Fall 2005 OCMA News

FALL 2005 OCMA News

CALL TO ORDER

President John Vaught called the business meeting to order at 1:00 P.M.

II. SPEAKERS

A beaming Mike Frantz, Frantz Ward LLP, accepts his OCMA Speakers Award from OCMA President John Vaught, Tri-Cast, Ltd.

More than fifty (50) OCMA members attended the OCMA HR Day meeting on October 18, 2005, to hear several presentations pertaining to issues selected by the OCMA HR Committee. OCMA Counsel Mike Frantz, Frantz Ward LLP, was the luncheon speaker. Mike is asked each year to provide a legal update on judicial decisions that may affect Ohio metal casters and their suppliers. This year the members received in their information packets a hefty document entitled “Selected Labor Board and Federal Court Developments” and Mike suggested that the members review those cases at their leisure. He focused his remarks instead on the AFL-CIO break-up, the Delphi bankruptcy, and the potential impact of the new U. S. Supreme Court nominations. The key points of his presentation are outlined below:

1.	The most significant issue of the AFL-CIO break-up is that it will shape labor relations for years to come. Although AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, formerly with the SEIU, promised aggressive organizing when campaigning for the post, however, he failed to deliver organizing victories and instead, focused more on labor’s political clout. Leadership of unions concerned that organizing activity was inadequate asked Sweeney to resign. When he refused, they left the AFL-CIO to form the Change to Win Coalition (CTW).
2.	Unions leaving the AFL-CIO include the SEIU, led by Andy Stern, titular head of the new coalition, Teamsters, UFCW, and Unite Here, all service oriented unions. The CTW convention platform touted the need to organize companies that are not able to relocate offshore such as health care facilities, social service agencies and church affiliated organizations such as the Catholic Charities USA. Mike believes that Ohio will be an organizing “battleground” state with the CTW targeting health care facilities.
3.	The impact of the split upon the AFL-CIO will be profound. More than 5 million members were removed from the federation and more than $10 million removed from its treasury. Under these circumstances, Big Labor will not have the clout in the political arena that it once had. The next presidential election should be a key indicator of Big Labor’s political influence.
4.	Regarding the Delphi situation, Mike indicated that the bankruptcy was the only way that Delphi could successfully address its legacy costs and reduce wages and fringe benefits. Hourly wages at Delphi ranged from $18-20 per hour and with fringe benefits the hourly cost was more than $60 per hour. With these costs Delphi was no longer competitive especially with its biggest customer, General Motors. Moreover, GM made a calculated decision not to help Delphi avoid bankruptcy because GM’s negotiating position with the UAW was enhanced once Delphi declared bankruptcy.
5.	GM’s strategy appeared to pay off a week later when it announced the agreement with the UAW to reduce its health care costs. GM expects to save $3 billion from its current employees and more than $15 billion from its retirees.
6.	Mike believes the GM-UAW agreement will positively affect all collective bargaining negotiations. The GM-UAW agreement opens the door for bargaining on all issues.
7.	The U.S. Supreme Court will undergo a “sea change” with the naming of Chief Justice John Roberts and one additional Bush nominee. Chief Justice Roberts is likely to demonstrate a judicial temperament similar to former Chief Justice Rehnquist and present Justice Scalia. With the addition of a second justice more conservative than Justice O’Connor, the Court will display a more “strict constructionist” bent. There are 39 oral arguments before the Court this year, a significant workload, so Chief Justice Roberts will have an immediate impact.
8.	Of the cases before the Court, only five pertain to labor issues and only one affects the foundry industry. FLSA v. Alvarez addresses the safety issue nicknamed “donning & doffing”. Legal issue is when does the work day begin, when the employee puts on his/her safety equipment or when they are actually at their workplace. Presently workers are not paid for the time it takes to travel from the equipment room where they “don” their safety equipment. A California court found that this time should be compensable. Other courts say it should not be. The Supreme Court will determine. If this time is compensable, it could cost business including foundries, millions of dollars.
9.	Regarding collective bargaining, health care remains the biggest issue. Cost of providing health care has increased from $4000/employee in 2000 to $8000/employee in 2005. He also recommended that OCMA members review the activities of the Third Party Administrator (TPA) representing them for BWC cases. The compromise decision on the practice of law in BWC hearings minimized the TPA’s ability to question witnesses etc. It is important to determine whether you and your TPA are on the same page.


