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President's Message  A Note from the Executive Director
Haley J. Brust - Executive Director (Talley Management Group) What did everyone think of the AWMI Annual Conference’s education portion of the meeting? I have heard nothing but rave reviews, and I am thrilled with the number of people who joined us. I would like to thank those who attended, and especially our planning committee. They really outdid themselves and made our job so easy at Headquarters. AWMI’s goal for 2010 is to bring even more exciting educational and networking opportunities to the 2010 Annual Conference. Now that we have said "goodbye" to 2009, it is time to prepare for 2010. While everyone had different reasons for joining AWMI in 2009, we all should take time to ensure that we are taking advantage of all of the services the association has to offer. The International Board has spent much time over the last year discussing the reasons people join AWMI and the services offered to its members. Many join AWMI for the networking opportunity, a chance to obtain an education in the metal industries, or even as a platform from which to become involved in a leadership position. AWMI offers many benefits, services and resources including: Chapter locations – AWMI membership includes the benefit of belonging to one of our 21 chapters. Chapters extend across the US and Canada and offer educational programs and networking events close to home on a regular basis. Getting involved in your local chapter is a great way to increase the return on your AWMI dollars. Collaboration with other professional organizations – AWMI is proud to continue its partnership with MSCI. AWMI members are offered member prices at MSCI educational meetings and many chapters host chapter meetings along with MSCI. Online member directory – is updated instantaneously and allows for easy access and networking at your fingertips. Volunteerism - AWMI members have the opportunity to help guide the association through work on committees, or by serving on a chapter or international board. Members who are interested in giving back to their profession and developing their own skills should sign up today. Corporate membership – AWMI offers discounts to member companies interested in corporate-wide support. Under this program structure companies qualify for different levels of cost-saving benefits. It is the way to go in these uncertain economic times. These are just a few of the many benefits AWMI has to offer. I encourage each and every one of you to renew today and to go out and recruit new members. AWMI & SteelOrbis Team Up in Southern California for Annual Conference (Reprinted with permission, Prime - January/February 2010) The Association of Women in the Metal Industries (AWMI) held its 2009 Annual Conference in San Diego, California from November 12-14, 2009 and SteelOrbis was proud to team up with AWMI to serve as the media sponsor for this important event. AWMI is an organization of professionals, founded in California in 1981, to promote and develop the growth of women in the metal industries. The programs and activities of AWMI are intended to enhance members' skills and experience, address challenges confronting the industry, and promote members' career growth with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of women employed in the metal industries. AWMI’s yearly events provide attendees from all walks of the industry with an opportunity to network and strengthen their community, and to gain a comprehensive overview of the state of the industry as a whole from presentations given by top industry leaders. This year’s keynote address given by none other than Nucor Corp.’s outspoken president, CEO and chairman, Mr. Dan DiMicco. The 2009 Annual Conference also featured a "pre-event" on November 6, which included a networking lunch and tour of the California Steel Industries (CSI) mill in Fontana, California. Participants had the opportunity to see the hot strip mill, where slabs are reheated and rolled into hot rolled coil, as well as the plant’s finishing, pickling, galvanizing and cold rolling facilities. The AWMI Annual Conference kicked off on the evening of November 12 at the Loews Coronado Bay in San Diego, California with a welcome reception followed by a dinner featuring keynote speaker Dan DiMicco. Mr. DiMicco, never one to mince words, gave it to the audience straight: 2010 will not be a good year for the steel industry, in his view. While steel capacity utilization rates have recovered somewhat and the economy is back in growth territory again, the US steel industry, and the US manufacturing industry as a whole, remains in peril, according to DiMicco. The main reason for this, said DiMicco, is that "real demand has not changed." DiMicco said that as inventories have now been drawn down to very low levels, steel will closely reflect the economy in 2010, and the economy will continue to suffer under the weight of the jobs crisis -- which DiMicco passionately believes those in Washington should make their top priority, ahead of healthcare and climate change legislation. As for the stimulus efforts undertaken by the government so far, such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the "Cash for Clunkers" program, DiMicco is not impressed. He said such actions amounted to no more than "sugar highs" which do not address the underlying problem burdening the economy, which is the lack of jobs, particularly in the area of manufacturing. Mr. DiMicco