Austin Regional Manufacturers Association (ARMA)

ARMA CEO Kevin Fincher enjoyed touring Quantic Wenzel's new facility recently. It's always a great time meeting members to discuss shared goals and the future of manufacturing!

WELCOME TO ONE OF ARMA'S NEWEST MEMBERS! ARMA welcomes Sarabi Studio and its President, Payam Sarabi, as a new manufacturer member. Sarabi Studio has quickly established itself as one of the nation's top bespoke minimal furniture makers. On top of their custom commissions, Sarabi Studio also has an extensive line of stock furnishings, site furnishings, and architectural products. It offers extensive specialty metal fabrication for the commercial market. Sarabi Studio specializes in architectural and ornamental elements, showcasing the pure characteristics of metals and their natural beauty.   Their primary focus is commercial projects throughout the US. Click here to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gi7HpXja #NewMember #Manufacturing #FurnitureMaker #CustomDesign #Membership #Networking #Advocacy #WorkforceDevelopment

ARMA MEMBERS: As the global trade war heats up, ARMA is pivoting to bring relevant, timely resources to help our members. We will host a webinar this Friday, April 11, from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. (CST) to discuss a new resource center and have a presentation from Chris Siepmann from Weller James. Chris, who served as Director for Trade Enforcement at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative during the first Trump administration, was a speaker at our recent Operations Summit, where he adeptly walked our audience through the rationale of what was coming. Now, given the announcements, which include 104% tariffs on Chinese imports beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, April 9, Chris will share advice on the following: * Overview of the current state of play on tariffs * Potential future tariffs to watch for  * Summary of the Trump administration’s trade policy goals  * Which countries are most subject to long-term tariff risks * Q&A   WEBINAR DETAILS: DATE: Friday, April 11 TIME: 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. (CST) COST: FREE **REGISTER AT THE LINK IN THE COMMENTS** After registering, you will receive the Zoom link to access the webinar. If you have any other comments about tariffs, please do not hesitate to contact us! Contact Liz Gori at liz@arma-tx.org with any questions. #Tafiffs #Manufacturing #Economy

Last week, U.S. manufacturing took a gut punch (tariffs), but it also got hit with a surprise right jab - the announcement from DOGE that the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) would be defunded. The MEP program was created in the 1980s at the height of the U.S. trade war with Japan to help small manufacturers compete. MEP is a nationwide program, with each state having at least one MEP. In Texas, the state MEP is TMAC. Founded in 1995, TMAC (Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center) has been recognized by Texas manufacturers as the hand-on-experts who deliver business management, quality management, technology, and operations solutions to a wide variety of manufacturers across Texas. ARMA would not exist if it were not for TMAC and TMAC South Central. ARMA was born from the idea of establishing a regional trade association in Central Texas with the mission of strengthening manufacturing through advocacy, workforce development, and networking. In addition to ARMA, the San Antonio Manufacturers Association (SAMA) and the Texas Alliance of Manufacturers Associations rely on TMAC for support to help strengthen manufacturing across Texas, along with many other local manufacturing alliances throughout Texas. ARMA can serve our manufacturers with the support of TMAC by providing various training programs, including lean certification, supervisor training, cybersecurity support, supply chain resiliency, workforce development, and, most recently, how to incorporate AI into manufacturing operations to increase efficiency and compete globally. The MEP program is not a government handout, manufacturers pay to participate in various programs, resources that they likely would not be able to afford if not for the support of TMAC. ARMA will have a call to action later this week to reach out to our Texas delegation of federal legislators to understand the importance of this program. The immediate defunding of 10 state MEPS this week runs counter to the goal of boosting domestic manufacturing. It is important for Congress to hear from the manufacturing community and to ask the U.S. Department of Commerce to restore the funding for this program, which was previously appropriated by Congress. American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC) Carrie Hines

Check out the latest episode of the MFG Austin Podcast! Rami Goldratt, CEO of Goldratt Consulting, discusses his father's book, the "Theory of Constraint," with ARMA CEO Kevin Fincher. He reveals how a letter from a reader let his father know that the book could solve ALMOST every problem a manufacturer faces! Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gwfBCiEs You can find the MFG Austin Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. Kevin and Rami discuss how the Theory of Constraints methodology can help manufacturers optimize production, eliminate bottlenecks, and scale their businesses. Rami shares real-world examples, including how Delta Airlines adapted during the post-COVID recovery and how Amazon leveraged The Goal to revolutionize its fulfillment operations. We also explore the impact of AI on manufacturing, workforce development challenges, and the role of constraint-based thinking in personal and professional growth. Special thanks to the podcast sponsor Texas Mutual Insurance Company, Jeremiah Bentley, and our podcast producer, Milan Media - (Formerly MFG Tribe). #MFGAustin #Podcast #TheoryofConstraints #Manufacturing

