Greetings to AMFA members, associates, and friends!
 
I hope this spring is finding you healthy, happy, and productive.
 
I am thrilled to be named the AMFA president for 2025 and am ready to get to work!!!
 
Sign up to attend the AMFA luncheon meeting next Wednesday, March 5 at 11:00 am at L & M Radiator, Inc. in Hibbing. We will hear from Holly Minne, the general manager of L&M Radiator followed by a tour. It is going to be an interesting meeting and tour so sign up now!
 
The AMFA Board of Directors held our annual retreat on February 5^th in Hibbing. We discussed the 2024 activities, what to carry forward into 2025, and looked at several new initiatives to help us meet our goal of strengthening and growing the manufacturing industry in Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin. Read more detail here.
 
The first big event will be the Northeast Minnesota Manufacturing Teacher Summit on May 14 in Hibbing. Following the Summit AMFA will host the 12^th Annual Beverage Tasting Fundraiser from 4:30-6:30 pm at Iron Horse in Hibbing. This is an important event to raise funds that will benefit manufacturing career awareness in the region. We are currently looking for vendors and sponsors. This is a really fun event in a great atmosphere! Don’t forget to register to attend!
 
Plans are well under way for the 27^th Annual AMFA Golf Social in early June. The date and location will be announced soon. Join us to help support our AMFA Educational Trust which provides grants to the area schools. Since its beginning AMFA ET has raised over $210,000 which has been distributed to schools near you for shop equipment, field trips, robotics teams, and much more. Sponsorships are available. We hope you will continue to support this great event, come play golf, or sponsor a hole.
 
The Northeast Minnesota Tour of Manufacturing will be hosting students at plants in our region October 22-24. AMFA will be coordinating the event with multiple organizations and is looking for manufacturers who would like to participate. Offering tours of your facility gives you an opportunity to engage with future employees and can help change the public’s perception of manufacturing as dark, dingy, and dangerous. Contact Carolyn to host a tour and Katie to sponsor the event.
 
We are very excited to welcome six new members to AMFA: Arctic Compressor, Botcrew LLC, Builders & Contractors Workers' Compensation Fund, Manpower of Greater MN, Philadelphia Gear-Timken Gears & Services, and The Forge. See more details in the New Member section of the newsletter. And shout out to our members with anniversaries this quarter: 25 years: Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation, Minnesota Power; 10 years: Ely School District #696; 5 years: Hahn Financial Group, Inc., International Falls School, PRO Resources, and Range Steel Fabricators.
 
We are looking for speakers, manufacturer tours, and sponsors for upcoming meetings. Please contact Carolyn with your ideas and information.
 
I would also like to encourage your registration and participation in all our upcoming events. We are here to help you succeed, but we need your help and your participation for us to continue to succeed!
 
Wishing you all the best! See you at the meeting next Wednesday!
 
Best Regards,
Rally Hess,
AMFA President