Forge Fair 2019 will be upon us before we know it (May 21-23 in Cleveland), and it may be a good time to consider some regulations and rules regarding trade shows.

The Forging Industry Educational and Research Foundation (FIERF) works to connect educational institutions and the forging industry through future workforce development, promoting the advantages of forged products, facilitating technology transfer and promoting applicable research.

My first full year as the new president and CEO of the Forging Industry Association (FIA) was eventful and exciting!

Ongoing trade discussions between the U.S. and China were high in the news cycle in March. The economic relationship between China and the U.S., which has expanded enormously during the last few decades, has been one filled with tensions, allegations of currency manipulation, outright theft of intellectual property (IP) and other speed bumps in the highway of trade between the two countries.

The forging industry will meet in Cleveland for the third consecutive time at Forge Fair 2019. The new Huntington Convention Center will host the biennial event May 21-23, 2019.

Derek Stake is the forge manager at Mid-West Forge Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio.

As I write this, the newly sworn 116th Congress of the United States is about a week old.

As many of you are aware, the Chinese government has been planning and implementing changes to increase its global manufacturing presence and influence.

FIERF is proud to announce its new website, www.fierf.org, which is meant to be a resource to connect students, parents and educators to the forging supply chain with information tailored to their interests and needs.

Approximately 90 FIA members gathered at FIA’s annual meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, to engage the issues of the day in the forging industry.