Inside Rubber Issue 4 2023

S T R AT E G I E S F O R F U T U R E S U C C E S S

2023 Issue 4

Benchmarking Conference Delivers Inspiration and Innovation f2024 Strategic Planning fMaximizing Website Impact fOutlook on PFAS

The Official Publication of the Association of Rubber Products Manufacturers

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FROM THE DIRECTOR

Inspiration, Like a Lightning Strike, Is a Powerful Force That Can Electrify Our Creative TRUE INNOVATION RARELY “ OCCURS WITHIN COMFORT Minds and Ignite ZONES. Innovation ” Letha Keslar, ARPM

D

uring the recent 2023 Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference, we were reminded that inspiration and innovative thinking often emerge from the most unexpected and uncomfortable situations. It is precisely in those moments where growth and development happen most profoundly. As an industry, it is these actions and moments of “uncomfortable” that hold the key to unlocking new levels of innovation and excellence within an organization.

The insights shared by over 550 polymer professionals who attended the conference reaffirmed the idea that true innovation rarely occurs within comfort zones. It is when we challenge ourselves, step into unfamiliar territory and confront the unknown that our minds are primed for groundbreaking ideas and solutions.

According to Psychology Today, people who embrace discomfort: ● Do better during life’s major challenges. ● Are more engaged. ● Begin to understand that being uncomfortable equates to growth, learning and progress – and want more of it.

Innovative lightning strikes happen at industry events every day! These events, like the Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference, are an opportunity to experience fresh perspectives and cutting-edge technologies while converging novel ideas – all of which, provide fertile ground for innovation to take root and flourish.

In the coming months, as organizations and leaders plan their involvement in industry events, it is important to approach them with a mindset that embraces the power of innovation. Use these opportunities to actively participate, engage in discussions, attend workshops and seek out opportunities for collaboration.

Whether it’s a plant tour, tradeshow or networking event – each interaction has the potential to generate fresh ideas, challenge existing paradigms and drive professionals toward innovative breakthroughs.

I look forward to witnessing the innovative sparks that undoubtedly result from active participation in industry events.

Together, everyone can leverage these experiences to shape the future of their organization and stay at the forefront of the rubber industry. n

Stepping out of the comfort zone can be something as seemingly simple as choosing to sit at the front of the conference room with people you don’t know to sitting in an ice bath.

www.arpminc.com 3

S T R AT E G I E S F O R F U T U R E S U C C E S S

2023 Issue 4

Benchmarking Conference Delivers Inspiration and Innovation

FEATURES 6

f 2024 Strategic Planning f Maximizing Website Impact

Outlook

Strategic Planning for 2024: Contracts, Labor Market and Tax Impacts

By Lindsey Munson, editor, Inside Rubber

f Outlook on PFAS

10

Operations

Warren Buffett Didn’t Write This Article

By Dianna Brodine, vice president, editorial, Inside Rubber

The Official Publication of the Association of Rubber Products Manufacturers

14

Cover photos courtesy of Cliff Ritchey, cliffritcheyart.com

Review

Benchmarking & Best Practices Conference Delivers Inspiration and Innovation

By Lindsey Munson, editor, Inside Rubber

18

Strategies

Maximizing Website Impact on Sales Funnel, Recruiting Processes

By Sara Melefsky, digital marketing director, WayPoint Marketing Communications

2023 ISSUE 4

Departments

4 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

3

From the Director

12

Member News

22

Industry

34

Calendar

34

Ad Index

24

Safety

The Rubber Industry and PFAS: Impacts of the Forever Chemicals

By Lindsey Munson, editor, Inside Rubber

26

Talent

Investing In the Next Generation of Rubber Industry Leaders

By Kaitlyn Triplett, managing director, ARPM

30

Booklist

Step Back to Let Others Lead

By Dianna Brodine, vice president, editorial, Inside Rubber

31

Technical Standards Standardization – A Key Element In Training

By Greg Vassmer, technical coordinator, ARPM

32

Management

Why Leaders Struggle to Build a Culture of Accountability and How They Can Do It

By Tramico Herman, MBA, BSN, RN, author

18

ARPM Team Executive Director Letha Keslar – lkeslar@arpminc.org Managing Director Kaitlyn Triplett – ktriplett@arpminc.org Project Manager Paige Heck – pheck@arpminc.com Marketing Director Marcella Kates – mkates@arpminc.org Analytics Director Tony Robinson – trobinson@arpminc.org Director of Publications Susan Denzio – sdenzio@arpminc.org Analytics Lead Andrew Carlsgaard – acarlsgaard@arpminc.org Strategic Advisor Troy Nix – tnix@arpminc.org ARPM Officers and Board of Directors President Travis Turek, Bruckman Rubber Corporation Vice President James Wideman, MBL (USA) Corporation Treasurer Marel Riley-Ryman, Southern Michigan Rubber Secretary Joe Keglewitsch, Ice Miller LLP ARPM Board of Directors

Rich Balka, Home Rubber Company Bill Bernardo, Ebco, Inc. Kirk Bowman, The Timken Company Russ Burgert, Maplan Rubber Machinery Aaron Clark, Danfoss Joe Colletti, Marsh Bellofram Randy Dobbs, Sperry & Rice Ryan Fleming, Freudenberg-Nok Sealing Technologies Doug Gilg, Continental ContiTech Diya Garware Ibanez, Fulflex, Inc. Carl Flieler, Zochem LLC Donovan Lonsway, BRP Jon Meigan, Lake Erie Rubber & Manufacturing Mike Rainey, HBD Industries Inc. Mike Recchio, Zeon Chemicals L.P. Brandon Robards, Ace Extrusion

Vice President, Editorial: Dianna Brodine Editor: Lindsey Munson Vice President, Design: Becky Arensdorf Graphic Designer: Hailey Mann Published by:

2150 SW Westport Dr., Suite 101 Topeka, KS 66614 Phone: 785.271.5801

7321 Shadeland Station Way, Suite 285 Indianapolis, IN 46256

26

Phone: 317.863.4072 | Fax: 317.913.2445 info@arpminc.org | www.arpminc.com © Copyright 2023

www.arpminc.com 5

Strategic Planning for 2024: Contracts, Labor Market and Tax Impacts

By Lindsey Munson, editor, Inside Rubber

I

n a matter of weeks, 2023 will come to a close and companies will begin the important task of analyzing the prior months to then take those learnings and build a strategic plan for 2024.

Ultimately, this will paint a clear direction for management and internal teams as they head into a new year.

planning. “The industry should expect supply chain challenges to continue easing up as the new year hits, which will translate into fewer breaches of contracts,” Keglewitsch said. “In prior months, there was a spike in breaches as a result of the inability to perform due to supply chain-created limitations.”

By taking early measures to create an annual roadmap, companies prepare to meet challenges and pressures head-on, to effectively combat economic impacts and to set their day-today operations up for major achievements.

“As for the labor market and its unrest,” he continued, “this could spread among a variety of industries as well as employment classes in processors’ vendor pool. This is a wildcard that is hard to predict, but could be incredibly impactful.”

In this article, three industry professionals break down the ins and outs of the industry based on their specific business area, including contracts, labor shortages and tax law. Through this information, rubber processors will gain insight into various market factors (i.e., geopolitical issues, demand-supply imbalances, technological advancements, consumer behavior, etc.), high-low trends of the industry and how to strategically plan for success in 2024.

The upcoming presidential election also will drive uncertainty and have a deep impact on the industry. This economic and legislative limbo isn’t new, as Keglewitsch shared there has been constant pressure on processors and that they, “… have been looking over their shoulders for years, unclear as to what will come next.”

Contract Planning

In the past five years, the rubber industry has seen significant upheaval in commercial contracts, driven by unprecedented challenges that have included pandemics, labor shortages, energy crises, transportation issues and supply chain disruption.

These circumstances have increased processor uncertainty and risk, which is why it is critical that leadership put a contract management plan in place. This allows management to monitor and assess contracts to ensure they support business goals.

This reduces risk and streamlines decisions by 1) putting contracts in one place, 2) installing an efficient method to manage contracts across channels and 3) providing better control of the contract through each stage.

Josef Keglewitsch, a partner with full-service law firm Ice Miller LLP, has extensive experience in the contractual complexities of the manufacturing industry and offers professional insight that can assist rubber companies in their yearly contract 6 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

However, he said processors should keep their eyes on current news: “There perhaps will be a negative impact at the end of the year, depending on the political party that wins, or as polling points move one direction or another. This will determine the outcomes of long-term concerns that include increased regulatory burdens and inflation that creeps into contractual relationships.”

