Four leading associations of small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies recently announced that they are combining resources to host the inaugural Manufacturing for Growth (MFG) meeting, a gathering of hundreds of manufacturing leaders, March 3-6, 2011, in Chandler, AZ.  Collectively representing a cross-section of the industry, the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA), the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) and the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) will combine their annual meetings to pursue the common goal of building sustained U.S. economic growth by strengthening the country's manufacturing sector.

Together, the four associations comprise more than 4,000 small and medium-sized manufacturers from all 50 states that provide products for the aerospace, automotive, construction, energy, medical and many other industries in the United States and abroad.  By sharing resources, the Manufacturing for Growth conference will provide an opportunity for more than 500 top manufacturing executives to exchange best practices as the industry seeks to reassert and expand its U.S. economic footprint.

In a letter to the four groups acknowledging the significance of the industry gathering, U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke wrote: "Your four trade associations are to be commended for recognizing that collaboration and cooperation among industry stakeholders are vital to the future of America's manufacturing sector."

"The MFG meeting represents a unique opportunity to collaborate with manufacturing technology providers, builders, integrators and users," AMT president Douglas Woods said. "By combining the resources of our four premier manufacturing associations, the MFG Meeting will have exceptional program content and networking opportunities."

AMTDA president & CEO Peter Borden added, "The MFG meeting represents a sea change for the industry.  The collaboration involved with this meeting coincides with the shift in the industry itself towards a greater emphasis on interconnectivity-from the manufacturer to sales distribution to customer-making [it] an ideal forum for industry professionals to discuss common issues."

"To have four great associations collectively coming together to support manufacturing and promote its awareness shows the positive effects of collaborating around a common goal. This event is the first step to promote manufacturing awareness and educate our country on its importance to America's economic infrastructure," NTMA president Dave Tilstone said.

"This new collaboration among the major industry associations represents a milestone in strengthening business relationships within the supply chain of the metalworking and forming industries," said PMA president Bill Gaskin.  "By joining together for the MFG Meeting, members of these associations can develop new opportunities to work together to assure a strong manufacturing base in North America."