Past CFA Meetings

February 8 - 9, 2010
CFA hosted its February meeting at the Hoel Sax in the River North District of Chicago. Following the Mill Dinner on Monday night members and guests continued netowrking in and around the hotel. Tuesdsay's program begin with breakout sessions for members which were followed by a very well received presentation on "Coaching Your Team to Greater Success thru Difficult Changes” from Jim Cederna of Cederna International.

November 16 - 17, 2009
The Networking and Mill Dinner was held at Osteria Via Stato . On Tuesday CFA hosted Thomas Schleifer, Ph.D.speaking on "How to Survive a Recession in the Construction Industry."

September 14 - 15, 2009
The Cubs game was the location for the Mill Dinner in Chicago. Dan Gowen, Sr. V.P. of Wells Fargo Employee Benefits spoke on the possible changes in Healthcare and their effects on the business at our Tuesday morning program.

May 11 - 12, 2009
The Mill Dinner was held at the Union League Club - Chicago.  After a tribute to Ralph Clarbour of Arlington Steel, we heard from Andy Busch, Global FX Market Strategist for BMO Capital Markets' Investment Banking Division in Chicago about the economy.
Tuesday morning we talked again with Andy Busch and hosted a panel discussion about Project Management featuring Gary Larsen of Zalk Josephs Fabricators, Tony Aniello of Paxton & Vierling Steel Company, Jim Buzzie of Douglas Steel, and Jason Bosscher of Steel Supply & Engineering.

February 9 - 10, 2009 
Our Winter Meeting was held at the Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel & Yacht Club. Members went to the Billy Joel Concert, golf outing, Mill Dinner Cruise on the Intracoastal and a plant tour of Steel Fabricators, LLC.

November 10 - 11, 2008
The Mill Dinner was held at the Union League Club - Chicago
Tuesday Morning program with Dr. Judy Liu, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
Purdue University who presented a program that covered the impact of previous research, ongoing research sponsored by AISC & National Science Foundation and her thoughts about future research projects. 
Matthew A. Gillies, Esq. of Stites & Harbison of Lexington & Louisville, KY reviewed ConsensusDOCS which have become the first consensus standard contracts written by and for the construction industry.

September 8 - 9, 2008
Mill Dinner at Nick's Fishmarket
Tuesday seminar on Leadership in the 21st Century with Russ Cherry

May 12 -13, 2008
The CFA Annual Meeting was held at the Union League Club - Chicago
Our featured speaker at the Monday, Mill Dinner was Scott Churilla, VP of Design-Build Services at HDR, Inc. and on Tuesday, our program speaker was Lynn Cohn, Clinical Associate Professor of Law from Northwestern Law School.

February 18-19, 2008
The Winter meeting was held February 18-19, 2008
in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona. The members enjoyed a
round of golf, a Hummer tour and Lock & Load event,
followed by a wonderful Mexican buffet, and finally
a tour of the Schuff Steel plant.

November 12-13, 2007
Mill Dinner- Brian Wesbury "A New Era Dawns"
Breakfast and Panel Discussion- "Best Shop Practices"

September 10-11, 2007
Dallas, TX
Mill Dinner: 6th Floor Museum-speaker- Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys
Golf: Texas Star Golf Course
Tour: Chaparral Steel, Midlothian, TX

May, 14-15, 2007
Mill Dinner: "Business Modeling - From the Fabricators Viewpoint"
Breakfast and Seminars: "Business Information Modeling"

February 12- 13, 2007
Mill Dinner: "Dare to Soar" - Byrd Baggett
Seminar: "AISC Certification" (Bobbi Marstellar, Brian Miller, Craig Myers, Carly Moore, Kim Swiss, Pat Thomaschefsky - AISC Quality Assurance)
Breakfast topics: Computer policies, company culture; health insurance expenses and reimbursement; divided locations - shop, office, estimating.

November 13 - 14, 2006
Mill Dinner: "Pitfalls of Lean" (Dick Strojinc & Dale Billet - RSM McGladrey)
Seminar: "Lean Manufacturing" (Dick Strojinc & Dale Billet - RSM McGladrey)
Breakfast topics: Risk management issues; contract forms; BIM - Building Information Modeling

September 10 - 11, 2006
Mill Dinner & Gerald R. Ford Museum - Jim Kratsis, guest speaker
Breakfast: "Fabricator/Structural Engineer - A Valued Relationship" - David Ruby, SE,PE
Plant Tours: Genzink Steel (Holland, MI), Steel Supply & Engineering (Grand Rapids)
Golf Outing: The Ravines (Saugatuck, MI)

