©iStockphoto.com/Scott Hirko
Regional Spring Association Report NESMA Holds Casino Night By Ted White, Hardware Products The New E ng la nd Spr i ng & Metalstamping Association (NESMA) held its first ever Casino Night at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bristol, Conn. on April 23, 2015. NESMA has been trying to work on a way to support the Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI) in its new Metal Engineering eXpo in Charlotte. Mark DiVenere, an avid supporter of both NESMA and SMI, thought that the NESMA Expo might conflict with the new SMI trade show in the fall. Mark, who has run the NESMA Expo for more years than he cares to remember, and his committee thought that if NESMA changed its format to a casino night it would be less of a competition with the SMI show. The casino night included 34 exhibitors and 190 attendees. After attendees had an opportunity to discuss business with the exhibitors, there was time before and after dinner to visit the casino tables. To help defray costs, 11 sponsors stepped forward to support
the event. We thank those sponsors very much and note that the sponsorship was the first category to sell out. This support by our members is indeed both comforting and appreciated. Each participant in the casino night received $1,000 in phony money which they turned in for chips at the tables. After receiving their chips, the participant could play any of the tables she/he wanted and win or lose according to the rules of the game. There were blackjack tables, craps tables, one arm bandits and poker tables featuring Texas Hold ’em. At the end of the night, participants could turn in their chips for chances to win door prizes. The more chips you had, the more chances you had to win. Several people I talked to said that they had won big and that they wished they were that lucky when they were dealing with real money. Regardless of whether they won or lost, it appeared as though everybody had a good time.
At the end of the evening, the door prizes were handed out. The two big door prizes, a 42 inch television and a drone were won by SMI’s own Lynne Carr and Tom Hunt of Amstek Metal respectively. Lynne subsequently donated the TV to the Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut, a charity in which DiVenere is involved. In this continued attempt to change its format in support of SMI, next year NESMA may put together a general manufacturing expo rather than one limited to just springs. The format would be in partnership with several other small Connecticut area manufacturing groups to co-sponsor a manufacturing show that caters to all small businesses in the area. The size and location of the expo will depend on the interest of other manufacturing associations. More on this in the upcoming months. For more information on NESMA, visit www.nesma-usa.com.
Baseball Game, Tabletop Show, and Golf Tournament Highlight 2015 WCSMA Events
scheduled to play the Toronto Blue Jays at 6:05 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and quantities are limited. As part of the outing, WCSMA members will gather before the game for a tailgate party under the “Big A” sign at the stadium. Look for the red and yellow WCSMA banner. Contact Mark Tiedemann to reserve your tickets at 562-802-2041 or email Mark@Tru-Form.com. This is one of the association’s largest events each year, with up to 750 tickets expected to be sold. Members are encouraged to buy their tickets early before they sell out. WCSMA’s annual golf tournament and dinner is scheduled for Thursday, November 12. More details on the event will be announced soon.
WCSMA will hold its bi-annual Tabletop Expo on Thursday, January 21 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in La Mirada, Calif. WCSMA says the event is “an eclectic mix of vendors who supply products, materials, equipment and services, and a must-attend trade show for everyone in the spring manufacturing and metal forming industries.” There is no need for attendees to pre-register and admission is free. Attendees will enjoy free hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and great door prizes. Vendors who wish to exhibit can download a registration flyer at www. wcsma.us. To keep in touch with WCSMA activities, be sure to visit www.wcsma.us.
Th e We s t C o a s t Spr i n g Manufacturers Association (WCSMA) has a bevy of activities planned for its members in 2015–2016. After its annual Spring Fling to the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nev. in May, WCSMA will hold its annual Angels Game and Tailgating Party on August 22 at 4 p.m. at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, Calif. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are
18 / SPRINGS / Summer 2015