KCMA explores the Future of Cutting Edge Kitchens at 2016 convention
Jack Uldrick
Futurist Jack Uldrich addresses the KCMA at its 2016 convention in Colorado Springs.
 
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Trend expert Jack Uldrich will deliver a keynote speech to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association, gathering for its annual convention in Colorado Springs. Uldrich's presentation will focus on the concept of unlearning and how it pertains to the future of manufacturing.
 
March 2016 marked 48 months of consecutive growth for the cabinet industry, in the monthly Trend of Business Report from KCMA.  
 
“With 48 months of straight growth, cabinetry is at the forefront of U.S. manufacturing,” says KCMA President Mark A. Trexler, who is also CEO of Master WoodCraft Cabinetry, in Marshall, Texas. Strong growth within the kitchen cabinet manufacturing industry has contributed to the upward tick experienced in the manufacturing sector overall.
 
From May 16-18 the KCMA holds its Spring Annual Convention in Colorado Springs, and on May 17, futurist Jack Uldrich will deliver his keynote, "The Future Requires Unlearning: The Big AHA," to the KCMA audience.
 
Celebrated for his writing and speaking on the concept of unlearning, Uldrich is an advocate of unlearning old ways of doing business. He deems it "a critical skill to successfully navigate a future where the pace of scientific and technological knowledge is doubling every seven years."
 
According to Uldrich, "Today, 'constant change is the only constant.' New advances in technology bring forth exciting discoveries every day. But often lost in this new reality is the fact that organizations must unlearn old, obsolete knowledge and old ways of doing business before they can seize tomorrow’s opportunities."
 
In his presentation Uldrich will explain to the KCMA why unlearning is a critical skill for manufacturers to embrace, especially in light of the "upward tick" of manufacturing growth in recent years.
 
"When it comes to manufacturing, expect to hear more about 3D printing, robotics and the Internet of Things," Uldrich says. "In its simplest form, the idea is that in the coming decade an estimated 50 billion physical objects will be connected to the Internet through low-cost, wireless sensors."
 

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About the author
Bill Esler | ConfSenior Editor

Bill wrote for WoodworkingNetwork.com, FDMC and Closets & Organized Storage magazines. 

Bill's background includes more than 10 years in print manufacturing management, followed by more than 30 years in business reporting on industrial manufacturing in the forest products industries, including printing and packaging at American Printer (Features Editor) and Graphic Arts Monthly (Editor in Chief) magazines; and in secondary wood manufacturing for WoodworkingNetwork.com.

Bill was deeply involved with the launches of the Woodworking Network Leadership Forum, and the 40 Under 40 Awards programs. He currently reports on technology and business trends and develops conference programs.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Bill supports efforts to expand and improve educational opportunities in the manufacturing sectors, including 10 years on the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation; six years with the U.S. WoodLinks; and currently on the Woodwork Career Alliance Education Committee. He is also supports the Greater West Town Training Partnership Woodworking Program, which has trained more than 950 adults for industrial wood manufacturing careers. 

Bill volunteers for Foinse Research Station, a biological field station staddling the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, one of more than 200 members of the Organization of Biological Field Stations.