Gears & Gadgets
What is Gears & Gadgets?
Founded in 2012, Gears & Gadgets is an exclusive quarterly event hosted by Minnesota Manufacturing Executives (MME) where members discuss manufacturing business trends and develop synergistic connections. A typical event showcases a manufacturing industry speaker followed by a networking Happy Hour with a cash bar and appetizers. Our generous Platinum Sponsors contribute to the success of Gears & Gadgets.
Why attend Gears & Gadgets?
- Stay current on manufacturing industry changes that affect your business
- Peer-to-peer interaction builds your network and a strong Minnesota manufacturing community
- Maximize business development and supplier synergies for your company
Who is eligible to attend Gears & Gadgets?
- Manufacturing business owners
- Manufacturing executives and senior leaders currently employed in a manufacturing company
How do I receive an invitation to Gears & Gadgets?
Gears & Gadgets is “by invitation only” for eligible members of MME.
Please contact the group founder,
Marni Hockenberg at [email protected];
952.500.9542.
Marni Hockenberg is the Principal of Hockenberg Search, a firm specializing in Executive Outplacement for the manufacturing industry.
Your network is your net worth — see you at Gears & Gadgets!
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Upcoming Event
October 19th, 2020 – Last Chance to ‘Grind Gears’ for a Whopping 2021 Resurgence
Minneapolis Marriott Northwest
7025 Northland Drive N.
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm: Registration/Networking
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Program, Audience Q & A
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm: Networking Reception
Hot appetizers and cash bar
The National Association of Manufacturers has released its third-quarter Manufacturer’s Outlook Survey. Manufacturing optimism has also rebounded to 66% since the second quarter of 2020, where it hit the worst reading since the Great Depression. The manufacturing economy has rebounded since the second quarter of 2020. In the latest quarterly Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, conducted Aug. 14–28, 66.0% of respondents reported a positive outlook for their company in the third quarter up from 33.9% in the second quarter. As such, positive sentiment in the manufacturing sector has nearly doubled since May, rebounding from the worst reading since the Great Recession, even as challenges persist and the outlook remains below the historical average of 74.4%.
How have Minnesota manufacturing business owners and leaders been handling this and how are they preparing for a resurgence in 2021? Join us on October 19th as Gears & Gadgets hosts a panel of manufacturing executives who will provide us with insights and advice that can make a substantial positive impact in YOUR manufacturing company. We have hand-selected experts in critical functional areas such as supply chain, sales, marketing, and operations. Find out what your peers are doing to prepare for the upswing and how your company can use this important time as we close out the year.
Panelists:
Heather Stewart ; Vice President of Operations; The Village Company
Sue W. Thomas ; C.E.O Nystrom
Jonathan Kingsbury; VP of Sales & Marketing; Hydra-Flex
Nick Stoner; Integrator; SOS Manufacturing
Panel Moderator
Peter Beaumont; Business Advisor; The Resultants
Two more panelists will be announced next week.
This program will be held in a large ballroom which will accommodate social distancing guidelines. Registration will open next week with limited seating.
Recap of May Gears & Gadgets Event
The world has changed significantly for most manufacturing companies as a result of the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Few business leaders imagined where we would be at today. At times like this, fearless crisis leadership is required to provide good decision making, strategy and actionable plans. The ‘new normal’ can be viewed through the lens of pessimism or optimism. Fearless leaders are viewing this as an opportunity rich environment rather than a doomsday scenario.
Gears & Gadgets is dedicated to the growth and success of our local manufacturing companies by being flexible and responsive to ever changing business environments. We normally host a meeting at a local hotel followed by a casual and fun reception, but due to the COVID situation we changed our format to a virtual Zoom program for our May program. We engaged a panel of manufacturing leaders to discuss the topic of ‘Fearless Crisis Leadership in Manufacturing’.
The response to our new format was fantastic with over 100 Gears & Gadgets members who registered and participated. Our panelists provided real life examples of how they fearlessly led their companies through this crisis with time for participant Q & A.
You are invited to view the program and share it with others in your network: https://bit.ly/2Ym7frm
Panelists:
- Phil Mattison; President; Core Products International
- Amber Fennell; Director of Sales & Marketing; PGC (Precision Gasket Company)
- Shane Steffensen, COO and GM, Lube Tech, Inc
- Cathy Cruz Gooch, President at Catallia Mexican Foods
Panel Moderator:
Gary Braun, Partner; Pivotal Advisors
Discussion topics:
- How has the pandemic affected you and your company?
- What key decisions or adjustments have you had to make as a result?
- What are you doing that is working best for you during this time?
- How has this impacted your longer-term strategies for growth?
Sponsors
Platinum Bank has become one of the fastest growing banks in the Greater Twin Cities and Western Wisconsin. Establishing a sound financial footing and a loyal client base since its inception in 2007, Platinum Bank continues to grow by thinking outside-the-box to meet the needs of small businesses, their owners, families and executives.
Balius Marketing & Web Design serves sophisticated business-to-business companies primarily in the manufacturing area, helping to project their story, in one clear voice. We offer decades of industry experience and absolute dedication to service, product, and results. Companies count on us for straight talk, down-to-earth work ethic, and a full range of marketing services—from websites, management, creative and production of all brand assets.
Businesses feel stuck because they’re maxed out. The Resultants have lived that, failed, learned and grown. We advocate for the best interest of your company and work alongside business leaders to implement a simple process that has proven time and time again to help companies like yours move further, faster to thrive and sustain over time.
Pivotal Advisors was founded in 2008 with the singular purpose of building healthy sales organizations that are consistent, predictable, scalable, and profitable. As a sales management consulting firm, we offer you three different levels of engagement; each is designed with our proven Sales Performance Factors to fit your needs and get you and your team to the next level of growth.
Hockenberg Search is an Executive Outplacement and Executive Career Transition Coaching company. We specialize in delivering comprehensive, HIGHLY INDIVIDUALIZED Executive job search services that help our clients land the RIGHT JOB, FASTER. As ‘recovering recruiters’, we have an insider’s understanding of how Executive HIRING DECISIONS are really made. That knowledge – along with our track record for SUCCESSFUL PLACEMENTS of hundreds of Executives and deep NETWORK CONNECTIONS – make us uniquely qualified to lobby on behalf of manufacturing Executive job seekers.