As processors begin planning 2024, Keglewitsch shared practical ways to mitigate contractual challenges: ● Build price flexibility into customer contracts to ensure processors do not get caught flat-footed. ● Lock down vendors in long-term contracts. ● Be proactive in managing contractual relationships. ● Get smart force majeure provisions in place and make sure form contracts are state-of-the-art. Most importantly, don’t sign just to finalize the deal.

Labor Market and Closing the Skilled Gap

As an industry, solving the manufacturing labor shortage would make a company’s life a whole lot easier. However,

it’s not just about finding a person to fill the need – it’s about educating from the ground up and finding skilled workers who can leverage today’s technology and advance it for tomorrow.

Florida-based Management Recruiters of Tallahassee (MRT) has more than 40 years of experience in manufacturing recruitment solutions. MRT’s mission is to connect the people vital to manufacturing success. Its slogan, “Placement with purpose,” breeds the reality of exactly what manufacturers need to beat the labor market woes.

MRT’s Co-Owner and Executive Recruiter Jerry Jones said, “For rubber processors and manufacturers, regardless of their readings or feelings, the industry has a severe shortage of critical skilled technical talent.” A 25-year veteran in the recruiting industry, Jones has seen the highs and lows that come with the manufacturing industry, assisting companies with operational turnarounds and rebuilding them through recruitment, training and development.

Continuing, Jones said, “The challenges in employment and staffing are the shortages in the areas of operations, engineering, sales, finance and maintenance. The searches MRT is conducting today and for tomorrow bear this out. Considering not only the deficit in talent but also the housing cost, higher interest rates and boomer retirements will exacerbate the situation.”

Economically, Jones shared that the biggest challenge in the industry is the talent shortage and the ability to relocate a person due to housing issues, costs and mortgage rates. He said, “As mentioned time and time again, this will be with companies in the industry for some time and will intensify.”

As for the upcoming presidential election, MRT is preparing for a labor market slowdown but, Jones said, “… just for a bit.” He continued, “Typically, as the spring and summer wanes during an election year, companies pull back until after the election due to the fear of the unknown. Regardless of who wins, we will be back to business as usual.”

As processors look to 2024, MRT encourages them to sit down and review their employee rosters to see if any of their key people, the ones who carry the 80/20 rule, are approaching or are at retirement age.

Jones said, “The next step is to identify if the company has sufficient in-house talent to develop or if the recruitment process should begin to bring in labor from the outside. This brings another set of challenges with internal equity vs. what the outside currently is making.”

Most importantly, Jones said, “Companies should not shy away from a younger, less experienced person but rather encourage the new generation to step in and up. When the younger employee base is given an opportunity, MRT routinely has seen them shine – especially when given proper mentoring and coaching for success.”

Jones’ recruiting philosophy is not just to find the requirements for the position but rather, the right employee fit to include culture, experience, skills and capability.

Tax Impacts and Politics

While 2023 introduced a mix of tax benefits and challenges with rising interest rates and inflation, companies will be digging deep for tax planning strategies amid volatility across most rubber industry sectors. Mike Devereux is a partner, Industrial Products Manufacturing leader and CPA for Wipfli, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a business and accounting consulting firm, brought answers, insights and strategic moves on how to prepare for the annual tax impacts of 2024 affected by a tough economy and Washington’s political moves.

Devereux said, “As 2023 comes to a close, processors will continue to face significant uncertainty around US tax laws. Congress has a history of making provisions of the tax code temporary to get around very complex budgeting requirements. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) made many taxpayer-friendly changes to the industry’s tax

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COMPANIES SHOULD NOT SHY AWAY FROM A YOUNGER, LESS EXPERIENCED PERSON BUT RATHER ENCOURAGE THE NEW GENERATION TO STEP IN AND UP.

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laws. Specifically, manufacturers greatly benefited from these changes, such as lower tax rates, 100% bonus depreciation and flexibility in their methods of accounting.”

On the flip side, processors are feeling the tax pressures. He continued, “Congress enacted tax increases impacting the manufacturing sector in order to ‘pay for’ the tax breaks.

One such tax increase that processors felt the impact of was the way companies are required to account for research expenditures. For processors, this can include engineering labor, new tooling and technological process improvements.”

“Beginning with tax year 2022, taxpayers are required to capitalize their research expenditures, amortizing them over five years, if the research is domestic, or 15 years if foreign research expenditures are incurred. This is a significant departure from companies deducting research expenditures as paid or incurred, which has been allowable since 1954,” said Devereux.

If a member of the tax-writing committee who authored the TCJA were asked, they would tell you that this provision was never meant to become effective. Congress would fix it in the five-year window before its effective date, Devereux shared.

“Well, the can was kicked down the road and many processors saw a much larger tax bill this year,” he said. “When viewed in a silo, fixing this issue is bipartisan; but US Congress does not legislate that way anymore.”

With the end of the year approaching, the research expenditure fix, along with other provisions important to processors such as the continuation of 100% bonus depreciation, is being considered by Congress in a year-end tax extenders package.

While most manufacturers would be happy if Congress fixed it for 2023 and thereafter, current legislative language fixes the issue retroactively to the beginning of 2022, causing much

8 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

ambiguity and uncertainty on a tax provision that can be material to processors.

As for the new year outlook, Devereux said, “The 2024 election will significantly impact US tax law in the very near term. Many of the TCJA benefits enjoyed by manufacturers are expiring in 2025. Lawmakers must address these expiring provisions at the start of the 119th Congress, and the party that controls the White House and both houses of Congress will rule the day, extending or ending many of the tax provisions important to manufacturers. A split government is almost certain to create Congressional infighting, resulting in a last-minute tax bill that no one likes, passed by a Congress that didn’t read or understand the tax changes impacting US manufacturing.”

“Processors can mitigate the risks of this tax uncertainty with proper planning,” said Devereux. He shared tips to include tax professionals and run projections in multiple different ways – considering best-case and worst-case scenarios.

He continued, “Wipfli saw the 2022 tax increases surprise and impact the cash flow of many processors. The income tax is a significant line item on most processors’ P&Ls, and planning should not just happen at year-end, but rather throughout the year.”

In closing, Devereux said, “It is important to understand how it will impact the cash flow and overall profitability of the business. By engaging in continuous planning, processors are giving themselves enough time to execute those plans in a thoughtful manner.”

In the always-evolving manufacturing industry, rubber processors need to prioritize and conduct a deep dive into every area of their company to build an impactful 2024 strategic plan.

Developing a formalized strategic plan that takes on the ins and outs of contracts, addresses the labor market and focuses on tax initiatives will contribute to a company’s year-end success and the ability to effectively maneuver the lows and highs of the industry. n IceMiller and Wipfli are proud sponsors of ARPM. More information: www.icemiller.com, www.mrrecruiter.com, www.wipfli.com

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Warren Buffett Didn’t Write This Article

By Dianna Brodine, vice president, editorial, Inside Rubber

A

merican businessman Warren Buffett once said, “It’s good to learn from your mistakes. It’s better to learn from other people’s mistakes.”

I’m a fan of Warren Buffett. He and I are both native Nebraskans.

We both love the Nebraska Cornhuskers, we’ve been known to have McDonalds for breakfast on more than one occasion, and we share a similar interest in fancy, fast cars (that is, no interest whatsoever). I’ve never met him, but I have driven by his home in Omaha, Nebraska, a couple of times, and I hear he hands out giant Snicker bars to the kids who trick-or-treat at his house on Halloween. He seems like my kind of a guy.

From a business perspective, Buffett is my kind of guy, too.

He prefers practical, simple moves rather than complicated investment strategies. He’s made a great deal of money through the years by communicating well, valuing his employees and listening to the people around him.

What else can be learned from Buffett that can impact the daily operations of rubber processors? More importantly, what can be learned from the best practices of fellow manufacturers?

Take a look through these information bursts gathered from the best practices of other manufacturing leaders for ideas on process efficiency, new business, cash management and strategic planning.

Improve Throughput “I don’t look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over.” - Buffett Why expend excess time, energy and internal resources to bring in new business when bottom-line improvements can be found by simply improving the throughput of the work already in the building? For rubber processors looking to compete in today’s markets, reducing waste and improving throughput are critical.

1.

Standardized training is key – for new employees and the veterans on the team. Develop new employee training plans, but also be sure to communicate process changes or more efficient workflows by bringing the entire team together to learn.

10 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

2.

3.

4.

