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It is my great honor to welcome you and all of our friends from around the world to the opening of the 16th International Council of Sheet Metal Presswork Associations (ICOSPA), September 14-17, 2008, in Grand Rapids, MI.
The ICOSPA Congress is being held in the United States for the first time in 15 years and marks nearly 50 years of international networking and relationship-building by members of the international metalforming community. Executives from more than 10 countries including England, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and throughout North America will come to Grand Rapids to share ideas, best practices and personal accords as we look to shape the world of metalforming, together.
Without question, to stay ahead in today’s sheetmetal industry requires a higher level of product/market sophistication and global diversity. Expanding new product end-uses, developing proprietary products and other strategic capabilities are a must for the mid-sized company to stay viable and competitive. The ICOSPA 2008 Congress has adopted these challenges within its themes and promises to show you breakthrough possibilities through a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Challenge your thinking with insight from six of the industry’s brightest minds, including John Snow, former U.S. Treasury Secretary and owner of Chrysler Corporation, and Jack Perkowski, chairman of ASIMCO, the largest privately held automotive-parts supplier in China.
Each day, reports from some of the industry’s most important countries will transcend your understanding of global practices. This is information that can directly impact your future decisions and it cannot be found anywhere else but at the ICOSPA 2008 Congress.
Grand Rapids, known for its sophisticated charm and midwestern U.S. friendliness also is in the heart of a vast manufacturing region. Eight outstanding metalforming companies in and around the area are inviting you to tour their facilities, offering insights into their manufacturing expertise.
I have participated in several previous ICOSPA Congress events and I cannot encourage you strongly enough to participate in the ICOSPA 2008 Congress, September 14-17, in Grand Rapids, MI.
Best wishes,
Bruce Walker, President, Walker Corporation
ICOSPA President
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