FIA is pleased to welcome Quaker Chemical as the association's newest supplier member. Located in Conshohocken, PA, Quaker Chemical provides metalworking process fluids to the steel, metalworking, die casting and automotive industries.

Peter Skoog, Global Product Manager, will serve as Official Representative (610.832.4000).

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The best organizations are only as good as their leadership, and the Forging Industry Association and the Forging Industry Educational and Research Foundation are no exceptions to this rule. FIA and FIERF have been very fortunate through the years that industry leaders have consistently stepped up and volunteered their time and talents to serve on these two Boards. This altruism provides the guidance and direction that has allowed FIA and FIERF to consistently provide the services our members need in both good times and bad.

FIA's Nominating Committee will meet in February to select and nominate a slate of nominees to the FIA Board of Directors and the FIERF Board of Trustees for election at the Annual Meeting in May, 2012.

Elected Directors and Trustees will serve for three year terms through the Annual Meeting in 2015. Candidates from both FIA forging producer or supplier member companies are eligible and will be considered for either Board, subject to the following guidelines, qualification and preferences:

The FIA Board of Directors provides operating policy and direction to the association and its activities which support FIA's purpose and Mission - "To improve member's global competitiveness". FIA activities are accomplished by committee, staff and member groups through defined, measurable objectives relating to industry marketing, information, public policy, and technology matters relevant to the forging industry and of interest to FIA members. Director candidates are CEO or senior managers who are versed in business operations and strategic planning, motivated to participate and lead in an industry-representative peer-group effort, and able/willing to commit to 3 meeting days per year.

The FIERF Board of Trustees sets direction for, and participates in small working groups to plan and implement highly focused activities relating to Technology, Education and Fundraising matters toward furthering the competitiveness of the forging industry. Trustee candidates should be well versed in either business or technical planning skills, interested in developing long term programs and solutions to these enduring industry challenges, and able/willing to commit to 4 meeting days per year.

FIA members who are interested in serving on either Board, or who would like to recommend a candidate for consideration by the nominating committee, may inquire for more information by either contacting FIA Executive Vice President Roy W Hardy, or any member of the nominating committee listed below.

Members of the FIA nominating committee are:

Bob Bolin, Girard Engineering
Email: bobb@girardusa.com

Doug Brown, Inductoheat, Inc.
Email: dbrown@inductoheat.com

Rick Creed, Weber Metals, Inc
Email: rickcreed@webermetals.com

Hudson Smith, Sifco Industries, Inc.
Email: hudsonsmithco@aol.com

Tim Hunter, McInnes Rolled Rings
Email: thunter@mcrings.com

Kevin Crowley, Forged Products, Inc.
Email: kcrowley@fpitx.com

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The Foundation would like to thank The Queen City Forge for their commitment to the Forging Foundation and the future of the industry. On behalf of Queen City Forge, President Rob Mayer has increased the organization's level of support by moving from a Bronze to a Silver Anvil Society Member. See the Foundation's Annual Report for current programs and activities and to make a tax deductible contribution.

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The Association of Indian Forging Industry, host of IFC 2011, instituted a new award recognizing international leaders in the forging industry. The first class of Forge Masters included Charles H. Smith, Jr. (1920-2004) of SIFCO Industries. Mr. Smith's long list of accomplishments are summarized here (link to bio), but as a founder of FIERF, and long serving member of FIA, it was an honor to nominate him and a thrill that he was so recognized. His son, Hudson Smith, was in attendance at IFC 2011 and was called onstage to receive this prestigious award.

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Composite Forgings had a special visit from Congressman Hansen Clarke on October 20th, 2011, who was elected to represent the 13th Congressional District of the United States House of Representatives in November 2010. Congressman Clarke stopped by Composite Forgings to highlight manufacturing and jobs being created in the city of Detroit. He is working with local businesses and the City of Detroit to help create new jobs as well as keeping the jobs that are already in place in the city.

(click here) to view article

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The Forging Industry Association has been collecting information for over 40 years to keep the forging industry and its suppliers aware of the consumption of forging parts in the past 12 months. The reports include comparisons to past historical data and are the aggregate of actual information provided by YOU, the forger. Our objective is not only to provide historical information but to use that data to forecast the future of the industry. FIA is also collecting data to provide you with the benchmark you have been asking for against our international forging community. To do that we need accurate tonnage figures for all segments of the industry. WON'T YOU BE A PART OF THIS AND RECEIVE SOME GREAT INFORMATION?? Your Annual Orders, Shipments & End Use participation is VITAL to this new service.

This Market Forecasting Service is available to help you:

• Track current and future health of your markets
• Get summary forecast views of business drivers
• Help you to promote a balanced portfolio approach to business planning
• Lets you look at different sectors
• Help you with corporate planning
• Help assess risk by product and sector

- Participating members will receive Annual O&S report and ALL Market Forecasts issued for 2012.
- Non-member participants will receive Annual O&S report and TWO FREE QUARTERS of 2012 FIA Market Forecasting Service reports. Additional subscriptions can be purchased.

