COMING UP! Breakfast with DRMA (8/11), Economic Update (8/20), and Workforce/HR Meet Up (8/25)! Be sure to scroll down to the Events section to find out more.

A great source for “insider” business information is Connor Lokar, one of the country’s most informed economists. Connor, who is returning to speak to DRMA members on 8/20, will present on Setting Expectations for 2027 and Beyond, where he will help business leaders understand what is coming next, how it will affect their industry, and where to focus when conditions change. Connor is a dynamic, interesting, and entertaining speaker. You will not be disappointed! Thank you to our presenting sponsor, KeyBank! Register here to get the early bird discount ending 7/24.

MANUFACTURERS: Looking to upskill your employees? Check out these training opportunities, exclusively for DRMA members, presented by Sinclair's Workforce Development Division:

• We have 3 spots available in the IPC J-STD-001 Soldering Certification course. Includes hands on training covering wire and terminal assembly, surface mount technology, testing and inspection methods, and includes IPC certification testing. 8/10-14, 40 hours total, $2,800/person. Contact Shay to register.
• Next up in our Lean Manufacturing series is Set-Up Reduction on 8/20. Participants learn the fundamentals of SMED and rapid-changeover and how to successfully implement these techniques on the shop floor. More information here.

Manufacturers: Are you looking for entry-level manufacturing workers? We have a program where we recruit, screen, and train job seekers for these positions and there will be a new batch of candidates ready to hire starting in August! Contact Amy today!

Select DRMA’s Workers’ Comp Group Program! Your company will save money AND support DRMA. Contact Julia Bowling at Sedgwick at (614) 906-0535 to enroll today. Haven’t received a quote yet? It’s not too late! Julia can help you with that too.

Reminder to all DRMA members that Ohio BWC’s True-Up deadline is 8/31. The mandatory true-up is a reconciliation of your BWC estimated payroll versus your actual policy year payroll used to determine the correct amount of chargeable premium. Complete it online, and if you’re a DRMA Workers’ Comp Program member, you can contact Julia Bowling at Sedgwick at (614) 906-0535 for more information.

DRMA partners with Mid-America OSHA Education Center to offer our members a 20% tuition discount on OSHA training! Learn more at midamericaosha.org and contact Shay with questions.

Have you moved, updated your company name or information, had staffing changes in the last year? If so, please contact Shay with a quick update so we can update our records.

THANK YOU Sarah Andrzejewski from Yaskawa and Stephanie Helling from Metallus for serving on the panel during the AI in Manufacturing collider event on 7/9, and to Katie Stubbs from Brixey & Meyer for introducing them. Their recommendations and tips were insightful for manufacturers looking to add AI capabilities. We'd also like to thank Richard Green and Amelia Fisher from Ghostwerks for inviting DRMA to be part of the organizing committee for this event, which was a huge success!

Join us for the Workforce/HR Meet Up on 8/25, 11 – 12 p.m., virtual! These monthly meet ups are for your team members who are responsible for human resources or upskilling your manufacturing workforce. The kick-off topic this month is 2026 Legal HR Update, but time will be available to bring up other workforce/HR questions for peer-to-peer discussion. Free and for members only! Register here.

School will be starting back up before we know it – get ahead and schedule a tour for your students for the upcoming year! DRMA, Montgomery County Educational Service Center, and Junior Achievement have partnered to provide resources to prepare teachers and students for their site visits. These resources enable the optimal experience for the schools and our host manufacturers. Contact Amy today for details!

Member exclusive! WorkAdvance, a proven initiative to supplement your recruitment strategies, will bring you quality candidates to fill your manufacturing entry-level positions. The next cohort of candidates will complete training mid-August and will then be ready to hire! Contact Amy to learn more.

Please help grow YOUR future workforce by purchasing a sponsorship of student giveaways! Your $500 sponsorship will help us cover the costs of things like lanyards, stickers, dog tags, and wood gliders (all items that students love to get!) and will include your organization’s name. Contact Amy for more info.

We know that finding, hiring, and retaining quality employees is a huge task. Industry-recognized credentials (IRCs) can help employers validate the knowledge and skills of potential employees and save time in assessing applicants’ competencies. DRMA is playing an integral role to ensure that students are earning credentials that members need. Learn more here.

Your membership can save you $$ while upskilling your workforce! Take advantage of DRMA’s partnership with Tooling U-SME to receive 15% off hundreds of manufacturing on-line training courses. Contact Amy to learn more.

Looking for welding talent? Hobart Institute of Welding Technology graduates a new class of welding students every four weeks, providing employers with a steady pipeline of newly trained welders. To attract candidates, DRMA members can post welding jobs on Hobart’s free online job board. Click here to submit. 

DRMA Government Relations Meet Ups give you the unique opportunity to discuss important policy issues with government officials in a small, focused setting. DRMA welcomes US Congressman Mike Carey to our next Meet Up on 8/27 at 4 p.m. at Harmony Systems & Service in Piqua. Free and for members only! Register here.

8/11, 8 - 9:30 a.m., Breakfast with DRMA: From Top Performer to Effective Leader: Rethinking Frontline Promotions, Miamisburg. Enjoy breakfast, chat with your peers, and listen to a long-form panel discussion on a timely, relevant topic that directly impacts your business operations presented by Clark Schaefer Hackett. Register here.

8/20, 2:15 - 6 p.m., Economic Update, Sinclair College, Dayton. Register now to take advantage of the early bird discount – you don’t want to miss our largest event of the year! Presented by KeyBank, listen to an engaging update from one of the country's premier economists, Connor Lokar of ITR Economics. Register here. Contact Susan for sponsorship opportunities.

9/28, 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Fall Golf Outing at Miami Valley Golf Club, Dayton. Registration is open and only a handful of spots remain! Join us for this AM and PM shotgun scramble play! You can also sponsor the event and get your company name in front of our 200+ attendees! More details and registration form here.

10/15, 2:30 - 4 p.m., Trap Shoot; & 4 - 5:30 p.m., Happy Hour, Wright-Patt Rod and Gun Club, Fairborn. Presented by Bruns General Contracting and Back to Business I.T., save the date to join your DRMA peers for an afternoon of fun! Registration opens on 8/24 - no experience required! Sponsorships are also available; with only 105 spots, a sponsorship can lock your participation in before registration opens. Contact Susan! Not a trap shooter but want to attend happy hour? Register here.

Meet-Ups - FREE and for members only. Join the conversation!

• 8/4, 8 - 9:30 a.m., Manufacturing Operations, TBD. Register here.
• 8/25, 11 - 12 p.m., Workforce/HR, virtual. Register here.
• 8/27, 4 - 5 p.m., Government Relations, Harmony Systems & Service. Register here.

DRMA 101 - Whether you are a new member or a seasoned member, kickstart your membership ROI and learn what DRMA does to help you strengthen your business. Contact Shay to sign up!

• 8/26, 12 - 1 p.m., Business Furniture, Dayton (lunch provided).
• 10/8, 8 - 9 a.m., Benjamin Steel Co., Springfield (breakfast provided)

For more information on any of our events, visit our website.

Save the Date - Upcoming DRMA Events

12/2/2026 Annual Meeting - NCR Country Club

Community Events

• 7/29, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., Edison State Office of Workforce Development & Work-Based Learning's Coaching for Performance: Leveraging AI for Impact, Piqua. More information/registration here.
• 9/16, 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. employer setup), Hobart Institute of Welding Job Fair, Troy. More Information and employer registration here.
• 9/25, 8 - 9 a.m., Ferguson Manufacturing Day, Beavercreek. More information/registration email Chad Mason.