These FMA Members Are Achieving Great Things
By Staff Report | May 21, 2019
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Learn how they’re strengthening local communities and the industry
It’s always good when industry professionals achieve great things. It’s even better when they’re one of our own. From taking their companies public to connecting people to lasting careers, the following Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International® (FMA) members are helping their local communities thrive and advancing the manufacturing industry in many ways.
May 9 was an industry first: A CEO of a custom metal fabricator, Bob Kamphuis, rang the opening bell on the New York Stock Exchange. Mayville Engineering Co (MEC) has topped the FAB 40 list for eight consecutive years and in 2016 FMA named MEC as the winner of its Industry Award.
Bob explained why the company went public in an interview with The FABRICATOR®, “We’ve grown the value of MEC significantly since we became an ESOP in 1985 in Mayville, Wisconsin, and we have a concentration of shares in Mayville. And retiring baby boomers puts a dent in our repurchasing obligation.” Bob continued, “The proceeds from the IPO put our balance sheet in a very conservative position.”
Gina Caronna, vice president of workforce development of Rock Valley College, an FMA Certified Education Center, has made Northwest Quarterly’s 2019 25 Most Interesting People list. The list recognizes individuals who are making a difference in the Rock River Valley region.
Gina made the list for bridging the gap between education and high-demand jobs. She’s doing this by establishing educational programs in area schools that allow students to quickly gain skillsets that local businesses need. Ultimately, Gina is creating an economic differentiator for her community.
The Technology Association of Oregon selected co-founder and CEO of nLIGHT Inc, Scott Keeney, as winner of the 2019 Sam Blackman Award. The award is given to executives of Oregon and Southwest Washington-based technology companies for demonstrating excellence in industry leadership and the individual’s positive impact in their community.
Scott was recognized for his commitment to the future of the region’s technology industry by leading nLIGHT through its IPO in 2018 and volunteering his time and resources to local schools. “I’m honored to be recognized by the Technology Association of Oregon and proud of what our team at nLIGHT has achieved over the past two decades,” said Scott.
nLIGHT is a leader in the development, design, and production of innovative laser technologies and products. Along with its partners, Laser Mechanisms and Precitec, nLIGHT is hosting an open house with demos featuring the latest fiber laser technology at ALAW® — Advanced Laser Applications Workshop on June 4 in Novi and Wixom, Michigan.
When your company has news, share it with FMA for an opportunity to be featured in an upcoming FMA blog or Member Update e-newsletter.
About the Author
Staff Report
The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association is where thousands of manufacturing professionals unite — individuals, businesses, students — under a common purpose: grow the metal processing, forming, and fabricating industries. To do it, we've built a workforce lifecycle that supports individuals and businesses at every point in their development. Ensure they flourish. Get better at what we do, give back to our community. Expand our skills, our businesses, and our careers. Pave the way forward, with fresh ideas and technologies.
Side by side, we move metal fabrication forward.
FMA unites thousands of metal fabrication and manufacturing professionals around a common purpose: to shape the future of our industry, and in turn shape the world.
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