May 8 - 9, 2006
Mill Dinner: "Economic Outlook" (Brian Wesbury, First Trust Advisors, L.P.)
Seminar: "Performance Benchmarking" (Tom Emison and Tom Murphy - RSM McGladrey)
Breakfast topic: "AISC Fabricator Insurance Program" (Bob Barrese, Assurance Agency)

February 27 - 28, 2006
Mill Dinner: "AISC Update" (Roger Ferch, P.E. - President AISC)
Seminar: "Welding Challenges and Opportunities in 2006 and Beyond" (Duane K. Miller, Phil Bouchard, Lisa Byall and Paul Kilbride - Lincoln Eelectric Co.)
Breakfast topic: 2006 Membership Survey

September 12-13, 2005
Mill Dinner & SAC Museum Tour - Lt. Col. William Ostlund, guest speaker
Breakfast topics: steel shortages and surcharges, health insurance costs, hiring & training detailers, home-based employees, dealing with schedules on CM jobs
Plant Tours: Paxton & Vierling Steel and Drake-Williams Steel (Omaha)
Golf Outing: The Players Club at Deer Creek (Omaha)

May 16 - May 17, 2005
Mill Dinner: "Recent Legal Decisions" (Brian Cubbage, American Subcontractors Association)
Seminar: "Avoiding & Managing Subcontract Risks" (Brian Cubbage, American Subcontractors Association)
Breakfast topics: bid proposal qualifications, material escalation and contracts

February 28 - March 1, 2005
Mill Dinner: "Managing Organizational Change" (Michael Mercer, Ph.D., The Mercer Group)
Seminar: "Negotiating, Influencing & Persuading" (Michael Mercer, Ph.D., The Mercer Group)
Breakfast Topics: Wage & Fringe Benefits Survey: benefits costs, retirement benefits, holidays, incentive compensation. Reorganization: reasons, challenges, employee morale; negotiation errors, techniques for dealing with GCs and CMs.

November 15-16, 2004
Mill Dinner: "Recent Work of the SOM Structural Engineering Group" (Shane McCormick, PE, SE, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill)
Seminar: "Resolving Disputes Regarding Bolting & Welding Quality" (Robert E. Shaw, Jr., PE, Steel Structures Technology Center)
Breakfast Topics: Steel availability & price changes; Current state of the industry; Challenges in the industry; Future outlook for fabricators.

September 12-13, 2004 (Indianapolis, IN)
Mill Dinner & NCAA Museum Tour - Mark Hermann, guest speaker
Breakfast Speakers: "New Indianapolis Airport Project" (Mark Mayer, Hunt-Smoot Midfield Builders) and "AISC Educational Programs & the Steel Bridge Contest" (Ron Bruce, Builders Steel Co.)
Plant Tours: Geiger & Peters (Indianapolis, IN) and Steel Dynamics (Pittsboror, IN)
Golf Outing: The Bridgewater Club

May 17-18, 2004 (Chicago, IL)
Mill Dinner: "Economic Update" (Brian Wesbury - Griffin, Kubik, Stephens & Thompson)
Seminar: "Legal & Practical Aspects of Project Management" (David S Ratterman - Stites & Harbison and H. Louis Gurthet - AISC).

February 23-24, 2004 (Chicago, IL)
Mill Dinner: "AISC Update", (Charlie Carter, Chicef Engineer, AISC)
Breakfast Topics: Steel Price Increases & Surcharges; Insurance Issues
Seminar: "CASE Document 962D - Guideline Addressing the Completeness of Structural Construction Documents", (Charlie Carter, SE, PE - AISC) and "Fabricator Early Involvement", (John D. Cross, PE - National Project Director, AISC)

November 17-18, 2003 (Chicago, IL)
Mill Dinner: "What Business Are We In?", (Marc Dutil, CanamManac Group)
Breakfast Topics: Productivity Tracking & Feedback to Employees; Incentive Plans; Bonding Capacity
Seminar: "Keeping the Family Business on Track", (Tim Habbershon, Institute for Enterprising Families, Babson College)

September 15-16, 2003 (Ft. Wayne, IN)
Mill Dinner & Tour: Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum (Auburn, IN)
Mill Tours: (l) Steel Dynamics, (2) New Millennium, and (3) Vulcraft
Golf Outing: Bridgewater Golf Club - East Course (Auburn, IN)

May 19-20, 2003 (Denver, CO)
Mill Dinner: "Break the Rules and Win More Bids", (John Nelson, Achievement Dynamics)
Breakfast Topics: Insurance Problems; Quality of Design Drawings; Business Slowdown; Guidelines for Exposed Structural Steel
Seminar: "Structural Performance of the World Trade Center and Surrounding Buildings", Ronald O. Hamburger, SE (Simpson, Gumpertz & Heger Inc.)
Fabricating Plant Tour: AFCO Steel

February 24-25, 2003 (Chicago, IL)
Mill Dinner: "The Art of Strategy" (Art Kimbrough)
Breakfast Topic: Group Health Insurance Costs
Seminar: "Shop Labor Standards"; Panel: Doug Johnson (Egger Steel Co.), Sid Blaauw (LeJeune Steel Co.), David Harris (Havens Steel Co.), Steve Wiger (W & W Steel Co.)

