Rosemont, Ill. — The Association of Rotational Molders welcomed 28 new members at the Rotoplas trade show and conference, held Sept. 26-28 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.
New members included LT Molding Solutions, the custom molding division of Little Tikes Co. and toy rotomolder Simplay3, according to Sandy Scaccia of Norstar Aluminum Molds Inc. and head of the ARM promotions committee.
Scaccia and other ARM leaders made brief presentations at the association's annual business luncheon Sept. 27 during Rotoplas.
Scaccia said the promotions committee met at Rotoplas and addressed three elements. Members want to revive the ambassador's program, designed to make new ARM attendees feel welcome. The committee is looking for about a dozen industry veterans to volunteer, he said.
The promotions committee also will seek feedback about its efforts. And an ad-hoc networking group will boost participation in ARM committees, Scaccia said.
At Rotoplas in Rosemont, Dru Laws became the new president of ARM, succeeding Conchita Miranda. Laws is senior vice president of the plastics division at Seljan Co. Inc. in Lake Mills, Wis. Miranda is director general of Miraplastek SA de CV in Mexico.
Most ARM presidents serve a one-year term. Laws will begin Jan. 1, but Miranda served two years.
Miranda said 2017 Rotoplas had strong attendance. Only 450 people had registered just before the conference started, but there were 1,000 walkup attendees, she said. Visitors came from 34 countries.
“The economy's strong, and the exhibition is a big draw for the international people,” she said.
Laws said the ARM Executive Forum, March 25-27 in Orlando, Fla., will have a heavy focus on human resources — finding employees for rotomolding.
ARM's annual meeting will be held Oct. 21-24, 2018 in Montreal.