Develop a sequence of events that is reviewed at a new project kickoff meeting so that each stage of the job is outlined, equipment and supplies are ready and employees know what they need to do to complete their portion of the job.

Track material waste. Is it specific to a particular machine or workstation? If so, bring together a team to review the process and make recommendations.

Evaluate machine layout and workflow. Are operators wasting time moving from one location to the next?

How long does it take to find tools that are needed for changeovers or repairs?

Drive Sales “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”

- Buffett When a rubber processor is awarded a new program, the job rarely comes into the shop the next day. In fact, long lead times aren’t uncommon. The sales pipeline has to stay full so the shop can maintain a consistent flow of business.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Create an annual plan with existing customers. Are they planning to kick off new programs? If so, when? Will volumes be changing on existing business?

Follow engineers when they change jobs. What opportunities are available with the new company?

Exhibit at tradeshows where target customers are in attendance.

Send email blasts to current customers and prospects to remind them of capabilities and current capacity levels.

Customers’ needs change constantly – what they didn’t need three months ago may be exactly what they need today.

Manage Cash

Plan Ahead

“Rule No.1: Never lose money. Rule No.2: Never forget rule No.1.” - Buffett

“Predicting rain doesn’t count. Building arks does.”

- Buffett

Small steps can allow manufacturing businesses to keep more of the cash they’re earning.

Reacting to problems, rather than proactively planning for them, guarantees that time and money will be wasted.

1.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Watch for “scope creeps” by being aware in real time (not after project completion) when the original scope of business changes. Don’t be afraid to go back to the customer to propose new terms based on the increased workload.

Audit existing banking relationships. Ask for better interest rates, and move the book of business if the request isn’t honored.

Do a credit check on customers to make sure they are able to meet financial obligations.

Call customers with a reminder a week or two before a payment due date.

Be ruthless when evaluating pricing and contracts. If material costs are increasing, be sure the contract allows for those costs to be passed to the customer. Review pricing for current customers on an annual basis.

2.

3.

Review timelines for preventative maintenance programs and increase the frequency of maintenance plans for production lines with frequent issues.

Look at staffing levels and project possible retirement dates. Begin crosstraining or recruiting as necessary to allow adequate time for knowledge transfer from the veteran operator to the rookie.

Call materials suppliers and discuss upcoming material needs to make sure the inventory is available.

Rubber processors don’t have to be the Oracle of Omaha (Buffett’s nickname) to run profitable businesses. Taking steps to improve throughput, drive sales, manage cash and plan ahead will improve bottom-line results. n

RUBBER IN MOTION

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www.arpminc.com 11

ARPM Events on the Horizon

November 9, 2023 – Stockwell Elastomerics Plant Tour November 29-30, 2023 – Finance Forum

agreements, tax policy updates, financial benchmarks in the manufacturing industry, inventory management, cybersecurity and more. For more information and to register, visit www.arpminc.com/events.

December 14, 2023 – ARPM Annual Membership Meeting For the most up-to-date information and to register for events, visit www.arpminc.com/events.

Conference Thank You

The 2023 Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference was held October 4-6, 2023, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The ARPM staff is grateful to the presenters, attendees, sponsors and vendors who made this event possible.

ARPM Annual Membership Meeting

ARPM will hold its annual membership meeting on December 14, 2023. For more information about this year’s meeting and a schedule of events, visit www.arpminc.com/events.

The Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference is the best conference in the industry because of the leaders who continue to show up and work to make themselves and their teams better. ARPM hopes to see everyone next year, October 2-4, 2024!

Didn’t make it to this year’s conference? Visit www.arpminc. com/events to purchase the conference library.

Finance and Accounting Forum

ARPM is excited to bring back the Finance and Accounting Forum on November 29-30, 2023. ARPM strives to offer events and networking opportunities for every person in its member organizations.

The two-day virtual event will allow finance and accounting colleagues in the manufacturing industry to get together and address current benchmarks, best practices and challenges facing the industry.

The forum includes presentations by experienced industry professionals, facilitated panels and peer-to-peer networking opportunities on topics, including negotiating supplier

12 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

2024 Outlook

After wrapping up another great year of events, ARPM is excited to start scheduling plant tours, peer networking opportunities, functional area forums and many more events in 2024.

One of the most valued events that ARPM facilitates is member plant tours, and ARPM looks forward to bringing them back in-person. Plant tours offer ARPM members the opportunity to visit other best-in-class manufacturing facilities across the country. These one-day events allow members to witness firsthand how others are approaching challenges and finding innovative solutions. At the end of the tour, the host company and attendees can take implementable ideas to improve operations back to their facilities.

ARPM still is looking for plant tour hosts for 2024 and spots are limited. If interested in hosting or learning more, contact Kaitlyn Triplett at ktriplett@arpminc.org or 317.863.4072.

ARPM State of the Rubber Industry Survey Launches November 29

ARPM’s leadership team strongly believes that information is power and has positioned ARPM as the information hub for the rubber processing industry. In this role, ARPM developed the annual State of the Rubber Industry to allow business leaders

to stay in tune with the state of their industry, better understand current industry conditions, plan for the future and validate the status of their own operations.

ARPM members who participate in this survey receive the final report at no cost, and non-members who participate will receive the member discount. The 2024 State of the Rubber Industry Survey will hit participants’ inboxes on November 29. The ARPM leadership team looks forward to hearing firsthand feedback on what the industry is looking for in 2024.

Welcome New Members

Please join ARPM in welcoming the following new member!

MBR Distributors n

advantage Practice Advice for the Rubber Industry Ice Miller focuses on meeting the needs of our clients quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. Ice Miller attorneys with rubber industry experience can assist with your greatest legal challenges. Contact Josef Keglewitsch at 614-462-2279 or josef.keglewitsch@icemiller.com for more information.

300+ lawyers in Columbus and other offices icemiller.com

www.arpminc.com 13

Benchmarking & Best Practices Conference Delivers Inspiration and Innovation

By Lindsey Munson, editor, Inside Rubber

T

he spotlight hit ARPM’s Troy Nix and the energy in the ballroom was electric with over 600 attendees sitting on the edge of their seats, ready for the next two days of the Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference. As industry veterans, young professionals and business leaders leaned in and took advantage of the power-packed conference, they listened to inspiring keynote speakers, shared knowledge and best practices in breakout labs, collaborated at roundtable discussions, explored the new automation hall and connected during networking opportunities.

Two words – inspiration and innovation – were the driving forces behind every element of the conference.

Processors and suppliers came together to ignite each other while capturing best practices and practical takeaways in several areas, from automation and operations to human resources and safety.

The “comfort zone” is a tried-and-true fallback position, but attendees were encouraged to get “uncomfortable” during the conference to develop beyond their limits, see opportunities that didn’t exist before and obtain a higher level of success. Nix passionately said, “Being in discomfort yields inspiration and innovation. Now is the time to get out of the safety zone and get uncomfortable.”

Photos courtesy of Cliff Ritchey, cliffritcheyart.com 14 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

Troy Nix, ARPM The master of ceremonies for the Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference, Nix brought his spirit, enthusiasm, beliefs and a bag of ice to the stage with an opening address on leadership lessons. Throwing the bag of ice down, he leaned into the microphone and said, “Leadership is breaking through the ice and finding the ability to enter an uncomfortable zone.”

As a leader, whether in the front office or on the facility floor, it is easy to fall short in discomfort when the brain registers discomfort and signals to “stop” – this is a human’s fail-safe mechanism. It’s the brain’s trigger to stay in the “comfort zone” at all costs. When this happens, a leader sacrifices personal and professional growth. It’s important as a leader to know what it feels like to be “uncomfortable” and to learn to lean into the discomfort.

Nix said, “Research proves people who embrace discomfort: 1. do better during (life) changes; 2. are more engaged, motivated and persistent; and 3. can be motivated when viewed as a sign of making progress.”

By embracing discomfort and leaving the easy zone, the return is priceless – it’s in the experiences gained, lessons learned and growth personally and professionally. As Nix lowered himself into a barrel filled with ice and cold water, he said, “Embrace the chill of change because this is where innovation and inspiration reside.”

Automation Hall Showcases Innovation

Sponsored by Rapid Robotics, San Francisco, California, a brand-new feature of the Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference was the exclusive automation hall, and it was buzzing with the newest innovations and industrial automation solutions from across the country. Over 10 companies gave hands-on experience and visuals to systems that are intelligent, connected and scalable – options to define a company’s competitive advantage and push the business to the next level.

