Register by Friday, August 18.
​Raffle tickets will be sold for a chance to win a Goldens’ grill.
Tickets are $25 for 1 or $100 for 5
Tee Box Ads:
Tee Box Advertising is available for foundries & suppliers. This is a quality, color sign bearing your company name & logo. Cost is $100.
Contact Patti Buksa at [email protected].

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer with friends and family. I hope that everyone’s business is improving, which means you’re also busy.
​On behalf of the Officers and Board of Directors, I would like to welcome everyone back for the 2017-2018 Birmingham Chapter year. The directors and Committee Chairmen have already been diligently working on plans for this year.
We have been thinking of new ways to best serve our membership and will start the year off with a technical session on 3D printing technology and simulation software on August 25th at UAB. The technical session will be followed by a reception at the Doubletree in Birmingham. The Ben Dunning Picnic and Golf outing will be held the next morning at Oxmoor Valley which is part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Please register as soon as possible because there are a maximum number of golfers that will be allowed.
We will be traveling to many different locations within our area this year and plan to have more technical sessions along with our regular meetings. If there is any particular topic that you are interested in, please contact a member of the chapter education committee.
We are also excited to host the AFS Southeastern Regional at Point Clear, AL in March. Please book your rooms soon in preparation for that.
A special thanks to all our financial contributors. Without you we could not sponsor Foundry in a Box, college chapter support, educational opportunities, college scholarships, etc..

Jon Pollard
2017—2018 Chapter Chairman

August 25th from 12 PM - 4:30 PM

• Lunch with Review of Objectives for Technical Session
• MPAD Tour of Foundry and Equipment
• 3D Printed Patterns Presentation Danko/Alliant
• 3D Process simulation Presentation Monroe and Kerry Bisset
• Hands on Lab Production University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

Cost per attendee: $65

• Includes lunch, presentations, materials, proceeds go the UAB, and social reception at Doubletree

Proposed Geometries:

• Missile Bracket: existing pattern, may be able to modify the gating system, aluminum pour
• Spirit wedge: Campbell based gating system, also can pour down open riser, showing tur-bulence
• Bend bar mold: two bend bars, can use chills, filters, etc. more limited in gating choices

The AFS Birmingham chapter formally invites everyone attending the technical session at UAB or the Ben Dunning golf outing at Oxmoor Valley to a social reception on August 25, 2017 at the Doubletree by Hilton in Birmingham from 5:00-7:00 PM. Admission will be included in the cost of the technical session for those who attend and will be $25 for all others. The hotel has also offered the discounted rate below for all AFS members that wish to stay that night.
Please call (205)933-9000 to book your room.
The following net, non-commissionable guest room rates are available:
Single Rate: $109
Double Rate: $109
Above rates are subject to the prevailing occupancy tax, currently at 17.50%.
Additional Adult guest room occupants greater than two per room subject to $15.00 for each additional person added to the guest room rate.

See the home page for this year's meeting schedule. For information on contacting the board, please visit our Officers page. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please visit our Sponsors page.

I apologize for not being able to attend the last the chapter meeting but was a little under the weather! I was informed that the speakers did a great job and attendance was around 25% of our membership. That is about average attendance for the Birmingham Chapter but to me and others a little disappointing. I would like to challenge all that we should be at 50% (100 attendees). I believe that we have to invest in our students and young graduates as well as up and coming hourly employees to thrive and succeed in the future. That being said, why not send them to meetings to get a snapshot of what is available. Our AFS National has made technical classes and literature readily available and affordable to businesses in order for them to adequately train and prepare their employees. I would like to hear what your thoughts are on what we could do better to meet your needs. Please feel free to email me at [email protected].
Please see the newsletter for upcoming events such as the Southeastern Regional, AFS Casting Congress and training available at AFS Corporate.
We will be having our next meeting in Columbus GA on March 9th hosted by Goldens’ Foundry. Shana Young, Director of the Cunningham Center for Leader-ship, will give a talk on the top 10 leadership tips. There is also a group activity as part of the talk, so it should be engaging. CCL is a world recognized leadership institute based out of Columbus State University, and hosts the annual Jim Blanchard Leadership summit every year. It's an international event that has brought in folks like George W. Bush, Peyton Manning, and John Maxwell. Here's some info if you are interested.
Hope to see you there!
Bill Bush
2016-2017 Chapter Chairman

March 22-24, 2017
@ Dollywood's DreamMore Resort
Pigeon Forge, TN
Please reserve your room at the DreamMore Resort early, as this is the beginning of spring break in TN. Our group rate of $152 will be honored to SE Regional attendees 2 days before and 2 days after the conference. Please call 800-DOLLYWOOD (800-365-5996) and be sure to mention you are attending the AFS Southeast Regional Conference to get the group rate. For more information please visit http://www.afs-tn.org/. For more information on the resort, please visit their website.

