COMING UP! Economic Update (8/20), Workforce/HR Meet Up (8/26), and Government Relations Meet Up (8/28)! Be sure to scroll down to the Events section to find out more.

It’s your last chance to join us as respected economist Connor Lokar returns for the annual Economic Update event tomorrow, 8/20, at Sinclair Conference Center. Act fast! There are only 10 spots available to join the record-breaking crowd of over 300 attendees! If you haven’t registered but would still like to attend, please register here; or as event sells out, contact Susan so we can put you on a wait list as we may be able to accommodate if we receive last-minute cancellations.

Great news for your training budget! DRMA is officially partnering with Tooling U-SME to offer our members a 15% discount on hundreds of courses for upskilling your workforce! And guess what, this spend can likely qualify for TechCred reimbursement and save you even more. Contact Amy to take advantage of this opportunity.

Now is the time to join DRMA’s workers comp group! Joining a group rating program is the best way for DRMA members to significantly lower their Ohio workers’ compensation premiums. Please contact Paul Feck to see how our exclusive and endorsed partner, Sedgwick, can save you money.

Safety Alert! Check out this month's tips from our workers comp program administrator, Sedgwick, and other partners:

• The BWC has launched a new program to address misuse of alcohol and drugs in the workplace. The Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) Program offers simplified requirements and expanded grant opportunities. See how it can strengthen your workplace safety efforts here.

Don’t miss these upcoming Lean Manufacturing workshops, exclusively for DRMA member companies. Participants learn how to implement lean concepts and techniques to make systematic, lasting improvements within their operations. Presented by the Workforce Division of Sinclair College. $225 per session. Contact Shay for more information and to register.

• 8/21 - Value Stream Mapping: Understand how to effectively apply and implement tools to map and improve the flow of materials and information within an operation and develop a value stream plan for successful implementation. More information here.
• 10/16 - Set-Up Reduction: Learn the fundamentals of SMED and rapid-changeover and how to successfully implement these techniques on the shop floor, gain an understanding of internal vs. external changeover within an operation and how reducing non-value time positively impacts operations. More information here.
• 11/13 - Total Productive Maintenance (TPM): Understand how to effectively “mistake-proof” processes and operations to minimize and eliminate errors. More information here.

Trap Shoot Event registration opens on Monday, 8/25! This year’s event will be on 10/16 at Wright-Patt Rod & Gun Club followed by Happy Hour and prizes. Keep an eye for an email from DRMA with the registration forms and be prepared to return your form quickly! Only 105 spots are available, with some of those reserved by sponsors. If you’d like to purchase a sponsorship to lock in your spot, contact Susan today!

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 Wayde Lombardo of Hylant! Wayde serves as a DRMA Ambassador and has also been a volunteer at the last several fall golf outings, either selling raffle tickets or driving the beverage cart (where you’ll find him on the course again this year!). He is a regular at DRMA events, especially the annual Trap Shoot fundraiser! DRMA appreciates and thanks Wayde for his commitment to our organization and to the Dayton Region manufacturing industry as a whole. 

Sponsored Content

Join our Workforce/HR Meet Up on 8/26, 11 – 12 p.m., virtual! At this meet up, you will hear from Joe Sciabica with the Employers’ Workforce Coalition on the critical workforce development challenges facing the Miami Valley region and more! Free and for members only. Register here.

Interested in inspiring a new generation of manufacturers? National MFG Day (10/3) is fast approaching. But you can always host your student tours on any day that works for you. Members get special help. Learn more here.

Thinking of recruiting candidates from outside Ohio? JobsOhio can help through the new JobsOhio Relocation Incentive! Employers in JobsOhio’s target industries – like advanced manufacturing – can receive $15,000 for each qualifying out-of-state STEM/technical hire that you successfully relocate to Ohio (up to $225,000 max per company). If interested in learning more about this program, contact Amy Schrimpf.

Your membership can save you $$ while upskilling your workforce! Take advantage of DRMA’s partnership with Tooling U-SME to receive 15% (or more!) off hundreds of training courses just for being a DRMA member. Even better, you may be able to get fully reimbursed through TechCred; details in next blurb. Interested? Contact Amy. 