Mark Scharenbroich, keynote speaker and author Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road to Life Scharenbroich is an Emmy award-winning speaker and awardwinning author of his book, “Nice Bike,” a collection of stories based on meaningful connections with others in both work and life. With his full attention on the audience for an hour, he showed attendees how to ensure employees’ key needs are met – to be seen, heard and valued.

Through this experience, attendees saw firsthand how to shift their interactions with others to create deeper, more meaningful relationships and, in turn, add more joy to their life journey.

Scharenbroich said, “It’s about practicing three actions – acknowledge, honor and connect – to create lasting relationships that result in success personally and professionally.”

When one person acknowledges another, it’s a simple act that opens the door for both in the conversation to be fully present and invested in each other. To “honor” a person is to create a remarkable experience with the intention and discipline to give more than what is taken. And, through the acknowledgment and honor of the relationship, two parties can fully “connect” in a meaningful way – and that is when change and inspiration happen, whether it’s in business or in life.

To drive his point home, Scharenbroich shared an example about a meat raffle at the VFW. He said there are two things, that must be done in order to take home a prize: “One – You have to buy a ticket! Two – You must be present to win!”

Simple, right?

Buying a ticket is an action that shows personal investment and interest back into “the VFW meat raffle,” or better yet, a person, a family member, a company and so forth. Through the ticket purchase, the buyer has shown commitment to that connection. Equally important is showing up – where being present is an important opportunity to acknowledge, honor and connect in the relationship.

For more information, visit www.nicebike.com.

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SPONSORS AMBA AMCO Polymers Americhem Engineered Compounds Aurora Plastics Bear Industrial Group Beaumont Technologies, Inc. Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff, LLP Captive Solutions and Options Chase Plastic Services, Inc. ChemTrend Colors For Plastics, Inc. Conair Cy Frame DELMIAWorks DME Federated Insurance Foster Frigel Globeius Grainger, Inc. Guidewheel Harbour Results IceMiller, LLC iD Additives, Inc. INCOE Corporation Kallan Sales Development LS Mtron M. Holland Company Management Recruiters of Tallahassee Mantle, Inc. MBS Advisors MedAccred Moldex3D Noble Plastics Partnership Paulson Training Programs, Inc. PCS Company Plante Moran Plastics Business PolySource, LLC Progressive Components Prophix Technologies Purgex Purging Compounds QSI Automation RapidPurge Rapid Robotics, Inc. RJG, Inc. Routsis Training RTi SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding Stout Synventive Molding Solutions/Thermoplay US Compliance Vive, LLC WayPoint Marketing Communications Wipfli, LLP Wittman Battenfeld Xact Metal Yaskwa Yushin America, Inc.

16 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

Casey Brown, Boost Pricing From Panic to Power: How to Boost Pricing for Higher Profit “If you deliver excellence in your product, then you need to price based on that excellence,” said Brown. She’s known as a pricing geek for a reason.“Be fearless and get paid what you’re worth.”

A lack of confidence in pricing power will hold a company back from what’s possible. She asked attendees, “Do you price from fear or confidence? Do you price to win business or price not to lose?” It was clear within the first five minutes, Brown had the room’s full attention when she said that the biggest obstacle to pricing success isn’t competition, customers or lack of strategy… It’s self-limiting beliefs and behaviors that destroy pricing success.

Brown stated the importance of leadership and how its mindset on pricing and value (i.e., product, service, employees) can play a significant role in a company that thrives. She also mentioned that setting regular strategic pricing meetings with a dedicated committee is a crucial part of maintaining goals and company communication. She shared three objectives for businesses to “boost” pricing: 1. Be fearless about price increases.

2. Get paid what the company and/or product is worth.

3. Increase profitability fast.

In closing, Brown said, “The funding engine for growth, to make meaningful, lasting changes, is the bottom line. It’s our confidence, our fear. It’s not about the customer. It’s us that create pricing sensitivity. Our mindset controls how hard we’ll fight to keep it and how hard we’ll push.” For more information, visit www.boostpricing.com.

Omar Nashashibi, The Franklin Partnership Trade, Elections and Manufacturing Nashashibi delivered the latest from Washington, D.C., including updates on trade talks with allies, efforts to mitigate tax increases, proposed regulations from policymakers and proactive actions to address the labor market and supply chain challenges. He also addressed the implications of the upcoming election.

In the 2024 race for Congress, he foresees the House leaning toward Democratic control, while. the GOP is favored to take the Senate. Nashashibi said four states – Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – will decide the presidential election. The party in control in Washington will determine the fate of expiring tax rates on December 31, 2023, decide if tariffs on imports continue and influence OSHA’s pursuit of regulatory violations. “What Washington does and does not do will impact the industry’s bottom line,” said Nashashibi.

Dr. Jennifer Golbeck, University of Maryland, College Park

Jason Young, motivational speaker The Southwest Way – Successful Practices of a Market Leader A former senior-level manager at Southwest Airlines and a developer of Southwest Airlines’ legendary customer service and leadership training program, Young learned the value of workplace culture – and that great culture does not “just happen.” He extended his passion for leadership development, customer service and culture to his current company, LeadSmart, Inc., where he is president.

Young shared with attendees that employees are true partners in the company’s success through its shared values, vision and efforts. Southwest’s proven method of using an “employees first” approach to developing its high-performance culture includes four key metrics: 1. Performance – By engaging, developing and inspiring employees, a company creates a high-performing workforce. It’s about putting “employees first” to give value, growth and inspiration to their specific position that then spreads throughout the company.

2. Teamwork (or Relational Coordination) – The higher the coordination among team members, the greater the productivity. As a team, it is important to reduce performance tensions and people tensions. Focus on the CASH model: compensation, attitudes, strengths and habits.

3. Culture – Companies must create an environment where every team member can thrive. It is typical for companies to go through a culture cycle, including startup, growth, maturity, learning and change.

4. Values – This includes a company’s vision, purpose and mission, all of which shape and mold employees. From top to bottom in a company, aligning the values is an important step to fulfilling top employee performance, teamwork and creating a positive culture.

For more information, visit www.culturetopia.com.

Datashock: Artificial Intelligence, Connectedness and Readying for the Big Data Future The manufacturing industry is curious, but is it ready for the datashock of the future? As Director of the Social Intelligence Lab at the University of Maryland, College Park, Dr. Golbeck studies cutting-edge developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and she and her team create the types of algorithms that make these advancements possible. With AI driving the future, a significant amount of power is in the algorithms generated by sensors, smart devices and human behavior.

For a company to incorporate AI, Dr. Golbeck shared that first and foremost, it is important to build a trusted relationship with customers, discussing privacy protection, data transparency and more. Recommendations for companies to harness the power of AI include: 1. Once AI is initiated in a company and customers are involved, data control and full transparency of where data is being pulled are important from start to finish.

2. Companies must get consent from customers to access their data, offering communication and transparency of who, what, where and when data will be pulled.

3. As a company that is integrating AI, it is key to work with data organizations that are transparent about their algorithms. Currently, there are no federal regulations, privacy laws, etc. in place to protect companies or their customers, so it is imperative to have a good working relationship with all parties involved in gathering content.

4. An audit of the algorithms must be part of a company’s investment when utilizing AI for customer data, including the process of testing and vetting data organizations. Ask these questions: Does the data organization use biased information to collect data? Is this the most effective data tool for the company to collect information?

As manufactures take a step forward into AI integration, Dr. Golbeck stated, “The heart of what matters is maintaining a trusted relationship to protect customers.” n

Ready to Learn More? Book Recs From Speakers Eternal Impact, Troy Nix Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road to Life, Mark Scharenbroich The Culturetopia Effect, Jason Young Tradition Meets Transformation, Laurie Harbour and Scott Walton

www.arpminc.com 17

Maximizing Website Impact on Sales Funnel, Recruiting Processes

By Sara Melefsky, digital marketing director, WayPoint Marketing Communications

R

egardless of what type of business, a website should bring in and convert prospective customers and attract new employees. In a world where nearly everything is going digital, a website is more critical than ever. It acts as the hub for all marketing and communications efforts, so it needs to succinctly and effectively tell audiences why they want to work with and for the company. However, before adding troves of content to the website, a business needs to analyze the various steps of its sales funnel and recruiting processes.

What are the Stages of a Sales Funnel?

In a typical sales funnel, prospective customers enter the funnel by learning about products or services and then slowly move through the qualification and nurturing phases before making a purchase.

1

Awareness: This first step of the funnel is initiated when someone learns about a business through advertisements, social media, visiting a booth, online search results or word of mouth.