From the Desk of the Chapter Chairman Thanks to all that attended the January meeting. We missed all of those that were unable to attend. We appreciate the work that George Clark and "Manufacture Alabama" are doing to promote industry, education, and skills training to meet the needs of industrial manufacturing in this state.

I want to extend a special thanks to Goldens' Foundry for providing the Goldens' grill that generated a nice donation to FEF. This money will help to contribute to the future of our industry.

As we begin 2017, we are hopeful that our new administration will promote and protect our manufacturers. I encourage you to write your representatives and express your thoughts and concerns.

I would also like to challenge all of our members to get involved with our chapter. AFS is making training more accessible and affordable for members and their workforce. I ask to please contact our national representatives, Jim Frost and Ed Boyd, for further clarification as to what's available.

Mark your calendars for the next chapter meeting at the Wynfrey on February 13th. We will be hosting a round table discussion on automation and robotics in the foundry industry. Make plans to register for the upcoming S.E. Regional in GATLINBURG, TN on March 22-24. 

See you at the Wynfrey on FEBRUARY 13th!

Bill Bush
2016-2017 Chapter Chairman

Please contact Ken Murphy if you are willing to help:
[email protected] or 205-617-7386
 
Feb 17, 2017 Brock’s Gap Intermediate School 8:00-11:30 AM
Feb 24, 2017 Trace Crossings Elementary School 8:15-12 AM
March 23, 2017 Minor Middle School - Adamsville 8:30 AM-3:30 PM
May 5, 2017 Chelsea Park Elementary School 8:00 AM-2:00 PM

​March 22-24, 2017
@ Dollywood's DreamMore Resort
Pigeon Forge, TN
Please reserve your room at the DreamMore Resort early, as this is the beginning of spring break in TN. Our group rate of $152 will be honored to SE Regional attendees 2 days before and 2 days after the conference. Please call 800-DOLLYWOOD (800-365-5996) and be sure to mention you are attending the AFS Southeast Regional Conference to get the group rate. For more information please visit http://www.afs-tn.org/. For more information on the resort, please visit their website.

January Meeting
Monday, January 16, 2017
6:00 PM at Hyatt Regency - Wynfrey Hotel

Please join us for the AFS Birmingham Chapter January meeting at the Wynfrey. George Clark from Manufacture Alabama will be on hand to discuss workforce training and education initiatives. Register by January 12th to be entered in cash drawing.
Board meeting @ 5pm
Social time @ 6 pm
Dinner @ 6:30

From the Desk of the Chairman
If you missed the Christmas Party, you missed a treat! Flatt Lonesome put on a show for us that was one of the best ever for an AFS Christmas party. A special thanks to Jon Montgomery for booking them! Also, thanks to all who brought a gift for the Toys for Tots fundraiser and the drawings for our members and guests. Congratulations to Donnie Hoffman on winning the Goldens' Grill! Thanks to all for your generous contributions, we were able to raise over $1,200 for FEF!
Mark your calendars for the upcoming Southeastern Regional on March 22-24 at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort. As always, the Tennessee Chapter has a great venue planned for all. Please check out the other opportunities that AFS has to offer in this newsletter.
As we prepare for the New Year, I would like to challenge you to bring one guest to our next meeting on January 16th. We are excited to have George Clark, President of Manufacture Alabama, speaking on relevant issues and concerns that our industry faces. Manufacture Alabama is the only trade association in the state dedicated exclusively to the competitive, legislative, regulatory and operational interests and needs of manufacturers and their partner industrues and businesses.
Hope to see you on January 16th! 
Bill Bush
2016-2017 Chapter Chairman​