Offset your training costs for tech credentials! Funding is available thru TechCred, a program that reimburses employers for employee training up to $2,000 per industry-recognized credential and up to $30,000 per company each application round! The next application round opens 9/2! Contact a DRMA education partner now – they can help you apply! Learn more here.

Member exclusive! WorkAdvance, a proven initiative to supplement your recruitment strategies, will bring you quality candidates to fill your manufacturing entry-level positions. Candidates are ready now to interview! Contact Amy to learn more.

Want to improve your company’s productivity while reducing turnover? Or make sure your workers are competent BEFORE you hire them? Consider workers who’ve earned an industry recognized credential. Learn more here.  

Be sure to register for our next Government Relations Meet Up for a conversation with Congressman Warren Davidson on 8/28 at 4 p.m. at The Event Center of Middletown. Congressman Davidson represents Ohio’s 8^th Congressional District and is a member of the House Financial Services Committee. Register here. Free and for members only! 

8/20, 3 - 6 p.m., Economic Update: What the Leading Indicators Are Saying About 2026, Sinclair College, Dayton. Presented by KeyBank, listen to an engaging update from one of the country's premier economists, Connor Lokar of ITR Economics. His presentation will provide the information you need to guide your business moving forward in 2026. And after gaining insights from Connor, he’ll join us for cocktails and networking – a great opportunity to ask 1 on 1 questions! Register here, or contact Susan to join the waitlist.

9/29, 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Fall Golf Outing at Miami Valley Golf Club, Dayton, followed by cocktail hour and dinner. This entire event is SOLD OUT! If you’ve missed out on golfing or dining with us that day, you can still show your support for the DRMA Foundation and get your company name in front of 250+ participants by purchasing a tee sign or cart stuffer sponsorship! Contact Susan to learn more.

10/29, 4 - 6 p.m., Shoptalk, Lincoln Electric Automation, Fort Loramie. Registration is open! Join for a little “overtime” after work, enjoying the casual atmosphere while learning something new and networking with your DRMA peers! Topic coming soon.  Register here.

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

• 8/26, 11 - 12 p.m., Workforce/HR, Virtual. Register here. 
• 8/28, 4 - 4:45 p.m., Government Relations, Middletown. 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!

• 9/23, 8 – 9 a.m., Miller Valentine Construction, Dayton (breakfast provided).

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

Save the Date - Upcoming DRMA Events

10/16 Trap Shoot; registration opens 8/25 - Wright Patt Rod and Gun Club

12/3 Annual Meeting - NCR Country Club

Community Events

• 8/21, 8 - 9 a.m., Miami Valley Safety Council Breakfast, Dayton. More information/registration here. 
• 8/21, 4 - 6:30 p.m., Clark Schaefer Hackett, Beyond the Bill: OBBBA Planning Opportunities, Cincinnati. More information/registration here.
• 8/28, 4 - 6:30 p.m., Clark Schaefer Hackett, Beyond the Bill: OBBBA Planning Opportunities, Dayton. More information/registration here.
• 9/9, 10 - 2 p.m., A JMP Discovery Seminar: Harnessing Analytics to Transform Manufacturing, Cleveland. More information/registration here.
• 10/23, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Thompson Hine, Government Contracting Symposium, Dayton. Contact Ellen Geron for more information.

DRMA is proud to partner with The Abilities Connection and SOCHE in their Bridging Abilities program: You get your light assembly work done at a low price AND help students learn manufacturing skills! Send SOCHE an email at soche@soche.org to learn more.

Don’t miss out on DRMA Meet Ups which help you, or your key employees, build your peer network with members who are interested in the same topic area, so that you can learn from them and strengthen your business. They are FREE and for members only. Learn more here. Manufacturers: interested in hosting at your facility? All you need is a conference table and some coffee. Contact Shay to discuss!

Attention Manufacturer members: Click here to see manufacturing-pertinent resumes I have received.

Welcome new DRMA members:

• Captor Corporation
• Mallard Makers, LLC
• Mast Logistics
• Safe Haven Mfg.
• T & R Welding Systems, Inc.