OCMA Treasurer John Burke, OSCO Industries, Inc. presents a favorable financial report highlighting the success of the 2nd Annual OCMA Golf Outing in August.	Everybody is happy as John Sinclair, Mercer Human Relations Consulting, accepts his OCMA Speakers Award from OCMA President John Vaught.

Mike’s labor relations update is available from the OCMA office.

Mike Sinclair, Principal, Mercer Human Relations Consulting, presented “Health and Productivity: Strategies for Managing Costs”. Key points of his presentation are presented below:

John set the stage by presenting the following facts:

>	People with chronic diseases often account for 50% of costs; more than 70 million people have a chronic disease;
>	In most groups, 20% of the members incur 80% of the healthcare costs;
>	On average, 50% of people with a chronic disease do not comply with their treatment plan resulting in disease progression and increased use of healthcare resources;
>	Poor compliance with prescribed medical treatment is estimated to cost the U.S. healthcare system between $100 – 150 billion annually.
>	Employee behavior determines 50% of health care status and associated costs.
>	As of 2005, every state in the U.S. has more than 20% of its population categorized as obese or 20 pounds over an ideal weight. Mississippi has the highest percentage at 28%.

Employers are beginning to investigate ways to change both the work environment and employee behavior. An effective health and productivity management strategy includes:

>	Support of employee health as a necessary asset for a highly productive work environment;
>	Combining benefit design with health promotion, disease prevention, self-care management, and disease management;
>	Integration of occupational and non-occupational absence management strategies;
>	Use of behavior change theory in communications and interventions to maximize results;
>	Measurement of the impact of the interventions for continuous improvement and positive impact on population health and productivity.

Employers today are increasingly incorporating in their health care plan design more communications to employees of the importance of taking care of themselves and providing incentives to lead a healthier lifestyle. Specifically employers are developing programs to discourage employees from smoking, to excercise regularly, and to encourage employees to keep their weight at healthy levels.

Additionally, employers are attempting to manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, asthma, and cancer. Such programs often include a nurse advice phone line, a health website, and targeted behavior modification. The programs also include incentives and communications with affected employees to encourage them to follow their treatment plans. While the preponderance of large companies are engaged in this activity, smaller companies are now being assisted to copy these programs.

The incentive programs take a variety of forms. Companies have had considerable success encouraging participation in health improvement programs by offering something as simple as a $25 gift-spending card. In addition, some companies offer a lower co-pay to those employees who participate in a health risk assessment program. Before implementing an incentive program, employers must recognize that once implemented, these programs are very difficult to eliminate.

Regarding consumer driven healthcare such as the use of a health savings account (HSA) the jury is still out. We need better data and information about whether better outcomes can be achieved. It would be very helpful if the healthcare “customer” could comparison shop for doctors and hospitals, but these institutions do not want to be measured so it is nearly impossible to develop helpful data. Without this measurement capability, it is extremely difficult to determine quality of care.

Summarizing, John suggested a simple plan of action:

>	Identify high cost employees;
>	Educate them about actions they can take to reduce their health care costs;
>	Communicate with them about their treatment programs and encourage them to follow the “Doctors orders”
>	Develop programs that strategically assist this goal such as incentives, nurse advice line, etc.

Mr. Sinclair’s PowerPoint presentation is available from the OCMA office. Just call or e-mail.

