How FMA Summits Started

In August 2007 FMA hosted the first Future of Manufacturing Summit in Montreal. The aim was to give senior executives a private setting where they could share what was working, compare new technologies and leave with practical ideas they could apply when they went back to their plants and offices.

That three day program became the template for every FMA summit that followed. Small groups of qualified decision makers, a tight agenda that respects their time and space for one to one conversations that turn into real projects and partnerships.

Who Was Our First Summit Ambassador

Janice Blake welcomed the group and acted as the first FMA Summit Ambassador. She came from more than twenty years in the technology sector and had held senior roles in sales, business development, project management and operations.

• Founding President of 3Vista Corporation, a manufacturer of advanced 3D rendering software.
• Experience in network engineering, information management and technology leadership.
• Provided consulting services to both private and public sector clients on program and project management.

Kickoff Networking

The summit opened on Sunday evening with a kickoff cocktail hosted by the Greater Phoenix Economic Council on the Terrasse Jeanne Mance, followed by an outdoor barbecue with Fellon McCord. These informal sessions set the tone for the rest of the summit and made it easy for executives to connect before the main agenda began.

Key Sessions And Speakers From The 2007 Program

• August 7 - 8:30 to 9:00 • Salon B
  Industrial Technologies Program
  Douglas Kaempf, Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy

  Douglas Kaempf introduced the Industrial Technologies Program, part of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The session focused on how the program works with industry to improve the energy intensity of U.S. manufacturing through high risk and high value research and development, validation projects and wide deployment of best practices.

  He explained how multi million dollar research portfolios in sectors such as biomass, forest products, agriculture, chemicals, refining, glass and metals were helping companies cut energy use, lower emissions and modernize their operations.

• August 6 - 8:30 to 9:00 • Salon B
  Green Suppliers Network
  Tom Murray, Chief of Prevention Analysis, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  Tom Murray spoke about the Green Suppliers Network and how large manufacturers can engage their suppliers in low cost technical reviews. The goal is to identify process changes that reduce waste and use materials more efficiently.

  The session described the Lean and Clean approach, which combines lean manufacturing with pollution prevention. By targeting root causes of waste and redesigning processes, companies can reduce environmental impact and strengthen their bottom line at the same time.

• August 6 - 9:00 to 9:25 • Salon B
  Workforce of the Future
  Gary S. Toyama, Vice President, Southern California Region, Boeing

  Gary Toyama looked at how the retirement of the baby boomer generation would affect technical roles, management and executive teams across industry. The presentation covered how Boeing was planning for skills gaps, succession and knowledge transfer so that critical programs and long term projects would not suffer.

  He also shared lessons on how large organizations can keep engineering and operations teams engaged while they bring in a new generation of employees who expect different tools, training and career paths.

• August 6 - 9:35 to 10:15 • Salon B
  Liquefied Natural Gas and the Future Energy Mix
  Andrew R. Fellon, Senior Vice President and CEO, Fellon McCord and Constellation NewEnergy Gas Division

  Drew Fellon discussed how liquefied natural gas was becoming a key part of the North American natural gas supply outlook. He walked through how LNG projects, global trade and infrastructure would affect prices, procurement strategies and risk management for large energy users.

  The session drew on his experience building natural gas trading desks, procurement functions and service businesses that later became part of Constellation Energy, one of the largest retail electricity and natural gas suppliers in North America.