ARMA’s HR & Employment Law group met last week to hear a presentation about Durable (Soft) Skills.  Tim Taylor, CEO and founder of America Succeeds, presented findings from their work to identify specific durable skills. In an era when technical skills are evolving at an unprecedented pace, there is an important set of durable ‘soft skills’ that last a lifetime. Durable skills include a combination of how you use what you know – skills like critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity – as well as character skills like fortitude, growth mindset, and leadership. Analysis of 80 million job postings from 2020-2021 reveals that 7 of the 10 most requested skills are durable skills. And, the top 5 durable skills were requested in job postings 4.7 times more often than the top 5 hard skills. In short, durable skills are in demand for jobs across the workforce, regardless of educational attainment level, industry sector, or geography.   This is a consistent theme heard from ARMA members. America Succeeds has created a Durable Skills Initiative to address this issue. They work with schools across the country to embed durable skills training into career pathways. As part of this program, America Succeeds is undertaking a national survey to understand employers’ needs. You can find out more about the Durable Skills Initiative here: https://lnkd.in/g33CHzC #HR #EmploymentLaw #DurableSkills #Manufacturing #CriticalThinking #Communication #Collaboration #Creativity #WorkforceDevelopment #Advocacy

ARMA, E3 Alliance and Texas State Technical College recently hosted a Teacher Development Day at TSTC's New Braunfels campus. CTE directors, counselors, and assistant superintendents from around central Texas attended the event designed to raise awareness about career opportunities in manufacturing and the programs available to help their students succeed. Thank you to CNC Steel for giving our teachers a tour of their facilities. Thank you to Kyle Seipp and Marco A. Pizana Jr. with E3 Alliance for helping to organize the event. Thanks, too, to Mike Anderson, Corina I. Zepeda, Glenn Grabs, and Stuart Van Orden from TSTC for their overview of their growing and successful advanced manufacturing programs. Alexis Flores #WorkforceDevelopment #Manufacturing #AdvancedManfacturing, #Networking #Advocacy #Education #Workforce #Teachers #StudentSuccess

WELCOME TO ONE OF ARMA'S NEWEST MEMBERS! Welcome to ARMA, Turnco Tool & Instrument, Inc! Turnco Tool & Instrument is an elite contract manufacturer for the medical, aerospace, nuclear, and defense industries. You will find Turnco-produced instruments in the hands of skilled surgeons, in nuclear facilities, and even on the surface of Mars. Their goal is to provide every Turnco customer with the highest quality machined parts at the lowest prices possible. They accomplish this goal every day by continually improving their processes and creating an environment that encourages teamwork, training, and development. Learn more about this women-owned family business based in Georgetown at their website: https://lnkd.in/geMrdqBy #WelcomeNewMember #Membership #Manufacturing #Advocacy #WorkforceDevelopment

Have you heard the latest episode of the MFG Austin Podcast? In this clip, ARMA CEO Kevin Fincher discusses the unexpected love story in the Theory of Constraints, written by Rami Goldratt's father, Dr. Eliyahu Goldrat. Rami is CEO of Goldratt Consulting and is this month's guest on the MFG Austin Podcast. Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gwfBCiEs You can find the MFG Austin Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. Kevin and Rami discuss how the Theory of Constraints methodology can help manufacturers optimize production, eliminate bottlenecks, and scale their businesses. Rami shares real-world examples, including how Delta Airlines adapted during the post-COVID recovery and how Amazon leveraged The Goal to revolutionize its fulfillment operations. We also explore the impact of AI on manufacturing, workforce development challenges, and the role of constraint-based thinking in personal and professional growth. Special thanks to the podcast sponsor Texas Mutual Insurance Company and Jeremiah Bentley as well as our podcast producer, MFG Tribe - (INDUSTRIAL Sales & Marketing Agency). #MFGAustin #Podcast #TheoryofConstraints #Manaufacturing

ARMA again had a sold-out crowd for our most recent member bus tour. Special thanks to Ametrine Inc. and CelLink Corporation for graciously opening their facilities to allow our members to learn about their companies.     As much as we wish we could show you photos of Ametrine’s product, once you understand their mission to make warfighters invisible, you might understand in part why you can’t see their product! It may also have something to do with the classified nature of their work. You can learn more about Ametrine’s mission by visiting their website https://ametrine.tech/.   Our second visit was a quick trip to CelLink’s Georgetown manufacturing facility. Wiring harnesses, key components of cars, are sets of wires and related equipment that relay information and carry electricity throughout vehicles. CelLink’s flexible circuit wiring harnesses, called “flex harnesses,” are lighter, smaller, faster to produce, and can be less expensive than conventional wiring harnesses. CelLink’s technology, now in demand in the electric vehicle (EV) and general automotive markets, also has applications across numerous other industries, including aviation, space, consumer electronics, and appliances. You can learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dNqWKJqD.    Brandon Cates, Dee Marrs, SHRM-SCP, Nancy Loewe. Jessica Perritte Amanda Dokter, PHR, SHRM-CP Jerry Kappmeier Abby Wilson