Courtney Daugherty, General Motors – Powertrain-Defiance, provided a crisis communication primer: “Crisis Communications: Planning to Attack the Crisis Before it Attacks You”. The key points of her presentation are presented below:

There are five general categories of crisis:

>	Facilities crisis where damage such as that caused by an explosion, fire, leakage, or natural disaster;
>	Community crisis: Adverse conditions created by the organization itself or outside parties hostile towards the organization;
>	Employee crisis that includes the loss of life, sabotage, or a reduction in force;
>	Consumer crisis includes defective products, contracts that cannot be met, or an allegation against the company;
>	Image crisis includes unlawful or ill-perceived activities such as drug use or the indictment of a senior official. This is the most difficult crisis to counteract.

Seven phases of a crisis that an organization usually goes through:

>	Denial;
>	Anger and aggression;
>	Spin;
>	Damage Control;
>	Wishful thinking;
>	Recovery; and
>	Reconstruction

Benefits of a communications plan;

>	Allows more time to formulate comprehensive ideas
>	Reduces stress;
>	With a crisis communications plan in place before the crisis occurs, your organization can skip the first phases and move immediately to damage control.

How to prepare a crisis communications plan:

>	Select a top manager who will head the in-house team to communicate with employees. At GM Powertrain, the plant manager is the head of the crisis communications team. Provide the manager with a team to deal with the media. At GM Powertrain, a communications manager and public relations person are responsible for communications with the media.
>	Determine who will make final decisions when releasing sensitive information;
>	Arrange for training and conduct simulations;
>	Arrange a central site and phone number for the Emergency Response Team.
>	Plan how to communicate quickly and effectively. This includes having the most current contact information such as phone numbers, fax, cell phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. If possible, utilize the company intranet Website to distribute information to employees.
>	Establish separate points of contact for: employees, family members, media, customers, and suppliers. Have a “hotline” or a 1-800 number for external communications with employees and media.

How to communicate during a crisis:

>	Do not answer “No Comment”. Even if all you can say is that you don’t know, say so, say why, and when you think you will know. If you answer “No Comment” you will immediately lose control of the process.
>	Never lie or speculate. Provide only confirmed, factual information. Work with local law enforcement personnel; do not say something with which they are not in agreement;
>	Take your time to explain difficult issues to reporters. Monitor media reports and quickly correct errors by contacting the reporter. Don’t attempt legal battles in the media.
>	Prepare key messages you want to make ahead of time and practice presenting them before a video camera to determine how effective the message is. Critique and improve the message. The messages should be short and to the point; be prepared to repeat them over and over again.
>	Be available at all times to respond to your various audiences; know the media deadlines. Don’t be defensive, but be prepared for aggressive questions. Provide brief, precise answers to questions; try not to ramble.
>	Follow up with the media. Keep them updated about what actions were taken after the crisis ended to minimize the possibility of them happening in the future.

Do your level best to establish credibility in your earliest communications:

>	People want to KNOW THAT YOU CARE before they CARE WHAT YOU KNOW;
>	Empathy and caring is half of the credibility battle. Competence/expertise is worth about 15-20 % and other factors including previous experiences equal about 30-35%.

Factors of special importance in a crisis:

>	Speed - you need to present information quickly;
>	Accuracy and honesty
>	Explanations;
>	Frequency and repetition of communications;
>	A high level communicator such as the CEO, General Manager, or Director.

1.The media are very predictable, they will ask questions their audience would ask such as:

>	What happened?
>	Why did it happen?
>	Was anyone hurt or killed?
>	Has this ever happened before?
>	What are you doing about it?
>	When will it be resolved?
>	How will you prevent this from happening in the future?
>	Did you know this was going to happen?
>	What would you like to say to those affected?