18 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

2

Engagement: This is considered to be the true start of the funnel. Awareness is nothing more than someone acknowledging that a business exists. Engagement is that same person interacting and showing signs of interest.

In this phase, a business begins to see the value of a prospect and the prospect begins to see value in the business. The goal is to have these interested prospects exit this stage by submitting a contact form, following a social media account, subscribing to a newsletter or contacting the business.

During this phase, consider how to categorize prospects who engage. Will a business note how they first engaged (e.g., tradeshow, website, social media or newsletter)? Will a business categorize them with others based on similar interests?

A business also should consider the best way to return the interaction. Do sales representatives personally reach out, visit their facilities or call them? Do marketing managers enter contact information into a newsletter campaign or customer relationship manager (CRM)? Does the marketing team target digital advertisements to the companies or industries?

Once the initial engagement begins, the prospect sees potential for a partnership. The contact hopefully will interact more frequently, at which time the contact can be moved further into the funnel, as either a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) or a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL).

3

MQL: A Marketing Qualified Lead is a contact who repeatedly is engaged, shows interest and has been reviewed by the marketing team. This may be a contact who repeatedly opens and engages with a newsletter, submits a contact form or engages on social media. An MQL often is watched more closely as the level of purchasing interest increases.

4

SQL: A Sales Qualified Lead is a contact who was an MQL and shows growing interest in the business. SQLs are reviewed by the sales team and identified to be true, potential customers – meaning the business’ capabilities align with their needs. In this stage, the sales team will provide quotes and negotiate. If an SQL becomes uninterested, it makes the most sense to hand it back to the marketing team for more nurturing with content. This allows the marketing team to further analyze interest so the sales team can focus its time on more valuable prospects.

videos, audio/podcast files and answers to frequently asked questions. It’s important to show a company has the answers and expertise, but not push its solution. Successful thought leadership provides a safe place to find answers, not push a product or service. Remember, a trusting relationship still is being built with the prospective customer.

3

MQL: Once prospects engage with a business, it can implement more technical marketing techniques so they keep coming back. Depending on their behavior on the site and the resources they accessed, a business can launch a retargeting campaign to keep the business in front of them. A business can send them specific, personalized emails with links to more content that is similar to what they previously viewed.

The purpose of content in this phase is to capture data and keep visitors engaged.

4

SQL: By this point, a prospect is interested, so it’s up to the sales team to take it from here with quoting, negotiating and closing the deal. The marketing team supports sales efforts, perhaps with an online resource center of case studies, client testimonials or technical sheets for the sales team to reference.

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Closed: After a customer accepts a proposal or quote, the lead moves into the “Closed” phase.

How Can a Website Impact the Sales Funnel?

A website should be structured and filled with content that delivers value to all visitors – regardless of where they fall within the sales funnel. Gone are the days when a business could control the buyer’s journey and push a prospect through the steps of the sales process. Prospects think differently now and control their buyer journeys. A business can, however, supply content so that wherever or however prospects move through the funnel, information they want and need is provided.

This will keep them engaged and coming back to the site until they decide to make a purchase.

1

Awareness: When someone first discovers a business, it’s important to present information about the product and services, business overview, mission and value statements and leadership summaries. Display this information so it is easy to find and understand. Website visitors in this phase haven’t engaged yet, so they won’t hesitate to quickly leave the site if they can’t find or understand what a company does.

2

Engagement: Once prospects see value in a business, they will begin to engage with the content. This is a great phase of the funnel to introduce a content strategy full of thought-leadership material that is relevant and intriguing – informational-type resources, such as how-to guides,

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www.arpminc.com 19

ARPM TRAINING ACADEMY Advanced Rubber Product Manufacturing Technology MARCH 4-6, 2024, CHICAGO, IL

Training content will include: Design Product & Material Material Consistency Raw Material Control Compound Control Article Manufacturing Design-to-production-transition Quality and more!

Advanced Rubber Product Manufacturing Technologies focuses on the elimination of variation associated with the initial design of the rubber article and rubber compound, through the control of the compound’s consistency and manufacturing process. This training will be a mix of lectures and demonstrations purposefully designed to provide the attendee exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies that extend from chemical weigh-up through compound production to automated article manufacturing and inspection.

20 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

Scan the QR code for registration and more information.

The ARPM Training Academy offers participants access to exclusive information presented by senior leaders from the industry who share their decades of product knowledge coupled with ARPM’s industryshaping technical guidance.

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Closed: The prospect now is a customer. But that doesn’t mean the website’s job is done. It can house a portal where customers access the onboarding documents, project-specific files and communications. Also, the prospect’s business logo can be added to a “Customer” section of the website and maybe a testimonial can be provided about working with the business. This would showcase the breadth of experience to a new round of prospects.

In Conclusion

How Can a Website Improve Recruiting?

When a company fills its website with content that covers the sales and recruiting processes and structures it so information easily is accessible, the company will begin to see the value.

There is a reason many manufacturers are investing in strategic, well-rounded websites – they realize that without them, they won’t remain competitive and can’t capture the attention of modern-day customers. n

Beyond supporting the sales processes, a website also should support recruiting activities. Potential employees look at a company’s website for information prior to applying for an open position. They want to know the history of the company, leadership team, company culture and values, employee benefits, testimonials and more. Applicants even may look for pictures that showcase the facilities and staff.

If possible, don’t use stock photos. Use pictures of staff, team gatherings and production facilities to give a true representation of the company and help fulfill the applicants’ need to trust the business. They want to begin building a relationship with the company – even before the business knows they want a career.

A website can accomplish all these goals with a “Career” or “About Us” page.

Additionally, applicants should be able to access job opportunities at the facility and apply via the website. The application process should be streamlined and not require significant steps or complicated forms. Once applicants realize they can trust the business, they research open jobs and, hopefully, begin applying.

A website has the potential to be a powerhouse for attracting new customers and employees. It’s the place that houses all strategic activities through a diverse library of resources. It should track visitor behavior and data, store and report contact or subscription forms, attract new employees, repeatedly engage prospects until they become customers and, perhaps, house a customer portal.

Sara Melefsky is the digital marketing director at WayPoint Marketing Communications, a marketing agency that partners with small- to medium-sized businesses to help them reach their goals through strategic marketing and communications programs. Melefsky boasts a background with over 20 years of B2B digital and traditional marketing experience. Her diverse skill set includes campaign strategy, project management and execution, graphic design, print and digital marketing, community relations and advertising. A firm believer that a solid marketing approach is the cornerstone of any successful business, Melefsky emphasizes the importance of constant evaluation and tweaking to adapt to the ever-changing industry environment.

More information: www.waypointmc.com Reprinted with premission from The American Mold Builder.

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[1] Ice Miller Recognized by Forbes

Ice Miller LLP, Indianapolis, Indiana, a full-service law firm, has been named one of America’s Best Small Employers 2023 by Forbes. The firm came in at number 28 of the 300 businesses named and placed as the second-highest firm in its industry. To compile this inaugural list, Forbes partnered with the market research firm Statista, which implemented a wide range of assessment tools to determine rankings. The results are based on an extensive anonymous employee satisfaction survey, tracking of job-related websites to gauge employer reputation and a social media “listening” text analysis to assess a company’s relationship with its employees. From an initial pool of 10,000 businesses, the 300 companies with the highest scores were included in the final list. For more information, visit www.icemiller.com.

[2] Trelleborg Receives 2022 Masters of Quality Award

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, Fort Wayne, Indiana, a developer, manufacturer and supplier of precision seals, bearings and custom-molded polymer components, received the 2022 Masters of Quality Award from Daimler Truck North America (DTNA). A “best of the best” honor reserved for components and service suppliers that exceed outlined expectations.

DTNA evaluates suppliers based on a scorecard measuring a supplier’s quality, delivery, technology and cost performance.

The suppliers also must demonstrate dedication to continuous improvement of the quality of their products, support to DTNA and overall performance. Trelleborg began supplying DTNA with a custom axel gasket in 2021 and now is at full ramp-up and production. This is the first time Trelleborg has received the Masters of Quality Award. For more information, visit www.trelleborg.com.

22 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

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[3] Wabash MPI and Carver Offer PNP Series Presses

Wabash Metal Products, Inc., Wabash, Indiana, a supplier of production and laboratory hydraulic, pneumatic and electric presses, and Carver Inc., Wabash, Indiana, a manufacturer and supplier of standard and custom hydraulic presses, have expanded customer capabilities for lab or production work with new options available for the PNP series pneumatic presses. Standard PNP pneumatic presses are available in 0.5-, 2- and 5-ton models, and standard platen sizes from 8" x 8" and 18" x 18". New optional features to this line include downacting clamp configuration, vacuum chamber construction for vacuum assist applications and UKCA certification to meet United Kingdom requirements. The PNP series excels in a wide range of applications from molding rubber and composites to laminating, plastics testing, fluid/resin extraction, destructive testing, bonding and sample preparation. For more information, visit www.wabashmpi.com or www.carverpress.com.

