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Welcome to e-Connections, the weekly AFS email newsletter. In this June 17, 2008, edition:

Sales & Marketing Conference Focuses on Casting Buyers, Improving Strategies
The AFS Marketing and Selling of Castings conference will be held July 31-Aug. 1 at the Westin O'Hare, Rosemont, Ill. The focus of the conference is to educate metalcasting marketing and sales professionals on strategies to improve their bottom line, while giving them a chance to talk to future customers.

A special two-hour in-depth seminar with marketing guru Dan McQuiston (www.mcquistongroup.com), Butler Univ., is planned, along with several top-notch speakers including:

  • Ed O'Neil, Director of Global Sourcing, Caterpillar
  • Bob Whaley, Director of Procurement, Haas Automation
  • Jim King, Commodity Sourcing Analyst, FMC Technologies
  • Robert Ryan, Director, Engine Business Global Purchasing, Cummins Inc.
  • Wayne Braun & Jim Clifford, Sales & Marketing, AmeriCast Technologies Inc.
  • Alex Bryant, President, East-West Associates
  • Rick Betori, President, Wonderlic
  • Tim Daro, President, Bernard & Co.

As part of the conference special, have your website, brochures and other marketing and communications vehicles evaluated one-on-one by industry experts in a critique session. Register by June 30 to be entered into a drawing to win a sales and marketing kit (valued at more than $500). All attendees will receive a free copy of the 2008 AFS Forecast and Trends Report (valued at $400).

For more information, or to register for the AFS Marketing and Selling of Castings conference, contact AFS customer service at 800/537-4237 or click here for more information.

Career Center Helps Find New Metalcasters
The AFS Metalcasting Career Center has become the new destination for metalcasting industry employers and job seekers. Located at www.afsinc.org/careercenter, the Career Center has new job descriptions and resumes of prospective employees being posted every day. Job seekers can view job postings for free. Employers pay a small fee to download resumes of prospective applicants. Discounts are available for AFS Members.

Recent jobs posted include:

Foundry Superintendent
Alexander City, AL
Southeast Iron

Working Foundry Manager
Potlatch, ID
D8, Inc.

CAD Designer
Manitowoc, WI
Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry

For more information on the metalcasting career center, contact Dave Krugman, AFS PR and Marketing Coordinator, at 800/537-4237 or dkrugman@afsinc.org.

2008 Survey of Wages and Economic Benefits Now Available
AFS announces the release of the 2008 Wage and Benefit Survey. The survey of metalcasting facilities in the U.S. and Canada reports on wage rates for 28 hourly job classifications, and covers 29 labor market areas in the U.S. and Canada. National reports are given based on the type of metal poured: iron, steel, nonferrous or multi-metal. Breakdowns are given by size (number of employees) and by union or union-free. Results for wages are reported in cents per hour. The report is available in both .pdf and print formats.

For more information, contact AFS customer service, at 800/537-4237. To purchase the print version of this survey click here, to purchase the .pdf version, click here.