also cited China's unfair trade practices as a major threat to American manufacturers. Unless and until we are able to put America back to work, DiMicco believes that it will be difficult, to say the least, for a real recovery to get underway. Mr. DiMicco acknowledged that the picture for US manufacturing he painted was pretty grim, but he said he wanted to encourage the audience members and their friends and family to take action by bringing these issues to the attention of their local communities and legislators. DiMicco said that on the bright side, he is already making some progress in this area and has shared his views in multiple recent meetings with the legislators in Washington. In contrast to Mr. DiMicco's comments, Friday's Keynote session speaker, William Strauss, Senior Economist and Economic Advisor of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, offered a more optimistic view of the US economy and a rosier outlook for manufacturing. Strauss, who produces the monthly Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index, said that while we have just emerged from the longest and deepest recession in 50 years and that unemployment will continue to rise through the first quarter of 2010, there are some good reasons to be optimistic about the economy going forward. In fact, in stark contrast to DiMicco, one of the primary reasons Strauss is optimistic about the economy is the performance of the manufacturing sector. US manufacturing output has risen strongly in the last three months, and further improvement is expected in 2010, according to Strauss, with output expected to rise by as much as five percent next year. Capacity utilization remains weak, though that is improving too, as is reflected in rising steel output levels. Capital goods orders and shipments have also stabilized. US auto sales are off significantly this year, falling below 10 million annualized units in the first six months of 2009, with year-to-date light vehicle sales off 25 percent. However, auto production cuts have been far deeper at 45 percent. This has brought inventory levels for cars and trucks below desired levels, which, along with pent-up demand, should support increased automotive output going forward, according to Strauss. Furthermore, US auto sales recovered in October to above 10 million units, in the absence of the "Cash for Clunkers" incentive. Regarding the overall jobs situation in the US, Strauss said that although unemployment will continue to rise, peaking at an estimated 10.1 percent in the first quarter of 2010 as the economy improves and more out-of-work individuals start to look for work again, it should start to edge lower throughout the rest of the year as more jobs are added to the economy. He did admit that as in the previous two recession cycles, adding jobs will be the slowest and most difficult challenge of the recovery. While the two keynote presenters differed in their opinions on the outlook for US manufacturing, both agreed that unemployment will be the biggest hurdle for the economy to overcome in order to achieve meaningful growth next year and avoid a "W"-shaped recovery. All in all, the consensus of speakers and attendees at the conference seemed to be that while 2009 has been a difficult year across the entire metals industry and 2010 will likely prove challenging as well, things should slowly get better if and when a true recovery of the economy gets underway. Other highlights of the three-day event included an industry panel discussion featuring James Desmond, Vice President and COO of EMJ Company; Sheila Janin, Director Coated Products at ArcelorMittal USA and Robert Owen, Director Strategic Sourcing for Silgan Containers Corporation. Matthew Slaughter, Associate Dean and Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College, also spoke at Saturday's keynote session about leadership in today's global economy. In addition to the industry discussions, networking activities, AWMI regional chapter meetings, and leadership sessions, the AWMI Conference also featured a ship building tour at San Diego's General Dynamics NASSCO ship yard which took place on Thursday, November 12. Another special moment at this event was when the "Member of the Year" award was granted. AWMI recognizes one woman in the metals industry every year with its "Member of the Year" award, which was presented this year to Helene Watson, AWMI International Bylaws/P&G Chair, for excellence achieved in her role as an association leader. |
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 Meet Your 2010 Executive Board These women are here to serve you. Please contact them at any time with your questions about AWMI and the four cornerstones of our organization. |