[4] Stockwell Releases Spec Grade Solid Silicone

Stockwell Elastomerics, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a supplier of high-performance gaskets and materials, has released a general-purpose, specification-grade solid silicone. The solid silicone sheeting is made in the US and available in five different durometers from 30A to 70A with thicknesses from 0.020" to 0.500". The sheet silicone comes standard in red, but black and gray sheets are available upon request.

The High Consistency Rubber based, spec-grade, generalpurpose silicone is formulated to meet A-A-59588 2A/2B, (formerly ZZ-R-765 2A/2B), ASTM D2000, AMS 3301, AMS 3302, AMS 3303 and AMS 3304 specifications. For ease of assembly, Stockwell Elastomerics can apply acrylic or silicone

adhesive (with a release liner) to one or both sides. For more information, visit www.stockwell.com.

ASTM D15 Committee Develops Standards for Electric Vehicles

ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, is committed to serving global societal needs with impacts on public health and safety, consumer confidence and quality of life, is in the process of developing two new standards through its engine coolants and related fluids committee (D15). These standards will be used to evaluate the ability of electric vehicle (EV) coolants to protect against corrosion. Coolants help regulate operating temperatures while providing protection against corrosion, freezing and overheating. Coolants can come directly in contact with the vehicle fuel cell stack, battery or other vehicle components, or may circulate through a cooling plate heat exchanger used to control batteries’ temperature and other electrical components. According to ASTM member Allan Morrison, the proposed standard test methods (WK76375 and WK83561) will assist electric vehicle designers and EV coolant producers in evaluating the effectiveness of the corrosion inhibitors for various coolant technologies. In addition, the task group developing these proposed standards is developing

additional proposed specifications relating to glycol-based coolants (WK52011) and waterless-based coolant (WK80854).

All interested parties are invited to join in the development of these proposed standards. For more information, visit www.astm.org.

[5] Chem-Trend Outlines Global PFAS Initiative

Chem-Trend, a part of the Freudenberg Chemical Specialities Group and a developer of premium release agents, purging compounds, paper impregnation chemicals and other process chemical specialties and additives, in July 2023 released its annual sustainability report. Outlining its global action from 2022, the report provides examples of how Chem-Trend is leading the industry through product and technology solutions designed with maximum efficiency and sustainability in mind.

Chem-Trend’s global PFAS elimination initiative is currently on track to successfully eliminate all fluorochemicals from its product portfolio by the end of 2023. The report also shares progress on its four main sustainability targets – the reduction of CO2 emissions, water usage and waste generation and an increase in material recycling. For more information, visit www.chemtrend.com/company/sustainability/. n

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The Rubber Industry and PFAS: Impacts of the Forever Chemicals

By Lindsey Munson, editor, Inside Rubber

T

hey are called “forever” chemicals for a reason: The long-lasting chemical bonds in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have long-lasting environmental implications. So, how should the rubber industry react to and handle PFAS now and in the foreseeable future?

Since the 1940s, the rubber industry and PFAS have been connected. PFAS are a large group of man-made chemicals that include PFOA, PFOS and GenX. These chemicals have been widely used in industrial applications due to their waterand grease-resistant properties and the ability to withstand high temperatures.

Now, however, the rubber industry has reached an intersection: Is PFAS the only option for developing consumer, commercial and industrial products? When will the Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) set new regulations into motion?

To counter the national and global PFAS pressures from the EPA and ECHA, the Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers (ARPM) has proactively taken the next step to protect and serve its membership and the industry by implementing an ARPM Task Force committee. This task force is a collection of rubber processors and has set four goals:

24 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

1. Collect and disseminate PFAS-related information as it becomes available.

2. Continue to work with NAM, ACC and other organizations/ representatives as appropriate to effect change in PFAS legislation – pushing for a science-based definition of PFAS. 3. Encourage communications with state and federal officials to affect science-based outcomes.

4. Create opportunities to publicly discuss the position of processors and the importance of processors’ input into legislation.

As an ARPM Task Force representative and owner of Elastomer Technologies LLC, Tecumseh, Michigan, Joe Walker said, “Now is the time to get involved and utilize resources as a company. Getting involved in ARPM gives access to various resources, such as legislation alerts and connections to agencies for the submission of comments. ARPM also has standard letters, allowing for customization for individual members’ needs that can be sent directly to the members’ local elected and federal officials. ARPM offers its members access to information that may not be readily available.”

PFAS concerns and the timing of new regulations have been weighing on the rubber industry. Walker said, “The EPA

and ECHA continue to slip implementation dates. However, it generally is expected that both regulatory agencies will have their regulations in effect during 2024, if not by year’s end.” EPA’s final rule requiring persons that manufacture (including import) or have manufactured PFAS to comply with certain reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is effective on November 13, 2023.

Documentation of PFAS in products and materials will be a regulatory challenge for rubber manufacturers. These chemicals are not listed as hazards (hazardous wastes or hazardous constituents) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act or as hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act, and regulation under TSCA was limited, which means PFAS were largely excluded from EPA’s tracking system associated with current EPA regulations. This makes it more difficult for the rubber industry to anticipate what will be required for documentation and compliance.

Walker shared, “These regulations currently look toward a complete ban on all PFAS substances (fluoropolymers – rubber and plastics). Organizations such as ARPM look to refine the definition of PFAS to include exceptions for high molecular weight polymers, including rubber and plastic materials; on September 28, the EPA finalized its position on PFAS and specifically noted the inclusion of high molecular weight fluoropolymers. Additionally, it is reported (October 2, 2023, cen.acs.org) that the Consumer Protection Safety Commission now is requesting information relative to consumer goods.

They expanded the 1,462 substances from the EPA list to 16,229. It has wanted an accounting of all PFAS substances since 2011 (under TSCA). This has proven difficult since the processor base did not keep such detailed records for unregulated materials.”

Additionally, John Stone an ARPM PFAS Task Force committee member and technical sales director for The Rubber Group, echoed Walker’s words, stating, “For 2024, the ARPM Task Force is in progress of mapping out the next weeks and months ahead to work through the EPA’s regulations and its reporting requests. This reporting requires large amounts of time to capture exposure levels per employee and a host of other data – it will be difficult, but important. This is based on the EPA TSCA reporting requirements that can be found at www.epa.gov.”

From 2021 until now, there has been a set of regulations put in place at each level by the EPA – state-level (specific to each state) and global – each with intentions to actively work together in researching these substances and set advisory levels for certain PFAS compounds. With the push to regulate PFAS in the US and globally, the rubber industry should be exploring alternative materials and processes that do not rely on PFAS. It is key to continue research and collaborate with

industry associations and organizations for best practices.

Companies also should conduct risk assessments and develop a management plan.

Rubber processors need to protect their companies, Walker said. “The most powerful method is by ensuring that immediate customers and the final design-responsible customer are aware of the threats that the pending PFAS legislation will present to them and commence dialog with this customer chain where alternative approaches are made available from the processor.”

Stone shared, “As rubber processors, it is critical to know where to find resources and how to advocate for the industry. ARPM has a PFAS-dedicated webpage that houses educational series, considerations, EPA direction, legislative resources and more.

The Rubber Group is committed to being deeply involved in local, state, national and EU discussions on PFAS. It is critical for companies to actively stay on top of what’s coming out of the EPA and global entities, while also following the news and developments to move in the right strategic direction. Another key component to all of this is to keep internal teams and customers informed.”

Given the evolving nature of PFAS, rubber processors need to take an active role in the outcome of their future business by staying up to date on developments with EPA regulations and sustainable practices through collaboration with peers, regulatory groups, environmental agencies, research institutions and any other organizations. n More information: www.arpminc.com/training-academy/pfasresources/

PFAS Resources American Chemistry Council, www.americanchemistry.com/

Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers,

www.arpminc.com/training-academy/pfas-resources/

Contact Your Representative, www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/

National Association of Manufacturers, www.nam.org/

Safer States,

www.saferstates.com/toxic-chemicals/pfas/

www.arpminc.com 25

Investing In the Next Generation of Rubber Industry Leaders

By Kaitlyn Triplett, managing editor, ARPM

T

he 2019 Deloitte Millennial Survey found that “49% would, if they had a choice, quit their current jobs in the next two years.” This survey stated that the top reasons for leaving include dissatisfaction with pay, lack of advancement opportunities and lack of training and development.