For a small sample of one part of the reports (click here)

For more information on how to order and prices (click here)

FURTHER FIA ANNUAL ORDERS & SHIPMENTS PROGRAM INFO:

A. What we have always gathered:
Total yearly volume shipped broken down by:

• Segments - Closed Die, Open Die and Rolled Ring
• Metals, Ferrous and Non Ferrous
• By Tons per metal - reporting your tonnage information is essential for international forging comparisons
• By End Use markets you support
• Open Die producers: We have further broken out for Oil, Gas, Construction & Mining.

B. What we are asking again this year:

• The amount of forgings exported and to what countries - by Tons
• Your Energy usage
• Employee counts on the production side.

WHAT YOU RECEIVE BY FILLING OUT YOUR ORDERS, SHIPMENTS & END-USE MARKETS QUESTIONNAIRE:

• Participating Members will receive reporting on ALL of the above.
• Non-member participants will receive part "A" and part "B" and TWO FREE QUARTERS of 2012 FIA

Market Forecasting Service reports. Additional subscriptions can be purchased.

PARTICIPATE NOW! Click below to download a PDF form or call FIA office (216-781-6260-Mary Ann or Diane) to participate via on-line interactive survey:

Impression Die (Closed Die) Form [click here]
Open Die Form [click here]
Rolled Ring Form [click here]

(All Survey questionnaires are coded for confidentiality of data. FIA staff internally compiles the data to obtain aggregate report results, so your data is never compromised. Any questions call Diane Rothaermel or Mary Ann Foote at FIA Office 216-781-6260)

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This form was directed to the person that completes the OSHA 300 log for your company, if you did not receive it, please contact Connie Long at: connie@forging.org, or call FIA at 216-781-6260.

An option available for your use is the "Electronic Interactive I & I Survey. If you'd like to use this tool, again, please send an email to Connie Long at connie@forging.org. She'll send you one to complete, and then you SUBMIT back to her. Complete confidentiality is assured.

Only participants will receive the summary report listing forging industry Occupational Injury & Illness Total Recordable Incidence, and DART Incidence Rates - your only source of such specific information. The more members that participate, the more reliable our industry figures are. If you would prefer that your company name NOT be listed in the report, simply check the box on the form.

This information is also used to calculate the annual FIA Safety & Health Awards. Plaques will be presented to companies with the lowest Recordable Incidence Rates, and greatest improvements in each of four size groups. Presentation of the awards will be made during the May 5-8, 2012 FIA Annual Meeting of Members being held in Palm Beach, FL.

Again this year, Safety Award Winners will be highlighted in a special article of the May/June issue of FORGING Magazine.

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In light of the Judge's direction to the parties in the lawsuit against the NLRB poster rule, the NLRB has announced a further delay of the effective date of the rule from Jan. 31, 2012 to April 30, 2012. So no one has to post anything new until AT LEAST April 30th by which time the lawsuit should be decided. We'll keep everyone updated on the status of the lawsuit.

Jennifer Baker Reid
The Laurin Baker Group, LLC

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FAIR 2013 is the next in a series of technology trade shows and symposium programs sponsored triennially by Forging Industry Association since 1970. The program has been carefully developed and planned to provide important networking opportunities between forgers and vendors...opportunities closer than generally available at any other forging industry program. Supplier companies from throughout the world that would like to exhibit, demonstrate and talk about their products and services in front of a worldwide audience of forging industry customers are invited to register as exhibitors at FORGE FAIR 2013.

All FORGE FAIR 2013 events will be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, which is located in the middle of a vibrant city. The area is alive with cultural activities, arts, sports and entertainment - all within walking distance. As the winner of multiple Prime Site and Inner Circle Awards, this striking, modern facility has become one of North America's most popular sites for local, state, regional and national groups and organizations.

(Click here) to view/print Exhibitor Prospectus.

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Click here to view/print the world's forging tonnage from Euroforge.

Click here presentation describing the European forging world.

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Looking for Engineers? Resumes Available from FIA! Each year the Foundation reaches out to Finkl Scholarship recipients and Magnet School students that will be graduating in the spring. We also have a number of students interested in summer internships or co-ops. Resumes that have come into the FIERF Office may be accessed on-line through the FIA Career Center where you'll find more than 50 students interested in the forging industry, or by contacting Karen (karen@forging.org - 216.781.6260).

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The 20th International Forging Congress was held in Hyderabad, India over November 13-17. The event was an impressive success with over 1000 attendees from 17 countries from around the world. There were 66 technical papers presented and 76 exhibitors displayed at the accompanying expo. FIA was represented by 15 delegates from North America, and Roy Hardy Exec. VP presented the current status of the North American Forging Industry during the Plenary Session.

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If you are frustrated with the limitations of your ERP system, and desire to improve order flow management, starting from forecasting and master scheduling, right down to bottleneck scheduling, order tracking, and overall shop scheduling, the Smart Chart Program may help, for additional information please contact me at: irani.4@osu.edu.

Shahrukh A. Irani
Associate Professor
Department of Integrated Systems Engineering
The Ohio State University
294 Baker Systems Engineering
1971 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: (614) 688-4685 Fax: (614) 292-7852
URL: http://ise.osu.edu/biosketch_SIrani.cfm

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