December 2-3, 2002 (Kansas City, MO)
Keynote: "Crossroads" (H. Louis Gurthet, AISC)
Seminar: "Increasing Market Share for Steel and for Your Company" (AISC Staff: Matt Gomez, Jeff Lane, John Cross, Bill Pascoli, and Farid Alfawakhiri)

October 7-8, 2002 (Chicago, IL)
Mill Dinner: "Economic Outlook for 2003 and Beyond" (Brian Wesbury)
Seminar: "Understanding the New AISC Certification Standard" (Chris Crosby, AISC)

May 19-22, 2002 (Little Rock, AR)
Breakfast Seminar: General Wesley K. Clark, US Army Retired
Motivational Speaker - Mill Dinner: Grady Jim Robinson
Fabricating Plant Tours: AFCO Steel and Prospect Steel, Div. of Lexicon
Optional Tours: Controlled Automation (Bryant, AR) and Nucor-Yamato (Blythesville, AR)

February 4-5, 2002 (Chicago, Illinois)
"Fall Protection" (NEA Video)
"Blast Cleaning and Painting Issues: Surface Preparation by Abrasive Blast Cleaning & Coating Application in the Shop", William D. Corbett (KTA-Tator, Inc.)

December 3-4, 2001 (Chicago, Illinois)
"Economic Forecast", David Greising (Chicago Tribune)
"Detailing Software" Panel: David Baker, Brian Howe, Davis Williams (Drake-Williams Steel); Don Clark, Mark Hanigan (Mid America Steel); David Bear, Joel Garber (Katelman Foundry); Doug Gericke (Metal Fabricators)

October 7-10, 2001 (Chicago, Illinois) 75th CFA Anniversary
"Certification Program Standarsd" (Anna Pertroski, Quality Management Co. and Viji Kuruvilla, Havens Steel Co.)
"AISC Marketing & Other Developments" (Andy Johnson and Lou Gurthet, AISC)
"A Hard Landing for the New Era?" Brian Wesbury (Griffin, Kubik Stephens & Thompson)
"What to Do when the Change Order Becomes A Claim", Stanley P. Sklar (Bell, Boyd & Lloyd)
Mill Tour - LTV/Copperweld Anniversary Dinner - Jerry Markbreit, NFL Referee
"The Next 75 Years", John Zills (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill)

May 8-9, 2001 (Ft.Lauderdale, FL)
"The Power of Healthy Living", Dr. Robert D. Willix, Jr., FACSM
"The New OSHA Standard of Steel Erection & Its Impact on Fabricators", Steve Rank (National Erectors Association)

February 5-6, 2001 (Chicago, Illinois)
"The Internet", Panel: Rhett Davis (United Steel Fabricators), Elias Gordan (Attorney-at-Law), Mark Holland (Paxton & Vierling Steel Co.), John Jurewicz (McClier Construction Div.)
"The Internet: Are You Taking Advantage of the Power?", Dr. Paul Teicholz (Berkeley, CA)

December 4-5, 2000 (Chicago, Illinois)
"Preparing for the Next Generation", Craig E. Aronoff, PhD (Family Business Consulting Group)

October 2-3,2000 (Chicago, Illinois)
"AISC Headquarters Tour" (AISC staff)
"Update on Market Breakthrough Initiative, Certification and other AISC Programs", H. Louis Gurthet (AISC)
"Changes in Code of Standard Practice", Charles J. Carter, SE, PE (AISC)

May 8-9, 2000 (Chicago, Illinois)
"Outlook 2000: Interest Rates, Oil Prices & Other Factors Affecting the Economy", Brian Wesbury (Griffin, Kubik, Stephens & Thompson)
"Changes in Seismic Provisions Under the UBC and IBC and their Impact on the Fabricator", John A. Rolfes (Computerized Structural Design, SC)

February 22-23, 2000 (Las Vegas, Nevada)
"Lean Construction and the Structural Steel Fabricator", Glen Ballard (Lean Construction Institute)
"Design-Build: A Closer Look", Tanya Matthews (Design Build Institute of America)
"Making Design-Build Work for You" Rex Lewis (Puma Steel)