What do these results share about the next generation of workers? Young professionals are looking for growth and challenges, opportunities that align with their values or lifestyle, and professional development.

ARPM Executive Director Letha Keslar said, “The ARPM leadership team understood the need to invest in tomorrow’s rubber industry leaders. With there being so many unique challenges in the rubber industry, ARPM knew that there needed to be both technical learning opportunities as well as professional and leadership development for the next generation of leaders.”

Board Connection to the Next Generation

At its core, the Young Professionals Network is designed to bring together innovative, creative and dedicated young leaders from across member companies, and to this day continues to welcome up-and-coming leaders from all over the country and in every area of business.

The Young Professionals Network is guided by an advisory board that assists in the brainstorming, planning and execution of a variety of networking and learning opportunities. This

Photos courtesy of ARPM, taken at its Young Professionals Leadership Summit, Summer 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

26 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

small but mighty advisory board reflects on challenges that its members face in the workplace on a day-to-day basis, in order to continue the development of new programs and events to alleviate the aches and pains of their fellow young professionals.

Ben Puffer of MAPLAN, who serves on the advisory board, said, “Being a part of the ARPM Young Professionals (YP) group has been an invaluable experience for me. This community truly embodies ARPM’s mission of uniting individuals and companies, understanding and sharing best practices and fostering connections within the rubber industry.”

Involved with and passionate about the YP group, Puffer continued sharing and said, “One standout aspect of my involvement in the YP group has been the Cohorts sessions.

These sessions provide a unique opportunity for one or two participants to take the ‘hot seat’ and discuss the challenges they currently are facing in their companies and roles.

The willingness of the group to openly share their insights, best practices and professional advice has been remarkable.

It’s evident that the YP group is dedicated to supporting one another’s growth and success. I wholeheartedly appreciate ARPM for creating a platform that lives up to its mission, and I’m excited to continue my journey with this inspiring group of young professionals.”

Virtual Networking Opportunities

The Young Professionals Cohort program has been a staple for the young professionals’ network. This 16-week program, led by ARPM staff each summer, is a confidential space for young professionals to support each other, share goals and challenges, celebrate wins, clear roadblocks and hold each other accountable.

Everyone faces uncertainty and big decisions in their job, but for young professionals who do not have a solid network, going at it alone can be daunting. The cohort program is the perfect place to expand that network and connect with others so that those who have been in the same situation can provide best practices and new perspectives.

While there always will be a need for professional development and leadership growth, ARPM also is tackling the technical knowledge gap that the rubber industry is facing. Using the ARPM Training Academy as a stepping stone, ARPM’s young professionals have access to over 20 different introductory online training courses. These courses cover everything from an introduction to rubber to safety in the rubber industry to quality best practices. The courses are great for those who are brand new to the industry and need a very basic technical education.

In-Person Networking Opportunities

For those who have been in the industry for a few years and are looking for additional education, ARPM is facilitating indepth technical training. These one-week courses are led by industry veterans and range from classroom lectures to handson training. Starting in 2024, discounted pricing for ARPM Young Professional Network members will be honored for select in-person training courses.

In addition to the in-person training opportunities, ARPM also co-hosts a two-day leadership summit with the Young Professionals in the Manufacturers Association for Plastics Processors. This yearly event is designed to be an intensive and immersive professional development opportunity for industry young professionals interested in growing their leadership skills.

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ALWAYS

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28 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

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AT ITS CORE, THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NETWORK IS DESIGNED TO BRING TOGETHER INNOVATIVE, CREATIVE AND DEDICATED YOUNG LEADERS FROM ACROSS MEMBER COMPANIES.

”

The 2023 Leadership Summit focused on providing attendees with firm and applicable leadership skills, allowed meaningful networking and problem-solving, and provided time for industry peers to connect with each other to grow long-lasting relationships.

Not only does the Leadership Summit focus on developing leadership skills, but young professionals are invited to tour a member facility and hear from seasoned industry professionals on how to identify best practices and areas for improvement to take back and implement at their home facility.

ARPM Resources and Connection

As the association continues to grow, ARPM will continue to provide resources to members that assist in investing in the next generation of rubber industry leaders.

Membership in the Young Professionals Network is open to any young professional (45 years old and younger) from a current ARPM member company who believes in ARPM’s mission of uniting individuals and companies, understanding and sharing best practices, networking and building relationships and furthering the rubber industry. n If interested in getting involved in or needing additional information about ARPM’s Young Professionals Network, contact Kaitlyn Triplett at ktriplett@arpminc.org.

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References 1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-awesomecareer/201911/why-we-should-invest-in-young-professionals

www.arpminc.com 29

BOOKLIST

Step Back to Let Others Lead

By Dianna Brodine, vice president, editorial, Inside Rubber

A

few years ago, I was invited to participate in a three-day leadership experience at the Kansas Leadership Institute. It was a mentally exhausting examination of what I believed about leadership, how my personal style helped or hindered the people around me, and the ways in which I could thoughtfully change the culture of organizations I work for or participate in by understanding when to step forward and when to step back. Those are things I’m still working on to this day, but one thing I truly believe is that every organization improves when every person involved believes they are in a position to lead. The first book in this issue’s Booklist was written by one of the founders of the Kansas Leadership Institute. It’s a quick read about finding the opportunities to make an impact, step forward and influence the direction of the organizations around you.

When Everyone Leads: How the Toughest Challenges are Seen and Solved Authors: Ed O’Malley, Julie Fabris McBride Released: January 31, 2023

This book is not about leadership, at least in the way we normally think about it. Leadership is engaging others to solve daunting challenges. Those challenges appear in our professional lives, in our communities, our families – and they seem unsolvable, beyond our ability to see what needs to be done or outside our capacity to make the changes needed. They are not. Because leadership is an activity – small actions taken in moments of opportunity. And as you start to look around, you can begin to see more of those moments, seize the opportunity in those moments. Most importantly, you can help others see those opportunities too. That’s why everyone can lead and the real power to solve our most important challenges is when everyone leads.

The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy) Author: Admiral William H. McRaven Released: April 4, 2023

The title “Bullfrog” is given to the Navy SEAL who has served the longest on active duty. Admiral McRaven was honored to receive this honor in 2011 when he took charge of the United States Special Operations Command. When McRaven retired in 2014, he had 37 years as a Navy SEAL under his belt, leading men and women at every level of the 30 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

special operations community. During those four decades, Admiral McRaven dealt with every conceivable leadership challenge, including the capture of Saddam Hussein and the raid for Osama bin Laden. The Wisdom of the Bullfrog draws on these and countless other experiences, including crisis situations, management debates, organizational transitions and ethical dilemmas. Each chapter provides a parable, rich with insights about the leadership traits required to be at the top of your game.

Turnaround Time: Uniting an Airline and Its Employees in the Friendly Skies Authors: Oscar Munoz, Brian DeSplinter

The people of United Airlines are locked in a struggle against time to ensure your aircraft lands and takes off for another flight safely and efficiently. This “turnaround time” is the heartbeat of an industry, but turning around an aircraft and turning around an airline are very different challenges in most respects, except one: It takes a united team to perform it well. In 2015, when Oscar Munoz took the helm, its culture was anything but united and its reputation was in free fall. Meanwhile, only a month into the job, Oscar suffered a near-fatal heart attack. The health emergency might have been the end of the story – until employees and union leaders rallied around him. By the end of his tenure, the people of United were finally flying together as one team. With candor, humor and heartfelt wisdom, Oscar offers soulful, muchneeded leadership lessons for today’s world: listening with empathy, standing up for employees, building durable cultures that are profitable because they’re principled, and advancing a vision for a genuinely inclusive economy for the future. n

TECHNICAL STANDARDS

Standardization – A Key Element In Training

By Greg Vassmer, technical coordinator, ARPM

A

product technical standard represents hundreds of hours of work by people with decades of experience and education. That brain trust hashes out the best way to design, test and evaluate a product and creates a document representing these best practices.

Greg Vassmer ARPM Technical Coordinator

Sometimes, there is more than one way or more than one technology able to accomplish similar results. Given a choice, each has strengths or weaknesses that make one approach or another more appropriate. Standards provide alternatives – such as for measuring shaft lead, which can be done with a thread and a weight (a time-tested low-cost method) or with a sophisticated optical device (a technique able to suggest the source of the lead). So how do companies introduce a new person to this best practice – without missing key items or misinforming them? Training, of course.

