, our opening evening reception has been replaced with a Welcome Party sponsored by our Supplier Section. Forget going out… food, beverage, entertainment and a full evening await you under the Florida star filled sky.

If you have questions, call at (314) 878-2304 or visit our Spring Clinic page online at FarmEquip.org. We hope to see you at the Saddlebrook Resort in a few short weeks! ◆