Making preparedness a habit:

>	Practice fire evacuation drills. Invite local authorities to make the practice more real.
>	Tabletop exercises are available for practicing. You will learn from your mistakes and will be more prepared when a crisis occurs;
>	Use published reports of crisis news stories in plant communications to ask, “What if this happened here? Would you be ready?
>	Invite a person who has been through a crisis to speak to your leadership team about the importance of planning for a crisis.
>	Be vigilant. Look for potential crisis situations “in waiting”. These may include troubled suppliers, personnel issues, unsafe practices, and strain or disruption in normal business processes.

Ms. Daugherty’s PowerPoint presentation is available from the OCMA office. Just call or e-mail.


One more happy recipient of the OCMA Speakers Award is Courtney Daugherty, GM Powertrain – Defiance.h	Joe Cuske, Griffin Wheel Company, relaxes after his emotional presentation.

Joe Cuske, Works Manager, Griffin Wheel Company, presented a heart-felt description of his personal experience with a fatal accident at the plant. Joe, who has been with Griffin Wheel Company for twenty-six years explained that dealing with the media is important, but taking care of the needs of the affected family and communicating with the employees is of utmost important in this type of a crisis. Key points of his presentation are outlined below:

1	Joe prefaced discussion of the recent fatality at the plant by recounting an accident that happened in November 2002. At that time, an explosion in the arc furnace resulted in the death of one of the melting crew. In that situation there was little or no media attention. The company used EAP for employees affected by the accident and spoke with corporate legal to be prepared, but very little attention was paid to the accident.
2	In May of this year, Joe was on his daily “walk through” of the plant; he closely checks one section of the five sections of the plant each day. At 9:35 AM he received a frantic call over his page phone. A member of the mold & steel group had been crushed in machinery. It took approximately 25 minutes to extricate the employee and during this time nearly 15 emergency response squads reported to the scene. Apparently a number of employees had used their cell phones to call 911 to report the accident.
3	Joe assigned Director of Human Resources Carrie Goss to attend to the family. At 10:15 AM he convened a meeting of all the employees and told them what was going to happen. He notified them that the police looking for eyewitness accounts might interview them. He instructed the employees to tell the truth, but not to speculate. He also told them not to go back to work, but suggested that they stay at the facility to talk about the accident and deal with their feelings.
4	By 11:00 AM there were a number of media trailers with their satellite transponders on the Griffin Wheel Company property preparing for the Noon news. At noon the local media stations reported that a man had been caught in the equipment and was in critical condition. However, they did not identify the employee. As a result, the phones in the main office began ringing of the hook because each employee’s spouse was calling to determine whether they had been hurt.
5	The questions asked by the media were right off the list that Courtney described in her presentation. Unfortunately, Griffin Wheel Company supervisors were unable to determine how the accident had happened and therefore had very little information to share with the media. Joe did take the position that he would not accept the blame, but also, he would not lay blame for the accident.
6	By 5:00 PM and the plant parking lot teeming with media personnel, Joe did not want to leave the plant. However, he headed to the hospital to visit with the family. He indicated it is imperative that the family believes that you, as management, will do the right thing. The company set up the family with hotel rooms and meals.
7	In the middle of the night, the employee passed away. The next morning the Columbus Dispatch had a news article about the Griffin Wheel Company accident. The article quoted Joe even though he had not spoken with the Dispatch reporter. Unfortunately, the article also had a lot of “bad stuff” from disgruntled employees. Joe called corporate and was instructed not to respond. He did not.
8	The situation presented a very difficult dilemma. There is the duty to respond to the media however, without complete knowledge of what actually happened it is nearly impossible to do so. He recommended in those situations to keep the message as simple as possible.
9	Joe believes that there is nothing we can do about news media sensationalism. However, the most important audience is not the news media anyway. The most important audience is the family and the employees. Griffin Wheel Company executives met with the family members and made it clear that they would be taken care of. Management also provided accurate, timely information to the employees. Although litigation will happen, you must expect it; you should make decisions with the family’s welfare in mind.
10	Joe recommended that it is critical that a caring, compassionate person be assigned to the family when an accident occurs. That person will play a very important role in assuring the family that the company will take care of them as well as assisting with funeral arrangements and other activities associated with this type of situation.
11	Despite investigation of the accident, it remains unclear how the equipment crushed the employee. Griffin Wheel Company did contract with a third party company to review the plant safety procedures and to recommend how the plant could be made safer.

ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE


OCMA Vice President for Environmental Affairs Dennis Baker, Flowserve Corporation, presents his Environmental Update.	A proud Paul Spradling, Burnham Foundry, LLC accepts his OCMA Distinguished Service Award from OCMA President John Vaught.

Vice President of the OCMA Environmental Affairs, Dennis Baker, Flowserve Corporation, presented the environmental report. The PowerPoint environmental report is available from the OCMA office just call or e-mail. Key issues are outlined below:

Generally Available Control Technology

USEPA is preparing to introduce the Son of MACT or GACT. GACT will apply to area sources; those with a potential to emit less than 10 tons/yr for a single HAP or less than 25 tons/yr for any combination of HAPs. USEPA views area sources as important contributors of HAPs especially in urban areas. The USEPA is operating under Section 112(k)(1) which states that USEPA shall “achieve a substantial reduction in emissions of HAP from area sources”. Section 112(k)(3) requires USEPA to prepare a national strategy for urban air toxics.

AFS is looking for volunteers for an Area Source task force committee. Executive Director Russ Murray and Dennis have volunteered. It is expected that this task force will have responsibilities similar to those of the MACT task force. AFS is trying to minimize the number of meetings at AFS Headquarters by communicating by e-mail and conference call.

Beneficial Reuse

>	Ohio EPA has announced its intent to draft a rule to replace former Ohio EPA policy 400.007. The proposed deadline for the rule is the end of 2006. OCMA Environmental Affairs Subcommittee on Beneficial Reuse has met and is preparing a position paper to present to the Ohio EPA. A sit-down meeting is then planned. Focus of the subcommittee’s efforts will be to:
>	Broaden the former 400.007 policy.
>	Expand the allowed beneficial uses to include horticultural & agricultural applications.
>	To eliminate or increase significantly the tonnage limitations outlined in the former policy.

Revisiting the Ohio Air Pollution Control Act

>	OCMA is a member of a coalition to encourage the Ohio General Assembly to amend the Ohio Air Pollution Control Act (APCA). Coalition members include the OMA, Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Contractors Association, and the NFIB.
>	The goal of the coalition is to amend the APCA to reduce the number of contaminants regulated and to eliminate BAT requirements for small sources.
>	OCMA members have complained that it is harder today to obtain a Permit to Install (PTI) than ever before. Companies have missed great opportunities due to these delays.
>	Senator Robert Spada (R-North Royalton) has agreed to sponsor the bill in the Senate. Both Senator Spada and the Chairman of the Senate Environment & Natural Resources Committee, Bill Niehaus, have hosted joint meetings with members of the coalition and Ohio EPA where they have encouraged the parties to work towards an agreement that could be codified in legislation.
>	Ohio EPA has offered a series of changes in the APCA that the coalition is reviewing. Although the changes offered are not likely to meet the demands of the coalition, it is a good sign that the Ohio EPA is now willing to discuss changes.

Join Us This Winter

The next OCMA meeting will be held on Thursday, January 19, 2006, at the Columbus Convention Center. Ohio’s Secretary of State Ken Blackwell will be the keynote speaker. We will also have presentations on the outlook for the metal casting industry, compacted graphite iron, (CGI), and the OSU iron casting program. Contact Russ Murray at 614-876-5100 for more information.

EMTEC Report

Nick Cannel, EMTEC, provided the report. Highlights are outlined below:

EMTEC has submitted a grant proposal to cast foam steel for military-related armor;

Nick helped two foundries purchase solidification modeling software. EMTEC will subsidize the purchase of modeling software by 10% up to $2000.

