Season's Greetings from the Ohio Cast Metals Association. We wish you the very best this Holiday Season and hope that you will have the opportunity to spend this special time with family and friends. My condolences to the Bengals fans out there, but there is always next year. Browns fans keep your fingers crossed, keep rooting, and maybe the post season will appear. Hopefully everyone will be rooting for OSU as they take their shot at winning the NCAA Football Championship and removing the bad taste in our mouths from last year. Go Bucks!! Go Big Ten!!

Speaking of football, can you believe those New England Patriots? Whether they win out or not, this will be one of the best performances ever. Speaking of one of the best ever, the next meeting of the Ohio Cast Metals Association (OCMA) to be held on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, is destined to be one of our best. The meeting will start with lunch at 11:30 AM in Room E-151 and the general membership meeting will be held in Room E-150.

Since 2008 is an election year, the media is focused on the presidential candidates, but perhaps more importantly to our industry, Congress is presently entertaining some pretty far out proposals that could have a tremendous impact on the Ohio metal casting industry. Stephanie Salmon, AFS Washington Office, will provide a broad update of what is going on in Washington, DC including proposals to expand the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), add paid leave to FMLA, and enact climate change legislation that could include a "cap & trade" provision or a carbon tax. Ohio House Majority Floor Leader Larry Flowers (R-19th District Canal Winchester) will provide a more tempered outlook at the state level including his assessment of how the electricity restructuring legislation will turn out.

OCMA Alum Jeet Radia, Vice President EHS, McWane Inc., will be returning to Ohio to recap the McWane "turnaround" in their safety and environmental programs. Those of you who know Jeet are aware of his tremendous capabilities, but for those of you who don't, believe me, you are in for a rare treat. To accompany Jeet's good news presentation, Larry Boyd, EIO, will bring good news as well. EIO has won a federal grant to perform energy assessments in Ohio and he will be outlining potential opportunities for OCMA members. Finally, Vice President for Environmental Affairs Ryan Burke, OSCO Industries, Inc., will present his environmental update. (See attached agenda)

Please return the attached registration form along with a $50 check for each registrant by Friday, January 11, 2008, so we can plan accordingly. Please note, you will be invoiced for expenses if you make a reservation and do not cancel at least 48 hours in advance. We are charged by the convention center for each guaranteed participant after the 48 hours and cannot reduce this number after the deadline.