The Supplier Board of Governors of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association announced new officers during the recent Supply Summit in San Antonio.

This board represents nearly 300 Supplier Associate Members鈥攃ompanies that provide raw materials, component parts, and services to farm equipment manufacturers.

Dalton Carr of Superior Gearbox was elected Chairman. Also stepping into leadership roles are Alex Mussa of SNA Manufacturing as Vice Chair, JC Hatton of Metal Parts and Equipment as Secretary, and James Williamson of Myers Spring Co., Inc. as Treasurer.

We also welcome newly elected board member Chris Brown of Haven Steel. Continuing their service are Lloyd Kettlehake of C&U Americas LLC; Chris Smith of Comer Industries; Marc Adams, FEMA Supplier Section Representative, of GBGI, Inc.; and Mary Sutton of Muir Omni Graphics, who graciously served two consecutive terms as Supplier Board Chair.

On behalf of FEMA, thank you to the entire Supplier Board for their time, leadership, and dedication.

This board represents nearly 300 Supplier Associate Members鈥攃ompanies that provide raw materials, component parts, and services to farm equipment manufacturers.

Mary Sutton, President of Muir Omni Graphics, was re-elected to serve another year as Chair. Also elected to officer roles were Chris Smith of Comer Industries as Vice Chair, Alex Mussa of NA Manufacturing, LLC as Secretary, and Dalton Carr of Superior Gearbox as Treasurer.

Continuing their service on the board are Marc Adams of GBGI Inc. and JC Hatton of Metal Parts & Equipment. We also welcome newly elected members James Williamson of Myers Spring and Lloyd Kettlehake of C&U Americas, LLC.

A heartfelt thank-you goes to John Brown of Myers Spring and Steve Ford Sr. of CBS Global whose terms have come to an end. We鈥檙e grateful for their dedication and years of service to the Supplier Board of Governors.

For information about the current Supplier Section Board of Governors click here.

The board oversees the Farm Equipment Manufacturer Association鈥檚 Supplier Associate Members, which comprise approximately 300 companies supplying raw goods, component parts, and services to farm equipment manufacturers.

Mary Sutton, President of Muir Omni Graphics, was elected to a one-year term as Chair of the board. Also elected to officer roles were Chris Smith with Comer Industries as Vice Chair, Steve Ford of CBS Global as Board Secretary, and Alex Mussa from SNA Manufacturing, LLC, as Treasurer.

Sutton succeeds John Brown of Myers Spring Company as Chair. Brown will continue his service on the Board of Governors. Also continuing to serve will be Dalton Carr with Superior Gearbox, JC Hatton with Metal Parts and Equipment, Joe Sampson with Osmundson Manufacturing Company, and Marc Adams with GBGI, Inc.

Mary Sutton, President of Muir Omni Graphics, was elected to a one-year term as Chair of the board. The board oversees the Association鈥檚 supplier section, which comprises approximately 300 companies supplying raw goods, component parts, and services to farm equipment manufacturers.

Also elected to officer roles were Chris Smith with Comer Industries as Vice Chair; Steve Ford of CBS Global as Board Secretary, and Alex Mussa from SNA Manufacturing, LLC, as Treasurer.

Sutton succeeds John Brown of Myers Spring Company as Chair. Brown will continue his service on the Board of Governors. Also continuing to serve will be Dalton Carr with Superior Gearbox, JC Hatton with Metal Parts and Equipment, Joe Sampson with Osmundson Manufacturing Company, and Marc Adams with GBGI, Inc.

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Brown stated, 鈥淭his industry is a tight knit group with dedicated people whose focus is to make the organization better. We face a lot of challenges today and it’s important that suppliers and equipment manufacturers continue to work together to provide our farmers with the resources crucial to produce the crops they need to keep farms thriving and food on our tables.鈥� Brown continued, “Our organization provides us with that opportunity, and I am excited to to be in this new role and assist our members in taking on these challenges.鈥�

Also elected to officer roles were Mary Sutton of Muir Omni Graphics as vice chair; Steve Ford Sr. of CBS Global as treasurer and Chris Smith of Comer Industries, secretary.