Nick reminded OCMA members that 95% of his time is spent actively assisting foundries with unique problems that they may not have the time and/or resources to address. He gave as an example a recent project where he successfully helped a foundry with a layout design problem. He is working with another company on product development.

Similarly, Nick is helping a foundry explore the possibility of recycling used solvents rather than disposing of them.

Ohio Technology Showcase

Larry Boyd, Energy Industries of Ohio (EIO), offers his update on the U.S. DOE sponsored Metal Casting Training Program

Along with the Ohio Department of Development & U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Industries of Ohio (EIO) sponsored an Ohio Technology Showcase from September 27- 29. The showcase was held in Cleveland and the Ford Motor Company’s Cleveland Casting Plant was a featured tour.

The Ohio Technology Showcase featured technical sessions, plenary addresses by business and government leaders, and special forums on selected topics. The workshops featuring two OCMA member foundries, Ford Motor Company’s Cleveland Casting Plant and The Sawbrook Steel Casting Company, Cincinnati that agreed to have energy audits performed at their facilities. The audits resulted in recommended changes that could save significant energy costs.

Two recommendations were of special note. The replacement of V-belts on machinery with notched or cogged belts resulted in significant energy savings without excessive costs. Additionally, the replacement of 400-watt lamps with 360 Halide lamps resulted in brighter lighting and lower electricity usage. Both of these items can be changed over time, as replacements are necessary. Just thought you would like to know.

Steve Wilson, Flowserve Corporation, makes a point during his presentation on measuring progress in the Flowserve Corporation’s worldwide safety program

OCMA HR Safety Seminar

Bob Huston, Xenia Foundry and Machine Co., asks a question during the OCMA Safety and Ergonomics Seminar. Also in the photo from left to right, are John Burke, OSCO Industries, Inc., Aleks Huston, Jim Jensen, OSCO Industries, Inc., and Josh Kerst, Humantech, a featured speaker.

On October 4, 2005, the OCMA HR Committee sponsored a Safety & Ergonomics Seminar presented by former OCMA VP for Environmental Affairs, Steve Wilson, Flowserve Corporation and Josh Kerst, Humantech. Twenty-one members and non-members were very pleased that they took the time to attend the seminar. Evaluations of the content and presentation skills of Steve and Josh were outstanding. Our thanks again to Ashland Casting Solutions for providing the training room and for picking up the cost of lunch. With these valuable contributions, the seminar was both an educational and financial success.

Golf, Golf, and more Golf

Last year’s Inaugural OCMA Golf Outing was such a monumental success that very few individuals believed that the 2nd Annual outing could top it. But top it we did with 100 golfers attending the outing held on Monday, August 29, 2005, at the Cumberland Trails Golf Club, the site of last year’s success. Participants enjoyed the golf, camaraderie, food & refreshments, and OCMA earned an addition to its bottom line of nearly $17,000. Led once again by OCMA Golf Committee Chairman Bud Tibbits, Hill & Griffith Company and the OCMA Golf Committee, OCMA recruited nine (9) major sponsors, thirty-two (32) hole sponsors, and 100 golfers! With Fairmount Minerals Ltd. once again providing a grand prize of a foursome at the award winning Sand Ridge Golf Club the task of recruiting golf enthusiasts was pretty easy.

The winning team from Hill & Griffith Company was comprised of Bud Tibbits, Dave Greek Jr., Tom Wedemeyer, and Ryan Canfield. The word is Bud, Dave, and Ryan pretty much carried Tom the whole day. They certainly deserved to win carding three (3) eagles and a whole bunch of birdies. Bud pronounced that it was great to finally win a golf outing that truly meant something. He’s right; the privilege to play Sand Ridge Golf Club and stay overnight at the luxury cabins is a prize well worth winning.