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2008 Member of the YearTerry Miller - International Past President (Baltimore Chapter) AWMI is proud to recognize Helene Watson, of the Portland, Chapter, as the recipient of our 2008 International Member of the Year Award. Helene started in the metals industry in 1972, working as a metal engraver of brass, bronze, silver, gold and stainless steel for the Navy Special Services at the PX for Great Lakes Naval Training Center, North Chicago, IL. Helene left the metals industry to pursue a banking career, along with raising a family and continuing her education and earning her degree. In 1986, while in college Helene worked part time in the purchasing department at the college, which turned into a full-time job. The experience in purchasing lead Helene back into the metals industry, as an assistant buyer for Longview Fibre Company's purchasing department. In 1992, Helene found AWMI through a supplier and attended her first Portland Chapter meeting. Helene noticed that when she attended AWMI meetings, she was fulfilling something that was lacking in her job - the ability to associate with women who considered their jobs a professional career. The education she received from the meetings also helped her to understand her position as a metals buyer better and to make it a career. Soon after Helene joined AWMI she accepted the nomination to the Chapter board. She held the position of Publicity Chair for two years before being elected Vice President of the Portland Chapter. One year later Helene stepped into the President's role, when the current President stepped down for personal reasons. Helene served as President for three years. Over the next 10 years Helene co-chaired the Portland Chapter Golf Tournament; Co-Chaired the International Leadership Conference held in Portland, and was a committee member for three of the next AIC Conferences. If that was not enough, Helene went on to be Vice Chair and Regional Chair of the Western Region. In 2006 Helene became the International Bylaws/P&G Chair, a position she currently holds. Concurrently with her tenure as an AWMI member, Helene has been active in the American Business Women's Association and has served as Secretary on the board of the local R.A. Long High School Alumni Association. Annually she volunteers at the high school to evaluate the senior project oral presentations and participate in the mock interviews for the high school seniors. Helene lives in Longview, Washington with her husband Jim, of 21 years. She has two daughters, one son, three stepsons, 13 grandchildren and 2 great granddaughters. Helene retired from Longview Fibre Company in 2006 after 20 years of service. The International Member of the Year award is the highest honor awarded by AWMI. Members are nominated and selected by their peers for exemplifying the Associations goals of Education, Mentoring, Networking and Growth.   AWMI's Mentor of the Month Program Loretta Wysocki - International Mentoring Chair (Philadelphia Chapter) As AWMI’s International Mentoring Chair, I wish to remind you of our latest member benefit. On October 2, 2009 we launched our Mentor of the Month Program where you, as AWMI members, can email one of six women who are also AWMI members with your business related questions (only business related questions...AWMI questions should be directed to the appropriate AWMI leader). These women are presidents or vice presidents of their companies and come to the table with both experience and title and have offered a priceless "give back" to both our members and our industries. Here is how the program will work: On the first Friday of each month (and ONLY on this day) one of these ladies will be available on a rotating basis to take emailed questions through our AWMI website. On the AWMI home page, you will see Mentoring Corner located in the "Quick Links" box. This is available to members only, and you will need to log on in order to access this page. Once you are logged on, you can click on this and you will be taken to a page indicating who the current Mentor of the Month will be. You can click on her name and an email addressed to the Mentor will pop up where you can ask your questions, which will be sent directly to the Mentor. If you wish to read her bio, click on the bio and it will come up. The bio is currently available at any time and will remain on the website; however, the email link will be only available on the date indicated. These women will answer you within two weeks by email. We are offering this service just one day a month at the present time, so please do not email them after the first Friday of the month . . . wait until the next month and ask. If the Mentor cannot answer your question, she will email you back indicating that it is outside her area of expertise or notify me and I will contact you. Your questions and answers are confidential between you and the Mentor of the Month, and are strictly the opinion of the Mentor. Forty-five years ago when I started in the metals industry, this type of thing did not exist. In looking back on those years, there were many times when a strong and influential mentor would have been invaluable. These women have embraced our mentoring concept with enthusiasm. Ask your questions, share your knowledge and experiences with them as they will with you, and take advantage of yet another AWMI member benefit.  AWMI Proudly Announces 2010 Media Sponsor and  Strategic Partner Sheri Burdette - International Marketing Chair (AMS Specialty Steel) Those of you that attended our Annual Conference in San Diego (November 2009) would have noticed the presence of our new Media Sponsor and Partner, Steel Orbis. We are very excited about this strategic partnership, which is a first for AWMI. SteelOrbis is a unique e-marketplace and content provider that offers relevant news on the steel industry and steel trading from one single source. Combining its proficiency in the steel industry and its function as a meeting point for the global steel community, SteelOrbis delivers superior class events and conferences. By participating at SteelOrbis events you will:
Steel Orbis is offering the following benefits to AWMI members:
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Letter from the Editor
What Happens Next? Renew!