The most common training? On the job. A senior operator (Frank, let’s say) gets a new trainee and teaches his techniques.

The trainee then works with a different operator, learns an alternate technique and is, at best, confused. The trainee’s work, not surprisingly, may not conform to Frank’s training.

In addition, everything Frank doesn’t know doesn’t get taught.

Importance of Standardized Training

Standard training plans eliminate the ad hoc gaps in on-the-job training. With these, Frank teaches only his skill area and the trainee is routed through other company experts for a complete education. The plan is standard, and internal experts are used to teach, so the trainee is much better informed. But should a company’s valuable staff be training standard industry topics when those are available externally? Think of knowledge such as “how to read a drawing” or “how to use a micrometer” or perhaps “how not to knock your drink into the control panel.”

Who wants Frank to use his time for that?

There is no reason for a company to teach topics where external training courses are available. Frank still is needed, but mainly to teach the unique skills that make the company profitable.

Standard plan / standard courses create workers with known capabilities and who can be held to common expectations. All

“Operator 1” -level staff are taught the same thing and can be expected to work similarly. Quality practices, inspection techniques and safety requirements are applied the same way.

In the rubber industry, these standard training courses go further than most. In last quarter’s Inside Rubber magazine, the ARPM Training Academy was introduced, with advanced training and best practices at the supervisor and engineering levels. This advanced training goes beyond the “how to” lessons (also available) and covers the best practices represented by the standards in entire product areas, such as the course held for Seals in June. Sessions covering hoses, power transmission belts and conveyors are in the works. By using standard plan / standard courses training to as high a level as possible, Frank can get back to work at what he does best.

Sakata Named as Technical Expert

And speaking of experts… The ARPM Sealing Committee will get a new technical coordinator in January 2024. Dave Sakata, recently retired vice president, Product Warranty and Lean Product Engineering at Freudenberg-NOK, has agreed to take over the committee chair and its related ISO activities.

Sakata is an industry veteran serving 45 years, first with NOK and then in the Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership in the US. His business and industrial technology education led him to positions in engineering, plant management, product warranty and lean manufacturing. He has been awarded 10 US patents and contributes organizationally to OESA (the OE supplier arm of MEMA) as Warranty Management Council Chairman; AIAG, contributing to the CQI-14 Automotive Warranty Management Guideline; and now with ARPM. Sakata’s motivation to take this leading role comes from the recognition that ARPM represents the primary US industry voice for seals and promoting standardization between supplier, customer and international ISO efforts. Please give him the same level of participation and energy that I have enjoyed… because it is me he’s replacing.

I’ve enjoyed working with the Dynamic Seal Committee (eight years) and preparing this column (five years) but will graduate to nearly full retirement in January. My Committee colleagues and those at ARPM have made this work effortless. We’ve made a difference and will continue to do so. Thank you all. n www.arpminc.com 31

CORE VAULES

Why Leaders Struggle to Build a Culture of Accountability and How They Can Do It

By Tramico Herman, MBA, BSN, RN

A

company’s success is attributable to many factors, but for businesses built to thrive over the long term, accountability is essential.

an overall unhealthy working environment. The inability to delegate work and empower team members to act with autonomy is one of the quickest ways to alienate them.

Accountability is about taking responsibility for one’s actions. It’s difficult to develop a high-performing team if accountability is lacking because little gets done when no one takes ownership of addressing issues and solving problems.

One person’s missed deadline becomes the team’s delay, and mistakes that are tolerated become the dysfunctional norm.

The team and the company suffer.

Micromanaging often happens when leaders are under pressure and already saddled with demands and expectations. When they feel like they don’t have a good handle on things, they tighten their grip on everything, often killing creativity and confidence and driving down performance. That causes tension and mental instability for their team and themselves.

Effective leadership is about getting team members to be accountable and take ownership, and it goes hand in hand with leaders promoting autonomy among workers. With employee engagement a problem, companies trying to increase accountability alone can create a culture of micromanagement that leads to unhappy workers who will leave.

But focusing instead on creating a culture of autonomy can increase employee engagement and ownership of their work.

Employees who feel a high sense of ownership are more productive because they take pride in their work, and such a culture produces a domino effect that leads to consistently good results.

Here are some challenges leaders face that prevent them from promoting team autonomy and accountability, and what they can do to overcome those challenges.

Stress, Leading to Micromanaging

A micromanaged staff is ineffective and results in passiveaggressive behavior, feelings of incompetence, stress and 32 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

Tip for Leaders Do a self-check on one’s mood. Evaluate stress levels and identify triggers, such as competing deadlines, correcting mistakes made by others and accommodating others’ work styles. Resolve as best as one can.

Not Knowing the Team

If leaders don’t make the effort to know their teams, a lack of trust between them results. In that case, it’s unsurprising if a leader is not comfortable giving them more freedom.

Tip for Leaders Meet with team members regularly, individually and as a group and really listen to them. Treat them like an extended family.

Advocate for them and serve as a guide. Set clear expectations but also be flexible and willing to hear them out when mistakes happen. Make modifications to processes if necessary. Doing so will show them that their leader does listen and that their input matters.

Teams take ownership of their mistakes when leaders own up to theirs. By acknowledging their mistakes, leaders can build

stronger relationships with team members and create more trust because the employees see the leader as honest and fair.

Lack of Leadership Training

Far too many leaders are unsatisfied in their work and are disengaged. A high number of them aren’t given the critical skills to succeed, which points to inadequate leadership training. Many organizations do not have formal training for managers or senior leaders, and many leaders require proper onboarding, collaboration with other key leaders, ongoing training, mentoring and support.

It needs to be structured with one or more people assigned to the leader to help get a handle on the current state of things and what is expected. A new leader can’t fix everything on the first day; impacting productivity is a four- or five-month process.

Tip for Leaders Be sure to have what is needed to perform the role, especially training that hones in on understanding how a department should run and the alignment of team members. Also, learn effective ways to communicate with stakeholders, teams, external vendors and other senior leaders.

The benefits of promoting team autonomy and accountability?

A strong, cohesive and passionate team is ready for any challenge that comes their way. Why? Because they have a leader who respects and trusts them, solid training to efficiently complete their roles and responsibilities, healthy relationships with one another and clear expectations of daily tasks so they can take ownership. n Tramico Herman is author of The Crux of Care Management: Steps to Managed Care and Patient-Centric Service Excellence for Leaders and is known as a compassionate healthcare executive and transformational leader in care management and healthcare disparities. She began her nursing career leading medical-surgical and intensive care units, then transitioned to healthcare administration with a focus on care management. Herman advanced to leadership roles while developing strategies for process improvements, reducing employee turnover and supporting recruitment and quality compliance with executive leaders. She holds an MBA in project management and became an executive consultant for various Fortune 100 health plans and providers.

More information: www.tramicoherman.com

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www.arpminc.com 33

EVENTS CALENDAR NOVEMBER 2023 9 Stockwell Elastomerics Plant Tour 29 Launch State of Rubber Industry Survey 29-30 Finance Forum

DECEMBER 2023

ACE Laboratories......................................................29 www.ace-laboratories.com Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc. (ARDL)...................... 23 www.ardl.com ARPM Membership ..................................................35 www.arpminc.com ARMP Publications....................................................28 www.arpminc.com ARMP Training Academy..........................................20 www.arpminc.com Barwell Global USA...................................................27 www.barwellusa.com Blair Rubber Company................................................9 www.blairrubber.com

14 ARPM Annual Membership Meeting

Chardon Custom Polymers.......................................13 www.chardoncp.com

MARCH 2024

ChemTrend...............................................................19 www.chemtrend.com

4-6 ARPM Training Academy: Advanced Rubber Product Manufacturing Technologies Training

Grainger......................................................................2 www.grainger.com

JULY 2024 APRM Training Academy: Seals Product Design and Manufacturing

OCTOBER 2024 2-4 Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference For the most up-to-date information and to register for events, visit www.arpminc.com/events.

34 Inside Rubber // 2023 Issue 4

IceMiller.....................................................................13 www.icemiller.com PartnerShip...............................................................21 www.partnership.com/ARPM REP Corporation.......................................................11 www.repinjection.com SIGMASOFT® ............................................ Back Cover www.sigmasoftvm.com Smithers....................................................................33 www.smithers.com

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Listed in Rubber and Plastics News "Top 5 Rubber Industry Associations You Should Know."

Visit arpminc.com for more. www.arpminc.com 35

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