The success of the outing this year was beyond our expectations and we can hardly wait until next year. Dan Salak, Foseco Metallurgical Inc. accepted the challenge to follow in Bud Tibbits’ footsteps as Golf Committee Chairman and we are confident that next year will be even better.

OCMA Golf Outing Committee Members

Bud Tibbits, Chairman, Hill & Griffith Company
Dennis Baker, Flowserve Corporation
Walt Chaput, GM-Powertrain – Defiance
John Kurtz, Kurtz Bros., Inc.
Bill Massey, Ashland Casting Solutions
Kim Myers, Griffin Wheel Company
Dan Salak, Foseco Metallurgical Inc.

OCMA Golf Outing Major Sponsors

Ashland Casting Solutions
Energy Industries of Ohio (EIO)
Foseco Metallurgical Inc.
Frantz Ward, LLP
Hill & Griffith Company
Kenton Iron Products, Inc.
Miami-Cast, Inc.
Omnisource Inc.
RMT, Inc.

OCMA Golf Outing Hole Sponsors

AFS Central Ohio Chapter
Alb. Klein Technology Group
Alfe Heat Treating Inc.
Allen Refractories Kurtz Bros., Inc.
American Waste Management Inc.
American Electric Power (AEP)
American Colloid Company
Annaco, Inc. Palmer Mfg. & Supply, Inc.
Burnham Foundry LLC
Cascade Pattern Company
Clow Water Systems (2 holes)
Columbus Steel Castings Superior Graphite
EPCOR Foundries Tri-Cast, Ltd.
Equipment Merchants International ( EMI)

Fairmount Minerals Ltd.
Fisher Cast Steel
HA International LLC
Hickman, Williams & Co.
Honda Manufacturing of America, Inc.
J-Lenco, Inc.
Keener Sand & Clay Co
MPS Group
Metals, Inc.
OSCO Industries, Inc.
The Quality Castings Company
REFCOTEC, Inc.
St. Marys Foundry, Inc.
Xenia Foundry & Machine Co.

Volunteers

John Vaught, OCMA President, Tri-Cast Ltd.
Lynn Bierly, OCMA Trustee, Mansfield Castings Co.

OCMA PAC Golf Outings

The OCMA PAC golf outings raised nearly $700 in 2005. Although we only had one foursome participate in the Northeast OCMA PAC golf outing held on Friday, September 16th at Shaker Heights Country Club, those who did participate enjoyed a real treat. The Shaker Heights CC is an old, Don Ross design, challenging and rewarding. The turnout at the Southern Ohio OCMA PAC outing on Thursday, August 4, 2005 had seven (7) golfers at the outstanding Royal Oak Country Club. It seems the description of the course from last year’s OCMA News write-up may have influenced some reticent players this year. Unlike last year, we had beautiful weather both days and participants had a great time while supporting the OCMA PAC.

OCMA Executive Director Russ Murray Challenges U. S. Metal Casting Industry

“The future of the metal casting industry in America lies with increasing the demand for American castings. Foremost in this battle will be new casting designs. The future should not be battling with the Chinese and Indians for castings that have been made the same way for decades.”

With that declaration, OCMA Executive Director Russ Murray challenged the participants at the AFS Midwest Regional Conference to engage in an effort to develop, build, and operate a Casting Design Center (CDC). The CDC’s purpose would be to assist small and large metal casters to design castings to replace weldments, machined billets, machined welded fabrications, assemblies, and stampings. The CDC would build upon the castings featured in the AFS Annual Casting of the Year competition. The focus of the CDC would be to facilitate the replication of these new design breakthroughs on a daily basis, not just once a year.

Mr. Murray added that the CDC would become a magnet for new design students who presently do not have the opportunity to understand the capabilities of sophisticated casting design. He expressed one necessary caveat; since Ohio is the largest foundry state, the design center should be located in Ohio!

Photos courtesy of Nick Cannell, EMTEC.

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