Brown succeeds Marc Adams of GBGI as chairman. Also continuing to serve will be Alex Mussa of SNA Manufacturing LLC, Joe Sampson of Osmundson Manufacturing, Co., and Dalton Carr of Superior Gearbox.

Also, appointed to a first term were J.C. Hatton of Metal Parts & Equipment.

Scott Moss, business development manager for OE at Gates Corp., was unanimously elected to a one-year term as chairman of the board.

Also elected to officer roles were:

• Marc Adams of GBGI, vice chair,
• Mark Czopek of Sharon Tube, secretary, and
• John Brown of Myers Spring, treasurer.

鈥淭he Association is unlike any other organization I鈥檝e experienced in its commitment, dedication, and loyalty to its members and the agriculture industry,鈥� Moss said. 鈥淚 am proud to be a part of it and to lead this great group of suppliers. Manufacturing and supplier members work together for the good of the Association and what it represents.鈥�

Moss succeeds Joe Sampson of Osmundson Manufacturing Co. Sampson will continue his service on the Board of Governors. Also continuing to serve will be:

• Steve Ford Sr. of Lapham-Hickey Steel,
• Steve Nichol of TPA/Enok Collective,
• Mary Sutton of Muir Omni Graphics, and
• Jon Sherrod of Bondioli & Pavesi, who represents suppliers on the Association鈥檚 Board of Directors.

鈥淐oming off a world-changing time over the past year, it鈥檚 more important than ever for us to come together to strengthen this community and support each other and the industry we love as we grow for the future,鈥� Moss said. 鈥淏eing a part of this Association for more than 20 years, I know we are ready for this challenge and will face it together with great success.”

If we were shocked on March 12, we are weary on August 18. Our Zoom meetings, virtual farm shows, and webinars may save time and money, but they cost us quality relationships and business prospects. We want to connect.

鈥淚 do not want to live stream anything anymore,鈥� the Association鈥檚 Joe Sampson said last week. 鈥淚 want to be in the same room with my customers having conversations about their ideas, their families, and what鈥檚 ahead for their companies. You don鈥檛 get that in phone calls.鈥�

Sampson, vice president of sales at Osmundson Manufacturing and chairman of the Association鈥檚 Supplier Board of Governors, convened supplier leadership in Kansas City last week to explore the host city for the 2021 Supply Summit and discuss the impact of the pandemic on the industry.

The issues they are facing are universal.

鈥淓mployers are thinking, 鈥榊eah, I鈥檇 love to get my sales team back on the road and bring guests into my plant,鈥欌�� said Mark Czopek with Sharon Tube, 鈥渂ut I don鈥檛 want to expose my workforce and risk people getting sick.鈥�

Czopek flew to the meeting and has been getting out to see customers. He said the airport experience, like so many things in 2020, has changed.

鈥淚 got through security in about three minutes on a Wednesday morning,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut there was no place open to buy a cup of coffee when I got to the gate.鈥�

Czopek was comfortable in the airport and in the air, and findings from a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggest he should have been.

Arnold Barnett, a professor of management science at MIT, looked at the risk of catching COVID-19 in flight. He considered variables such as the odds of being seated near someone in the infectious stage of the disease, and the odds that the protection of masks (now required on most flights) will fail. He accounted for the way air is constantly renewed in airplane cabins, which experts say makes it unlikely passengers will contract the disease from people who aren鈥檛 in their immediate vicinity: their row or, to a lesser extent, across the aisle, directly in front of them or directly behind.

Barnett concluded that airline passengers have a one in 4,300 chance of getting COVID-19 on a full two-hour flight. In other words, about one in 4,300 passengers will pick up the virus, on average. If airlines leave a middle seat open, the odds improve to about one in 7,700, Barnett concluded.

