Hello and welcome to the “NEW” Wood Component Manufacturers Association. I am excited to let you know what the WCMA is doing to better serve our members - and the wood components industry.

In the past year there have been many changes to the WCMA. The first big change was appointing Amy Snell as the Executive Director and the offices were relocated to the Minneapolis, MN area:

WCMA
P.O. Box 662
Lindstrom, MN 55045
651-332-6332, FAX 651-400-3502
[email protected]
[email protected]

With Amy’s direction, the WCMA board has transformed into a completely new and functioning group of your industry peers. There have been two face-to-face board meetings and several teleconferences to discuss the association’s need for change. Your board members have generously taken time away from their own businesses to better serve the needs of the members.

Many of the changes are procedural, and will enable the association to better perform in a more economical and efficient manner. The bylaws have been updated and modernized to reflect the changes in the methods of doing business and communications.

Amy has been working very hard at reestablishing the committee structure with the following committees formed: Finance Committee; Communications Committee; Education and Programs Committee; and Membership Committee. We are currently seeking members to serve on the Membership and Communications committees —please contact the office if you are interested. The other committees have been appointed a chair and several of your fellow members are actively engaged in building a more vibrant association.

There are other programs that will be re-established in a more relevant and beneficial manner.

Surveys: The three surveys that were done in the past (Market Study, Cost of Doing Business, and Wage & Benefits) have been combined into one more informative survey that is much more user-friendly. The survey will soon be available online and should take only minutes to complete. I want to stress, we cannot gather pertinent, valuable information without your participation. Please take the time to complete the survey and you will see the benefits with the information that is returned.

Fall Conference and Plant Tours: The plant tours will continue in the fall with the addition of educational sessions and more involvement by our very important “Tech Partners”.

Spring meeting: We are re-establishing the spring meeting starting in 2015. This is a great opportunity for members to network as well participate in some excellent educational programs. In 2015, this meeting will be held in conjunction with the Woodworking Industry Conference (WIC) and we are currently planning WCMA member’s only activities. More information will be disseminated as it becomes available.

Delinquent account reporting: The WCMA recognizes the value in sharing delinquent accounts between members. Each quarter, the office sends out a form asking you to report your delinquent accounts. Participation has been very minimal, so reporting has been difficult. I encourage you to send the form to the person that can complete it as best as possible and return it to the office so that we can continue this valuable service.

Sales leads: The office will continue to collect leads, and we are hoping to expand this service to the members in the upcoming year.

Labor and Relations: The WCMA has partnered with Wimberly and Lawson Law firm to provide the monthly Labor & Relations Bulletin. Please be sure to forward this valuable information to the correct people in you facility.

Amy has also undertaken many new programs and systems to better serve the membership needs. There will soon be a Member Profile questionnaire sent to all of the members to complete. This will enable your association to make sure all contact information is correct and that we are able to get the WCMA information to the correct person within all of our member organizations.

With this information it will be possible to generate a more valuable online presence for the WCMA with links to our membership. A new website will provide much more information and ability to connect with other members and tech partners regarding individual issues and opportunities.

There will also be a short, and to the point, newsletter developed on either a monthly or semi monthly basis with pertinent information relating to our industry.

I would encourage all members to become more involved in the association either as board members or committee members. If you have any interest in becoming more active please contact [email protected].

Thank you for the opportunity to serve in this industry.