O&MM Fabricator - March/April 2018 - 9

PRESIDENT'SLETTER

Honoring Our Past and
Looking to the Future
MAX HAINS

stating that I am honored
and proud to be NOMMA's 60th president.
So much is coming together all at once!
Of NOMMA's 60 years, MoFab has been a
member for 50! Coincidentally, this year is
not only NOMMA's 60th anniversary, but it's
also MoFab's 60th anniversary. After coming
to conventions for more than 40 years, next
year's METALfab will be held for the first time
in my home state of Indiana. I can't begin to tell
you how humbled I am to be NOMMA's next
president during this exciting time.
I appreciate all the hard work from previous
presidents to get us to where we are today.
They knew, as we all know, we have to change
with the times in order to survive and thrive.
Lord knows it's not always the easiest path,
but nothing worth having is easy!
I can't tell you how much respect and appreciation I have for Cathy Vequist, our Immediate
Past President. The time and effort she has
donated to this organization over the years is
remarkable. When my father was president in
1975, Leon York gave him a huge horse collar
made into a trophy for all of his hard work and
dedication. I wish we still had it, because I
couldn't think of a more deserving person to
pass it on to than Cathy for her devotion to
NOMMA. So thank you, Cathy.
When I first joined the board, I had big ideas
for changes. Thank goodness I was on a board
with like-minded people who had the talent
LET ME START BY

and made the time to make the positive
changes we see today. And, the changes you
see now are just the beginning. I am very fortunate to also have support from great people
around me who allow me to volunteer my time
and resources to NOMMA. I thank my two
sons, Max and Mason, my nephew Tanner, and
my girlfriend Cathy (not to be confused with
immediate past president Cathy Vequist!), who
have all been extremely supportive.
Our main objective for this year is to build
membership. It is the life blood of our organization. Thank you to those who have already
made a commitment to be part of the membership drive to get at least one new member.
If you have not committed to this big plan, I
am asking that you please help us grow our
membership. I'd like to challenge each of you
to get at least one new or returning member
this year - supplier or fabricator - we're not
picky. Can I count on you for this?
We also need volunteers to serve on committees. It doesn't have to be a long-term
commitment for multiple years. I've talked
to many members throughout the years who
have said they would not have gotten where
they are today if it wasn't for NOMMA. Maybe
it's time to pay it forward. In the near future,
we will have a place on our website for volunteers to sign up. Until then, please contact
Liz, Meda or myself. We appreciate any help
we can get.

As I previously mentioned, for the first
time ever, next year's METALfab will be held
in Indianapolis. We will be co-locating again
with our new friends from AFA, but new to
2019 will be the additional partnership with the
International Door Association (IDA). I recently
met their president and convention chair, and
they are just great, down to earth people, and
they are very excited to join us in Indy.
They also have a great education program,
so it won't matter if you're an AFA, IDA or
NOMMA member; all classes will be available
to everyone at next year's METALfab. To me,
that is just incredible, and it follows our mission exactly!
Lastly, as I mentioned, it's also our company's 60th anniversary. So we'll have our
shop cleaned up and ready to host next year's
shop tours, exhibitors, and demonstrations
at our plant, which is just 30-40 minutes
away from the convention center. And just
in case anyone is questioning the selection
of Indianapolis, it was set by Fusion a few
years ago. I didn't manipulate or bribe anyone! I believe you'll all enjoy the location.
Indianapolis is a nice, clean city with nightlife
and restaurants nearby. If the dates coincide
with Spring Break, bring your family. There is
something for everyone here.
In closing, I will do my best to honor the
presidents before me and leave the organization stronger for those who follow.

March/April 2018 * O&MM Fabricator | 9

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