Bloomberg published his findings in an editorial earlier this month.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 not to say flying is perfectly safe鈥攕afety is relative and subjective,鈥� the column said. 鈥淏ut as restrictions continue to change, the only way to move forward through this long pandemic is to start thinking in terms of risk-benefit ratios. Very little is without risk, but perhaps some risks, such as flying, are small enough to warrant taking.鈥�

That was the sentiment among suppliers last week, and they want to be part of a movement toward groups taking measured, reasonable risks. That said, the Association fully understands that members with higher risk profiles and family concerns may need to exercise a higher level of caution.

Let us know. The Association鈥檚 Board of Directors meets next week to discuss the viability of hosting the fall convention in Orlando. Directors would like to hear from you. Send an email to Kristi@farmequip.org. It can be two or three words: 鈥淟et鈥檚 meet.鈥� Or, 鈥淪ee you in 2021.鈥� Or, say more.

The challenges are significant, but if you want to make this happen, we will do everything we can to find a way.

Each Summit comes together in partnership with the Supplier Board of Governors, who host the networking opportunities and think creatively about new ways to engage. Here鈥檚 what’s in store in Albuquerque.

Receptions

Attendees gather as a complete group for the first time at the Welcome Party and Dinner in the evening Wednesday. Feel free to arrive casually dressed. This is a travel day for many, and others will have spent it at the golf course or shooting range.

First-time attendees are invited to join Association leadership for a pre-reception to get to know one another and ask questions about the Summit, the Association, and membership.

Golf

University of New Mexico鈥檚 Championship Course has been named by Golf Digest as one of the top 25 public courses in the country. It is a 7,248-yard, par 72 course.

Attendees pay $120 to golf and more to rent clubs. If you need to rent clubs, please let the Association know in advance.

The golf course prefers that golfers wear shirts with collars; jeans and shorts are OK. The Association will provide transportation. See who鈥檚 signed up to golf at .

Trap

Albuquerque Trap Club offers eight trap fields, 50 clay targets, and 12- or 20-gauge ammunition.

The club has a limited number of guns available to rent. Attendees who bring their own are allowed to store them in their rooms at the Albuquerque Hyatt. If you plan to bring your own shotgun, please contact the office at (314) 878-2304, or email Tricia at Tkidd@FarmEquip.org.

Participants pay $99 to shoot. The club will provide ear and eye protection as well as shells. The Association will provide transportation and lunch.
See who has signed up for the trap shoot, or sign up yourself, at .

Walk/Run

Thursday is a long day for Summit attendees. Start yours with the shot of energy that comes from a little fresh air, a brisk walk, conversation with others in the industry, and a continental breakfast. Participants receive a t-shirt. There is no additional cost.

Crawl

Albuquerque has unveiled a new entertainment complex that developers believe is the first of its kind in the nation, and members of this Association will be among the first to raise their glasses in it during the Summit鈥檚 fifth annual exploration of nightlife, otherwise known as 鈥渢he crawl.鈥�

Developers literally raised the roof on this former Sports Authority and invested more than $12 million to transform it into an under-one-roof entertainment venue.

Participants in the crawl will socialize at Draft Day Sports Bar, The Lobby Bar, and Uptown Funk Dueling Piano Bar. (For members who were on the crawl in 2017, you were part of an especially memorable stop at a piano bar in Little Rock. We have been looking for another ever since.)

Attendees pay $25, which includes transportation and a t-shirt. The t-shirt entitles you to happy-hour prices all night.

Ax Throwing (Pre-Summit)

In its pursuit of hosting fresh and fun networking events for members, the Supplier Board of Governors has organized an ax-throwing event for early arrivals in Albuquerque. The group invites you to ABQ Ax on Monday.

(About the timing of this event, the Association is always striving for the right balance when it schedules conventions. Everyone鈥檚 expectations are different. So, in the spirit of trying new things and preserving time-tested favorites, we have stretched the schedule this year to test interest in this trend.)

To join ax-throwing, call the Association at (314) 878-2304, or send an email to TKidd@FarmEquip.org.

Because this event is outside the classic Summit schedule and organized independently, details such as cost will be handled separately.