The Foundry Leadership Summit (formerly the Foundry Leadership Conference) brings metalcasting industry leaders together for the best in networking, facilitated discussions, and presentations for a unique annual experience.
“I’ve always felt it’s one of the premier events that we have for executives in the industry, to be exposed to quality speakers and presentations and good information,” said Mike Selz, commercial casting sales manager for Charlotte Pipe and Foundry (Charlotte, North Carolina) and an AFS Past President who once led the annual event. “It’s an opportunity to get together with your peers and contemporaries, not just to say, ‘How are the kids doing?’ but to talk business in a relaxed setting,” Selz said.
At a lot of conferences, it can be hard for a facilitator to get the conversation started. Not so at the Foundry Leadership Summit.
“I remember it being a bit like trying to herd cats,” Selz said. “I hated to be a killjoy [by moving along to the next session] … because you could hear they were talking and having good conversations.”
AFS Immediate Past President Patricio Gil estimates he has attended the event six or seven times. The CEO of Blackhawk de Mexico (Santa Catarina, Nuevo Leon, Mexico) will be returning again this year.
“After so many years of interaction in that friendly environment, you build relationships, you build friends, and in the end, those are the people who are moving the industry,” Gil said. “… I consider time for networking as a very important part of the event.”
Besides networking with peers, the Foundry Leadership Summit features speakers and presentations that appeal to leaders, Gil said.
The 2019 Foundry Leadership Summit is September 22-24 in Traverse City, Michigan. For more information or to register, click here.