A New Organization Focused on Issues Facing Tool and Die Makers

The auto trade group Original Equipment Suppliers Association has created a new organization focused on issues facing tool and die makers. The OESA Tooling Forum will be open to both members and non-members of the larger group, as long as they are a North American supplier of tooling, dies, fixtures or gauges. Participating companies already include firms in both the U.S. and Canada, among them Proper Group International Inc. of Warren, Mich., Valiant Corp. and Windsor Mold Group -- both of Windsor, Ontario. Consultants from Harbour Results Inc. will help oversee the forum, and industry support groups including the Center for Automotive Research of Ann Arbor, Mich., and the Automotive Parts Manufacturer's Association of Toronto also will participate. OESA hosted an organizational meeting for tooling firms in July. The first meeting of the new forum will take place sometime in the fall, the group said in an Aug. 1 announcement. Among the potential topics for the group: workforce development, payment terms, sales presentations to automakers, benchmarking and industry forecasts. Source:plasticsnews